“MAN proposes, God disposes”. Sometimes timing is so crucial in life that it can elevate the destiny of an individual to being an instant tycoon or otherwise, an overnight pauper.
But sometimes, certain chain of events are strictly tied to mankind affairs, thus it will be best to leave divine intervention out of the equation.
One good example has to do with the much awaited opening of US$800 mil Genting SkyWorlds which is touted as Southeast Asia’s most anticipated theme park.
After having to endure the bitterness of legal tussle between its owner and brand proprietor, the theme park which was previously named 20th Century Fox World has yet another hurdle to overcome prior to its grand opening.
Amid the recent spike in COVID-19 infection rate which may warrant travel restrictions – or worst, a re-imposition of movement control order (MCO 3.0) – the likelihood looms for Genting SkyWorlds to push further backward the opening of its doors from 2Q 2021 to later part of the year – or indefinitely.
This is not to steal the thunder away from the much glorified one-of-a-kind attraction which is built across 26 acres at an elevation of 6,000 feet above sea level.
After all, the opening of Genting SkyWorlds represents the final puzzle-piece of Genting Malaysia Bhd’s Integrated Tourism Plan (GITP) launched in 2013 – a major 10-year masterplan for development, expansion, enhancement and refurbishment of hotels, theme parks and infrastructure at Resorts World Genting.
There is no denying that the mammoth theme park can be a major economic contributor to the country by spurring the domestic leisure, travel, tourism and entertainment industries through increased patronage.
Of fortune and misfortune
Likewise, Genting SkyWorlds will also add another economic multiplier effect through the creation of jobs – a certainly much needed favour in view of how the full-blown health crisis has brought so much economic devastation to the aforementioned industries as well as rendering people in those industries jobless.
Towards this end, Resorts World Genting has recently embarked on a major recruitment campaign to employ more than 1,500 talents and support-team to facilitate the operations of the theme park.
This recruitment campaign has seen Resorts World Genting carry out a nationwide tour to conduct auditions for their live entertainment team which consists of singers, dancers, character performers, musicians and actors.
“We are looking for fun, enthusiastic and dedicated people to be part of the opening team,” enthused Resorts World Genting’s head of theme parks & experiences Gregory Pearn.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we look forward to see all the creative talents at our recruitment events.”
But alas, both fortune and misfortune can be so intertwined that one has to endure so much hardship before success can be realised.
This is not something new to Genting SkyWorlds which was first unveiled as 20th Century Fox World on July 26, 2013 with the commencement of construction on Dec 17 that year at an estimated cost of RM1 bil.
However, Nov 26, 2018 saw Genting Malaysia filing a US$1.75 bil lawsuit against Disney and Fox, accusing Fox of trying to back out of the deal for licensing the theme park.
Disney by virtue of the company’s then-pending acquisition of Fox was opposed to the park because they would have “no control” over its operations and that it would be adjacent to a casino which goes against Disney’s “family-friendly” image.
In return, Fox filed a US$46 mil countersuit against Genting Malaysia on Jan 23, 2019, blaming the latter for its “incompetence, inexperience, and rank indifference to its contractual obligations” as the reason the project fell through.
To cut a long story short, both parties announced on July 26, 2019 that they had settled their respective lawsuits.
As part of the deal, Genting Malaysia would be granted “a license to use certain Fox intellectual properties” while non-Fox intellectual property would make up the rest of the attractions in the park. – May 5, 2021
