KUALA LUMPUR — Police have confirmed the deaths of two men and two women, all locals, who attended an electronic dance music (EDM) concert in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, on Tuesday.
Selangor Police Chief, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, said the victims, aged between 20 and 40, were reported to police by the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).
“Post-mortem examinations were conducted today, but we are still awaiting the results of laboratory analyses,” he said in a statement yesterday evening.
“Initial investigations revealed the four individuals had attended the ‘Pinkfish’ concert in Bandar Sunway. “No external injuries were detected, and the case has been classified as sudden death.”
The deaths reportedly occurred amid the second edition of the Pinkfish New Year Countdown held at Sunway Lagoon’s Surf Beach, which featured an extensive lineup of local and international DJs, including Blasterjaxx, Cosmic Gate, and Sara Landry.
The event, co-organised by Hitman Solutions and Happymoon, attracted over 18,000 attendees.
The festival was widely praised for its stage design, sound systems, and laser shows, with fireworks marking the transition into the new year.
Fatalities at EDM festivals are not new in Malaysia. In March 2014, six people, including three women, died after attending the Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA) in Bukit Jalil. The victims, aged 19 to 28, were pronounced dead en route to hospitals.
At the time, the then-Kuala Lumpur Police Chief, Datuk Mohmad Salleh, confirmed that methamphetamine, a synthetic drug, was linked to the FMFA fatalities.
However, post-mortem findings confirmed that heatstroke, not drug overdose, caused the deaths of six individuals at FMFA 2014, challenging long-standing assumptions about the incident.
A year after the 2014 incident, Professor Dr K. Nadesan, head of the forensic pathology department at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), told a local daily that autopsies on the victims revealed otherwise.
Dr Nadesan disclosed that the hospital conducted post-mortems on three of the deceased and treated nine others who were hospitalised. “Two of the 16 revellers brought to the hospital in critical condition did not even have any trace of illegal substances,” he said.
The bodies of the deceased were described as “virtually dried up,” with one recording a body temperature of 39°C at the time of death. Based on these findings, Dr Nadesan concluded that heatstroke was the cause of death.
The FMFA organisers cancelled the remaining day of the festival, citing safety concerns after the incident.
While there is no confirmation of drug involvement in the Pinkfish concert deaths, the police have not ruled out any possibilities.
The post-mortem and laboratory results will be key to determining the cause of death for the four individuals.
“However, investigations are ongoing to determine whether there were any elements of foul play or poisoning involved.”
The police have urged anyone with information about the incident to contact Investigating Officer Sergeant Mohd Ridzal Puat at 03-56382122 or the district control centre at 03-78627222. – January 2, 2024
