KUALA LUMPUR, — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said creative industry content such as movies, dramas and animations could be a lucrative export for the country if the products were of high quality.
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The prime minister noted that the creative industry is a thriving sector in Malaysia with the existence of 345 MSC Malaysia status companies under the Creative Content and Technology cluster out of a total of 2,986 active MSC Malaysian companies as of March 31, 2019.
“In 2018, the MSC Malaysia status companies under this cluster recorded sales of RM7.69 billion with export value of RM1.4 billion and provided 11,471 job opportunities,” he said in his speech at the 15th National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage (Aswara) Convocation Ceremony here today.
Dr Mahathir believes that ASWARA, with its variety of faculties can provide high quality creative industry content and products for local and international markets.
Meanwhile, the prime minister stressed that Malaysia could not lose its identity which was shaped through its cultural and artistic diversity.
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“We need to balance physical and material progress with the development of arts and culture because it is only in this way that we can strengthen the civilisation of the nation,” he said.
He further noted that Malaysian culture, like the culture of other countries, is constantly changing due to external influences, developments in communication, technology and others.
“In this regard, arts and culture education is very important because we do not want to experience cultural degradation and poverty,” Dr Mahathir said, adding that the decline would erode values vital for the survival of the nation.
— BERNAMA