Self-regulatory aspect equally important in film industry - Saifuddin

As such, local art practitioners should adopt the self-regulatory approach, especially with regard to the new media like YouTube to generate income, he said.

“I believe that apart from having regulations and laws gazetted by the government in Parliament, it is equally important to have an assurance of the widest freedom (possible) requiring art and culture practitioners to practise what is called self-regulation.

“Actually, this self-regulatory aspect is bigger than the regulations and laws gazetted by the government. We should remember that the worlds of film and technology are expanding extensively. Laws cannot possibly keep up with technological developments.

“Therefore, you can see that we are now stressing the anti-fake news campaign as it is part of the self-regulatory aspect,” he told reporters after opening a YouTube and Cinema Community Skills Workshop 2020 for the South Zone at Iskandar Malaysia Studios here today.

He was asked to comment on calls by Gabung Anak Seni president, Ellie Suriati Omar for the government to impose licensing requirements on YouTube channel owners, purportedly to protect the rights and interests of the local film industry from this group which is out to reap personal profits.

Saifuddin said, the government is amending the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) Act 1982 but the process would take time.

"But we will gather the relevant experts including those producing short videos in this process,” he added.

Saifuddin also said the ministry was cooperating with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to form a Task Force on the Creative Industry soon, which would be tasked with helping the local creative industry expand in line with rapid technological developments.

Earlier, Saifuddin, in his working visit to Johor today, met with representatives of agencies under the ministry in Johor at the Johor Radio dan Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) office this morning.