KUALA LUMPUR: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry is studying a legal framework to curb ticket scalping, including measures to limit bulk purchases and excessive resale prices, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Its Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh said the ministry was engaging with event organisers and studying laws in other countries to develop regulations suited to the issue.
She said ticket scalping was a serious concern as consumers could be forced to pay exorbitant prices and risk being scammed when buying tickets from unofficial sellers.
"Currently, there are no specific legal provisions regarding ticket scalping.
"However, the ministry is engaging with event organisers, as well as conducting benchmarking studies with the aim of creating a legal framework," she said in reply to a question from Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN-Tampin).
Fuziah said Section 15(1) of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 empowered the minister to establish regulations to address the practice.
She said the ministry was studying approaches adopted in Australia, Ireland, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore, including how to define ticket scalping, determine its scope and control bulk purchases made through automated bots or people.
The ministry was also considering requiring tickets to carry the names or identification details of their holders to prevent people from buying tickets on behalf of others for resale at higher prices.
Fuziah said existing anti-profiteering rules were difficult to apply to ticket scalping because events were often one-off occasions, while standard investigations required three years of sales data.
She said the ministry was also conducting consumer awareness campaigns and engaging with event organisers to encourage voluntary monitoring of bulk ticket purchases in the absence of specific laws.
"Because there are no laws yet, they have to monitor it, and they must voluntarily place that responsibility on themselves as event organisers.
"However, it still has its own process, taking at least six months. We hope that by next year, we can have these regulations implemented," she said.
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