Finas to draft creative content industry act

The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) will prepare the draft for the Creative Content Industry Act to develop the industry in the country, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

He said Finas would be asked to discuss with the creative industry activists to provide ideas on preparing the draft of the bill.

Ahmad Shabery said he was attracted to the proposal to create the Creative Content Industry Act as suggested by the country's television industry activists known as "SwitchOff 14".

"Now, there is the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia Act 1981 and the act relating to broadcasting. Come to think of it, we need a new act, we want to look at the new act to be proposed and ask for the draft of the bill for the new act," he told reporters after opening the National Seminar on Mobile Communications and Rural Development, here today.

Ahmad Shabery was asked to comment on the memorandum sent by "SwitchOff 14" which contained 11 items pertaining to the filming and television industry.

The confederation comprising 10 associations of local arts activists, production and advertising crew also called on the government to emphasise on a fair intellectual property rights, to raise prices by coordinating the prices for content slots in television stations, a fairer distribution of TV slots by emphasising local contents of 70 per cent and enforcing the made-in-Malaysia policy and 'paducitra'.