COLLABORATION WITH NATIONAL GEPGRAPHIC CHANNEL TO RAISE QUALITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- The Information Communication and Culture
Ministry will intensify cooperation with the National Geographic Channel in
efforts to produce quality documentary films, said its minister Dr Rais Yatim.

He said local production houses should emulate the National Geographic Channel
in monopolising the quality of production and command of the market in
fulfilling market demand.

Rais said although the documentary production unit had been created in the
Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (Finas), the quality of the
production was still found to be wanting.

"There are inadequacies in terms of expertise in producing documentaries of
quality for broadcast on local or international television.

"Thus, with the experience and expertise gained from the cooperation, we will be
able to produce various documentaries in Malaysia to fill the vacuum," he told
reporters after receiving a courtesy call from the National Geographic Museum
director, Susan Norton, at his office, here Monday.

He said with the closer cooperation between the two parties, his ministry had
set a target to produce documentaries comparable to those produced by the
National Geographic before the end of the year.

Collaboration between the Information Communication and Culture Ministry, Finas
and the National Geographic Channel had succeeded in producing six documentaries
such as the one on the second prime minister, the late Abdul Razak "A Leader's
Legacy: Tun Abdul Razak", which was aired on Astro, on Aug 24.

Other documentaries were on the country's legendary footballer the late Mokhtar
Dahari, Becoming A King, Fight Master: Silat, Among The Great Apes with Michelle
Yeoh, and the Petronas Twin Tower and Smart Tunnel.

Meanwhile, Norton said the National Geographic could look forward to finding
more projects in future to bring up Malaysia into the world.

"I think that is wonderful to showcase what has been done in Malaysia, by the
National Geographic. I hope that can be done...there are so many possibilities,
we just need to figure them out," she said.
-- BERNAMA