THE creative industry is in dire need of support from the Government and Budget 2021 should include measures to address them.
In a survey entitled Malaysia’s Creative Economy Participants Wish List for Budget 2021, it was found that the creative industry was one of the hardest hit due to COVID-19.
“This is very much reflected in the fact that 70% of respondents ranked government grants and loans as number one on their wish list.
“Also high on the agenda were the request for help with marketing and promotions with 42.2%, as well as job creation, with 39.5% listing it among their top priorities,” said MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd (MyCreative).
Last week, Persatuan Seniman Malaysia said the local entertainment industry was hard hit despite having standard operating procedure (SOP) to resume filming.
“Although the SOP now is more flexible, artistes cannot resume filming as usual as we have to finish up within certain time frame, unlike in the past where we work from morning till night.
“Therefore, many of us have to alter our scripts to make sure not many people are involved during one schedule. This is affecting filming and product quality,” Seniman president Zed Zaidi told FocusM.
MyCreative chairman Mohd Naguib Razak said among the measures Budget 2021 can include to help the creative industry, based on the survey, include:
- To include the creative, arts and cultural sectors as priority sectors in the country’s COVID-19 recovery plan (81%)
- To ensure the support to cultural organisations reach artists and other creative professionals that are self-employed (80.8%)
- To foster a more sustainable creative economy in view of developing careers and businesses (80.1%).
Naguib said beyond survival, respondents also urged the Government to place measures to advance the creative economy in a sustainable manner, which yields both economic and societal benefits.
Another suggestion from respondents was for the authorities to “focus on arts in education to cultivate audiences and talents for the creative ecosystem”.
“We need to get the creative industries active again – to be resilient and survive the disruption caused by the pandemic and also continue giving voice, context and substance to the people’s struggles.
“The survival of our talent pool and its transformation or adaptation to the new normal is paramount but we hope to achieve this with financial prudence and sustainability in mind as well,” he said.
The survey involved 365 individual and businesses involved in the creative industry. – Nov 5, 2020
