This 21-Year-Old US Singer Was Arrested By Immigration Officers During Her KL Show
Maggie Lindemann was performing at The Bee, Publika on 21 June before she was detained.
By Jia Vern Tham — 05 Jul 2019, 01:22 PM
Maggie Lindemann, a 21-year-old American pop star, was arrested halfway through her show at The Bee, Publika on 21 June
In an Instagram post yesterday, 4 July, Maggie revealed that she was detained and held in a "living hell" for five days.
"I was detained and arrested mid-way through my set and spent the next five days confined in a living hell," the pop star wrote in the post.
Maggie was detained by immigration officers for not having a permit to perform in Malaysia
"She violated the Immigration Act as she did not have a work visa," Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department director Hamidi Adam told The Malaysian Insight today, 5 July.
"(She) did not have a permit from the Central Agencies for Applications for Filming and Performances for Foreign Artistes to perform here," he added.
Hamidi also confirmed that Maggie's show was stopped by authorities mid-way.
Nonetheless, the Immigration Department director refuted Maggie's claim that she was detained for five days
According to The Star, Hamidi stressed that the pop star was detained for a night instead of five.
"She was detained at Jalan Duta (Immigration KL office) for documentation purposes, and was released with bail the next day," Hamidi was quoted as saying by The Star.
On top of that, the show's organiser has since pleaded guilty in court and was fined RM30,000.
Maggie was scheduled to appear in Vietnam and Singapore for her Asia tour after Malaysia
The shows were initially cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances", according to The Malaysian Insight.
At the time of writing, the 21-year-old has not disclosed the reasons behind her detention.
According to the Immigration Department's website, foreign nationals who are visiting Malaysia for specific professional reasons - even if it's just for a short period - should be entering the country with a Professional Visit Pass (PLIK)
PLIK application guidelines state that it is a "sponsor" or, in this case, the event organiser's responsibility to apply for the pass prior to the applicant's arrival into the country.
The application, which is to be submitted to the Immigration Department, would then be forwarded to PUSPAL for coordination and approval before it can be issued by the Immigration Department.