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Rainforest World Music Festival |
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Security doesn’t have to be heavy-handed for festivals, writes S Puvaneswary
Sweet music as event’s security takes
the hassle out
T he annual three-day Rainforest World Music Festival celebrates the diversity of world music and is Malaysia’s most popular and internationally renowned event.
Organised annually by the Sarawak Tourism Board, the event was held in July this year.
Apart from promoting the state to an international audience, the festival also values indigenous music, and invites musicians worldwide to perform traditional music.
In earlier years, it was easy to control the crowd and to ensure security, as there were only about 300 people a night. But as the festival grew in popularity to its curent 8,000-a-night crowd, Sarawak Tourism Board found a creative solution to ensure high levels of security during the festival.
Since 2006, it has engaged the MGuardians Security Canine Services & Loss Prevention System, which uses trained dogs and security personnel.
This year, trained guard dogs, metal detectors and stun guns were used to ensure no untoward incidents.
MGuardians operation manager, Leo Pui, employed 62 men and nine dogs to patrol the area over the three days.
At night, security dogs and their handlers constantly patrolled the perimeters close to virgin jungle and longhouses, a weak point where break-ins have been known to occur.
A detention area was also prepared for those caught entering illegally. They could leave detention by purchasing a ticket, or face being detained until the end of the day’s performance.
“In the past, people had been caught and detained, in full view of the public. It served as an effective deterrent for others,” said Leo.
Visitors arriving at the main entrance this year had to enter through metal detectors and have their bags searched for sharp weapons, food and drinks, with only mineral water allowed in.
“Sarawak Tourism Board is very strict about this to protect the stall owners at the village,” said Leo.
New security measures this year included the use of electronic stun batons to control aggressive and drunken behaviour, delivering a short electric shock to its recepient.
“The staff were told to use this only as a last resort,” said Leo. The men on patrol also carried steel batons.
The success of the security measures was apparent, as the festival proceeded without a hitch.
“In our first year, we caught about 30 trespassers entering illegally every night. Last year, there were fewer than 10. This year, there were none. In the past, we had also stopped some drunken behaviour. Sarawak Tourism Board knows we deliver, and they don’t question our methods. At the end of the day, the public also feels safe and this is what encourages them to return to the festival.”
Co-chairman of the organising committee for 2009’s festival, Gracie Geikie, said: “We decided to engage MGuardians’ services because dogs have keen senses and can react very quickly. They are very sensitive to the presence of intruders trying to enter illegally – their mere presence acts as a deterrent.”
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