MalaysianCinema's Posts - Iconada.tv 愛墾 網2024-03-29T05:48:21ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinemahttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2207389467?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://iconada.tv/profiles/blog/feed?user=1w70q15k7bcvm&xn_auth=noWhat a Joketag:iconada.tv,2023-02-23:3600580:BlogPost:12046782023-02-23T12:30:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p>I was in a cab today and the cab driver said, "I love my job, I'm my own boss. Nobody tells me what to do.“ Then I said, "turn left".<br/> <br/> Today I donated my watch, phone and RM500 to a poor guy. You don't know the happiness I felt as I saw him put his knife back in his pocket.</p>
<p>I miss times when I was working at the zoo. My boss fired me just because I left the lion's gate open. I mean who would steal a lion?</p>
<p>I was in a cab today and the cab driver said, "I love my job, I'm my own boss. Nobody tells me what to do.“ Then I said, "turn left".<br/> <br/> Today I donated my watch, phone and RM500 to a poor guy. You don't know the happiness I felt as I saw him put his knife back in his pocket.</p>
<p>I miss times when I was working at the zoo. My boss fired me just because I left the lion's gate open. I mean who would steal a lion?</p>Don't You Wondertag:iconada.tv,2023-02-11:3600580:BlogPost:12046792023-02-11T01:30:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p>Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?</p>
<p>Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?</p>
<p>Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?</p>
<p>Why do supermarkets make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get to the Pharmacy for<br></br> their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?</p>
<p>Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Why is it that doctors and attorneys call what they do…</p>
<p>Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?</p>
<p>Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?</p>
<p>Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?</p>
<p>Why do supermarkets make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get to the Pharmacy for<br/> their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?</p>
<p>Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Why is it that doctors and attorneys call what they do 'practice'?</p>
<p>Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavoring, and dish washing liquid made with real lemons?</p>
<p>Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?</p>
<p>Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?</p>
<p>Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?</p>
<p>Why do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and yet get a diet coke?</p>
<p>Why do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens on the counter tops?</p>
<p>Why do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in our driveways and<br/> put our useless junk in the garage?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?</p>
<p>Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?</p>
<p>If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?<br/> <br/> Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?</p>
<p>You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes?<br/> Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff??</p>Developing Creative Economy, Bekraf Collaborates with Asian Philanthropy Networktag:iconada.tv,2020-11-23:3600580:BlogPost:10071232020-11-23T14:00:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p>Businesstoday.id, Jakarta - The Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) collaborates with the Asian philanthropic network, the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), to develop the creative economy in Indonesia.</p>
<p>"Synergy with AVPN is expected to increase startup opportunities and creative economic players get additional capital while increasing their skills in the creative industry," Deputy Capital Access Bekraf Fadjar Hutomo Fadjar said after signing a memorandum of understanding of the…</p>
<p>Businesstoday.id, Jakarta - The Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) collaborates with the Asian philanthropic network, the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), to develop the creative economy in Indonesia.</p>
<p>"Synergy with AVPN is expected to increase startup opportunities and creative economic players get additional capital while increasing their skills in the creative industry," Deputy Capital Access Bekraf Fadjar Hutomo Fadjar said after signing a memorandum of understanding of the agency's second collaboration with AVPN CEO Naina Subberwal Batra in Jakarta, Monday (09/10/2018).<br/> <br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8207642860?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8207642860?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" class="align-center"/></a><br/>
Fadjar explained, the development of the creative economy through the approach to startup development has been constrained by funding sources.<br/>
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"Startup in every phase of his life requires dierent funding. So the role of government and angel investors or philanthropy ventures is needed to be able to help their development, "he said.<br/>
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In the memorandum of understanding, Bekraf and AVPN are committed to fostering skills opportunities and livelihoods for creative economic actors in Indonesia, increasing employment and exports, and facilitating stakeholders to support creative economic development in the country.<br/>
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Both institutions will also mobilize social investment capital from various stakeholders, provide opportunities for capital collaboration that have a sustainable social impact and improve the quality of life of Indonesian people with the creative industry.<br/>
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In the next stage, the two institutions will work together to conduct research, publish reports on existing funding, and increase employment in Indonesia's creative industry.<br/>
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Meanwhile, Naina Batra welcomed the cooperation to support the creative economy sector in Indonesia.<br/>
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Even so, he claimed he would still study which projects could be funded by philanthropists.</p>
<p>He stressed the importance of such cooperation because it can encourage the creation of jobs throughout Indonesia, not only in Jakarta.<br/> <br/> "We will identify fund owners who are interested in supporting the creative economy in Indonesia. So, we cannot mention the amount, "he said.<br/>
<br/>
Naina also said later that cooperation would not only be limited to funding in the form of money capital but also intellectual capital and capacity building. (aij)</p>
<p><a href="https://avpn.asia/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Business-Today_AVPN-BEKRAF-english.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">By Business Today - September 10, 2018</a></p>Patrick Cooke·Can the creative industries of ASEAN make waves?tag:iconada.tv,2020-11-23:3600580:BlogPost:10069742020-11-23T13:51:07.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p>Strolling through Bonifacio Global City on a sunny Saturday, it is easy to spot the groups of smiley teenagers self-learning slick K-Pop dance moves in the shadows of gilded skyscrapers and leafy parks. </p>
<p>This joyful scene in a privileged enclave of Metro Manila is replicated every weekend across the sprawling cities of South-east Asia, as teens continue to ride the seemingly unstoppable “Korean Wave”. Whereas US music stars once reigned supreme in the Philippines and the wider region,…</p>
