Singapore PM defends Singapore's Taylor Swift concert deal as non-hostile to Asean

SINGAPORE - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the arrangement to make the country as pop megastar Taylor Swift’s only stop in Southeast Asia for her six-day Eras Tour concert was not an unfriendly move towards other countries in the region.

He said a certain incentive was provided by Singapore’s tourism development fund to cut the deal and it has turned out to be a very successful arrangement for the republic.

"...there is a post-Covid fund to revive tourism after Covid and a deal was reached, and it has turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don't see that as being unfriendly,” he said.

Lee was responding to a reporter’s question at a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese held after the 9th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Melbourne, Australia.

He is also in Melbourne together with other Asean leaders to attend the Asean-Australia Special Summit which commemorates the Golden Jubilee of Asean-Australia Dialogue Relations.

Previously, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was reportedly saying that he was informed that Singapore government financially supported Swift’s concert, offering US$2 million to US$3 million per show for the exclusive rights in Southeast Asia.

Singapore’s Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong, however, told CNA that the amount was "nowhere as high" as reports have suggested. - BERNAMA