Malaysia & Singapore Strengthen Media Ties

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) and Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) are working together to boost the cooperation between the two countries’ creative industries, focused on penetrating the global market.

MDA will be leading 33 companies from Singapore’s entertainment and media sector to visit Kuala Lumpur, hosted and facilitated by FINAS. The three-day event will include visits to major studios/broadcasters, workshops, forums, business-matching sessions and networking receptions. Companies taking part in the trip include MediaCorp Channel 5, One Animation, August Media Holdings and more. FINAS has arranged for the Singapore delegation to visit broadcasters such as RTM, Media Prima, Astro and major studios such as Metrowealth, KRU, Les’ Copaque Productions, MM2 Entertainment, Animasia Studio and Funcel. A business matching program has been co-organized by FINAS and MDA and is expected to attract some 50 Malaysian companies and 33 Singapore studios. It will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton Hotel.

Mohd Naguib Razak, the director-general of FINAS, said, “Sharing efforts and resources together amongst regional neighbors, such as Singapore, makes perfect sense and should bring a wealth of positives to both our countries, especially when Malaysia and Singapore already share similar culture, race, languages and traditions, are world-class digital content providers and possess a high-growth sector known worldwide.”

Aubeck Kam, the CEO of MDA, added, “Asia’s media industry is fast expanding, and Southeast Asia is likewise experiencing rapid growth. The fact that Singapore and Malaysia’s media industries are growing in tandem and collaborating in media projects is a positive development. This business mission is a good platform to further synergize our efforts, and open the way for Singapore and Malaysian companies to create compelling content that resonates with local and international audiences.”