4 Malaysians who died after countdown concert suspected to have consumed ecstasy; 2 others still in hospital: Police

PETALING JAYA: Four Malaysians who died after attending a New Year’s Eve concert at Selangor’s Sunway Lagoon theme park are suspected to have consumed the drug ecstasy, preliminary investigations show.

The police are still waiting for toxicology reports of the victims – two men and two women in their 20s to 40s – for confirmation, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said at a press statement on Thursday (Jan 2).

Three other people who attended the Pinkfish Countdown 2024 concert at Sunway Lagoon’s Surf Beach on Dec 31 also displayed the same symptoms, Hussein told the media, as reported by The Star. He did not elaborate on what the symptoms were.

Two are in intensive care in hospital while one has been discharged, he said.

The seven victims had attended the concert, a 20-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur’s city centre, separately. Some were with friends while others were with family members.

The police had received six police reports from Universiti Malaya Medical Centre and another from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on the victims.

Six witnesses have given statements and several others, including the concert organisers and victims’ friends, will be called to assist with investigations.

Hussein also said the police are still determining if there was any criminal element involved, including whether the seven of them had been poisoned. He urged anyone with information about the case to contact Subang Jaya police or the nearest police stations. 

Videos circulating on social media platforms like TikTok and X show individuals collapsing at the concert and being carried away on stretchers on the day of the concert. One, by TikTok user @cinemagicmy, has garnered over 1.5 million views as of Jan 3. 

The concert organiser, Pinkfish Management, as well as the police have confirmed that the deaths occurred outside of the event’s premises but Pinkfish Management has said it will fully cooperate in the investigations. 

“The safety and well-being of our attendees, staff and surrounding community have always been our highest priority and we are working closely with the relevant agencies to provide the necessary support to those impacted, including families of the deceased,” it said in a statement posted on Instagram on Thursday afternoon. 

Pinkfish Management added that comprehensive security measures had been in place for the concert, including the deployment of more than 100 police officers, security personnel and K9 units at all entrances.