KUCHING: National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) and Sarawak Media Group (SMG) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Creative Industry Immediate Economic Action Plan (Pelaksana) in a virtual ceremony held via Zoom on Thursday (Aug 5).
Signing for Finas was its chief executive officer (CEO) Dr Ahmad Idham Ahmad Nadzri while SMG by its CEO Suhaimi Sulaiman. Finas chairman Zakaria Abdul Hamid and SMG chairperson Datuk Norhyati Mohd Ismail signed as witnesses.
The MoU signing was witnessed by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Corporate Affairs and Sarawak Public Communications Unit) Abdullah Saidol.
Through the collaboration between Finas and SMG, Sarawak local producers will benefit through a total allocation of RM2.915 million, involving nine content production projects encompassing telemovies, drama series, magazines and entertainment.
The allocation will also open up employment opportunities to Sarawak’s creative industry players as well as increase the development of creative content human capital among locals.
The Pelaksana initative is a proactive measure by the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia through Finas in ensuring that the creative industry can be mobilised quickly to address the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pelaksana also aims to facilitate and encourage creative industry players in the production, publication and dissemination of creative contents while increasing the production of Malaysian creative content intellectual property.
Among the strategies under Pelaksana is Finas’ cooperation with private sector parties involving local television stations and broadcasters such as SMG.
The virtual ceremony also saw the handing over of offer letters for recipients of funds under Borneo Pitch@Prisma DKD (digital content fund).
This is one of the initiatives under the Malaysian Creative Industry Stimulus Package (Prisma), involving an allocation of RM3.775 million for the production of 16 creative content projects including the production of feature films, documentaries, and TV/OTT programmes.
Prisma is a short-term initiative launched by the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia on Feb 5 to ensure the survival of the country’s creative industry players in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
