Fahmi, who used to be active in theatre, said the situation should be a wake-up call for the government to show that it recognised the importance of culture and the arts and that they were in dire straits.
He said KLPac had helped develop the arts industry in the country and should be given sufficient funding.
“It will be a total loss to Malaysians if KLPac is shut,” he told FMT.
“The relevant authorities should take the opportunity to help out as a sign of support and appreciation for KLPac’s role in promoting the development of the arts.”
He added that the arts sector in neighbouring countries had played a significant role in the development of their economies.
KLPac founder Faridah Merican said setbacks faced by most performance artistes were due to financial limitations.
“The difficulties that we are facing are related to costs,” she said.
“We have to be realistic as it is not easy to run a theatre. Funds are needed for maintenance and improvement of the venue as we welcome many performers who want to use the centre for training or performance.
“It is important to take good care of the centre.”
She also said the government was not giving enough importance to culture and the arts.
“If it cared, it would have allocated some funds in Budget 2018,” she told FMT. “If I’m not mistaken this is the third time there has been no allocation for arts and culture. So it shows that we are not important.”
Faridah said sponsors had been reducing their support for KLPac over the years, forcing the centre’s management to knock on doors.
The risk of closure that KLPac faces was reported recently by the Malaysian Reserve. It quoted KLPac group general manager Ian Chow as saying that the 12-year-old centre did not have the funds for the necessary upgrade of its facilities.
Its publicist, Sukhbir Cheema, said he hoped the government would provide financial help.
“The arts play an integral role in Malaysian society and KLPac, along with the Actors Studio, has been in the front seat in providing educative theatre to Malaysians,” he said. “The arts in Malaysia is bustling and growing, but it needs help.”
KLPac, located in Sentul, has staged numerous plays since it was established in 1995. It initially had 12 sponsors, but the number dropped to three in 2011.