MALAYSIA TAKES COGNISANCE OF CRISIS AND DIVERSITY TO MOVE FORWARD

From Siti Hawa Othman

AMSTERDAM, (THE NETHERLANDS), May 29 (Bernama) –- Learning fast from the two
recent financial crisis and taking advantage of its diversity, Malaysia sees the
impetus to move forward in a more creative and innovative way.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MdeC)
Badlisham Ghazali said, it usually took a financial or economic crisis, to
move a country forward as it finds new means of growth from the usual.

"As a country transforming itself, it will find the strength that can be
banked on. Malaysia’s uniqueness is its diversity, from which different input
and ideas are gathered, to help propel growth," he added.

He also said the New Economic Model (NEM), which is aimed at among
others,
for the country to achieve a high income status, has been promoting higher
value-added sources of growth such as the creative digital content sector.

"Creative industries in Malaysia are poised to show strong growth, on the
back of initiatives underpinned by the NEM," Badlisham said in his presentation
during the Creative Track at the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT
2010) which ended here on Thursday.

He said the number of jobs in the creative digital content sector is
expected to grow 23.5 per cent year-on-year, over the next two years, with up to
20 world class projects secured through international digital content
co-productions.

MSC Malaysia, meanwhile, will concentrate its efforts on five key areas
--funding for intellectual property, market access, strategic alliances, skills
development and digital media zones.

"We will focus on building synergies between existing industry building
blocks and addressing the demands of the local and global content market in the
areas of animation, games and visual effects,” he said.

According to Badlisham, MDeC itself would continue to introduce and enhance
programmes aimed at developing intellectual property, local talent and MSC
Malaysia Status companies of global standards.

In his presentation, Badlisham cited several creative digital content
success stories emanating from MSC Malaysia, including the highly acclaimed
animated 3D movie, "Geng, Pengembaraan Bermula" (Adventure Begins, Gang)

It was produced through the aid of a Malaysian government grant and use of
MSC Malaysia’s rendering facilities.

Another example cited was "Saladin: The Animated TV Series", a
co-production between MDeC and Al-Jazeera Children’s Channel which involved
collaboration in the form of funding, talent development and exposure to
international markets.

It is now available in 22 global markets.

Badlisham was part of a 20-member delegation to the WCIT 2010, led by
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Maximus Ongkili.

-– BERNAMA