According to Primeworks Studio’s chief executive officer Ahmad Izham Omar, the meagre exposure is partly due to the methods used by Malaysian production companies to breach a country’s market, as well as the low levels of Malaysian content exported overseas.
“We have the ‘Jejak Rasul’ programme which has been sold to many countries, but there are only so many of that type of programme going around.
“Malaysia is full of culture and mixed races (but) our stories have not been heard around the world. We should produce more of this type of content,” he said on the sidelines of the launch of the international trade and industry ministry’s (Miti) 2016 Report here today.
Ahmad Izham said one of the ways that Malaysian production companies could export their content overseas was through the co-production method.
Through this method, governments of countries that find a partner in Asia will fund half the programme.
“The Japanese did it with their ‘Cool Japan’ initiative.”
“Cool Japan” is part of the Japanese government’s initiative to support the co-production needs of local content.
The initiative seeks to globalise Japan’s creative business exportation and expand the country’s entertainment content opportunities globally.
Ahmad Izham, who is also the chairman of the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF), said collaboration with Japan had enabled Malaysia to make tracks in expanding its creative content.
“After the Japanese came to Malaysia, we made seven to eight titles with various Japanese production companies. And this has helped Malaysia gain traction around the world,” he said.
Another way for Malaysia to gain traction in exporting creative content is through animation.
Ahmad Izham said cartoons or animations are easier to sell.
“Like ‘Ejen Ali’,” he said. “Various countries have seen the animation and they are asking us to review their animations.”
“Ejen Ali” is a Malaysian animated series produced by WAU Animation, focusing on a boy who acquires special powers.
The series was first broadcast on TV3, on April 8, 2016, and has been exported to more than 25 countries with a gross export of RM10 million last year.
However, with the expansion in digital and creative media comes the need for talents with niche skills.
Google Malaysia communications head Zeffri Yusof said there is definitely a high demand for digitally savvy talents in the industry.
“That is why we have the ‘Go Global’ programme with Miti and the ‘Ignite’ programme with local universities,” he told FMT.
Go Global Malaysia is a joint public-private partnership between Google Malaysia and Miti, as well as other local partners.
It aims to empower local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to build up their business capabilities, connect with digital ecosystem partners, promote international exports, and grow to be globally competitive companies.
The “Google Ignite” programme meanwhile aims to help students jump-start their career in digital marketing and, at the same time, help grow the pool of digital talent in Malaysia.
“The talent pool in the digital industry is growing. Such initiatives will coherently expand the pool, making digital transactions like an everyday task,” Zeffri said.
Earlier, International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed launched Miti’s 2016 Report on Malaysia’s trade performance.
Mustapa said the ministry would be more aggressive in growth expansion in the services industry, especially in the digital and creative industry.
“We have to look at export in a wider context. Not just maintaining with industries that we already have,” he said.