Finas must forge more cooperation, boost creative industry - Salleh

The Malaysia National Film Development Corporation (Finas) should forge more bilateral cooperation with various government agencies, NGOs, associations and the public to further boost creative industry in the country.

Communications and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak said such strategic cooperation needed to be continuously enhanced in the effort to establish a synergy of creative and transformative industry.

Salleh said the Industry Transformation Plan was the best example to the strengthening and branding of a better function, in accordance with the current context.

"This transformation should be seen as the industry's synergy which is able to generate the film industry development, especially in the aspect of human capital, the backbone in the industry," he said in his speech when officiating the closing of the 'Let's make a short film' programme, here, today.

Also present was the Finas director-general Datuk Kamil Othman.

The programme, which was organised jointly by Finas, Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Kota Belud Education Office, began on Aug 17 and was participated by 90 students from nine secondary schools in Kota Belud.

Among activities held during the programme were talks, workshop on short film production and script writing.

Salleh said such a programme was significant to the government's efforts in developing skills and creativity in the film industry.

In a related development, he said a total of 50,000 students from 86 rural secondary schools and 14 public universities nationwide had joined the Film Lovers Club which was established since 2007 with the accreditation of the Education Ministy and Higher Education Ministry.

In Sabah, 10 secondary schools are members of the club, in which 150 students from the schools had successfully further their study in the creative industry field in the universities and polytechnics, he said.

"This proved that government efforts to hone the potentials of youth can continue to be strengthened with interactive modules in accordance to time and technology development," he added.