<p>Strolling through Bonifacio Global City on a sunny Saturday, it is easy to spot the groups of smiley teenagers self-learning slick K-Pop dance moves in the shadows of gilded skyscrapers and leafy parks. </p>
<p>This joyful scene in a privileged enclave of Metro Manila is replicated every weekend across the sprawling cities of South-east Asia, as teens continue to ride the seemingly unstoppable “Korean Wave”. Whereas US music stars once reigned supreme in the Philippines and the wider region, they now compete for affection with the latest K-Pop idols to roll off the conveyor belt in South Korea. <br/> <br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8207613667?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8207613667?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/><br/>
</a>K-Pop is just one element of Korean popular culture that has made inroads across the region and beyond in recent years, alongside TV dramas, movies, cuisine, fashion, cosmetics and video games. It has been driven not just by the creativity of Korean artists, performers and designers, but by a highly corporate – and sometimes ruthless – approach to talent management, combined with innovative social media strategies to engage directly with consumers and supportive government policies. </p>
<p>As a result, South Korea’s cultural exports generated a record $8.2bn in 2017, and the Korean Wave – known in the mother country as Hallyu – has been partially credited for driving growth in the tourism industry. Other soft power benefits are more difficult to quantify yet easy to imagine. </p>
<p>But should the fast-growing nations of ASEAN be content to remain consumer markets for the pop-culture giants of South Korea and the US, or can they realistically aspire to nurture their own creative industries into new growth engines for their economies?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>A new economic pillar for the Philippines?</strong></span></p>
<p>The Philippines is certainly in need of new growth engines. Expansion in two of the country’s major foreign exchange earners – business process outsourcing (BPO) and overseas remittances – has moderated in recent times. </p>
<p>The BPO industry is challenged by advancements in artificial intelligence and the proposed rationalisation of incentives for foreign investors in economic zones, while remittances have taken a hit from the 2014-16 oil price slump that impacted Middle Eastern states popular with Filipinos seeking opportunities abroad, as well as the repatriation of workers from that region this year. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Can the creative industries pick up some of the slack? That is one of the questions to be addressed next month in Manila at the Arangkada Creative Industries Forum, hosted by the Joint Foreign Chambers and supported by Oxford Business Group. </p>
<p>The Philippines has many inherent advantages that could support the growth of the creative industries. First and foremost, it has a large, consumption-driven internal market, buoyed by advantageous demographics. The median age is one of the lowest in Asia, and the Philippine Statistics Authority forecasts the population to expand from 92m in 2010 to 142m by 2045. This creates a fertile ground for a vibrant youth culture to flourish, sustained on a diet of music, film, fashion, arts and online content. The innate Filipino creativity and all-pervasive musicality is impossible for first-time visitors to the country to ignore; the challenge lies in harnessing this for wider economic benefits.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Already we see signs of success and growing demand for local cultural content, as evidenced by the highest-ever grossing Filipino movie at the box office in 2018. As far back as 2014, the creative industries contributed as much as 7.34% of national GDP and 14.14% of employment. Philippine culture also holds natural cross-over appeal for a wide variety of international markets, owing to its unique blend of Hispanic, American and Asian influences. </p>
<p>Beyond music and audio-visual content, the Philippines can also look to capitalise on its existing pool of digital talent in the well-established BPO sector to further develop the creative process outsourcing industry, focusing on more high-value activities such as graphic design, online marketing and web development, while also branching out into the lucrative video game development industry.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>However, if the country is to truly realise its vast potential as a global hub for creativity, a more cohesive master plan may be needed to establish a viable ecosystem that ensures Filipinos have access to the financing and tools required to develop their considerable talents, as well as an effective means to access local and international markets. As Paolo Mercado, president of the Creative Economy Council of the Philippines, told OBG in an interview this month, a more stringent framework for intellectual property rights might be needed to ensure the creative accomplishments of Filipinos are legally protected and adequately compensated. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Indonesia well positioned for creative economy growth</strong></span></p>
<p>Another ASEAN member state in need of new growth engines to counteract weaknesses in its domestic economy is Indonesia. Indeed, the country shares many similarities with the Philippines in that it is a vast and highly populated archipelagic nation whose economy is largely dependent on private consumption. </p>
<p>As it undertakes a variety of policy measures to address its chronic current account deficit and stabilise the currency, the administration of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has recognised the potential of creative industries to boost domestic consumption and increase foreign exchange earnings. In 2015 the Jokowi administration mandated the establishment of the Creative Economy Agency (BEKRAF), tasked with nurturing the growth of film, fashion, music, handicrafts and other creative industries to end an overreliance on commodities.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oxford Business Group recently conducted an interview with BEKRAF head, Triawan Munaf, which will be published in our forthcoming Indonesia 2019 report. Since the contents of that interview are still going through the editing process, I will point to separate comments he gave to international media earlier this year, in which he highlighted that the creative industries contributed 7.4% to Indonesia’s GDP in 2017, with the target being to raise this to 9% by 2020. </p>
<p>During the most recent incarnation of Indonesia’s foreign negative investment list, published in 2016, film production, distribution and screening were opened to 100% foreign investment for the first time, which has led to a surge in the number of cinemas and ticket sales across the country.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Indonesia can also capitalise on demand for its cultural content beyond the 250m people who live there, as its national language is a variation of Malay that is widely understood in Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. </p>
<p>The country’s leadership potential should be further boosted next month, when it hosts the inaugural World Conference on Creative Economy in Bali, which is expected to attract over 1000 local and international delegates. One potentially unwelcome challenge on the horizon for Indonesia’s nascent creative industries could be posed by the rise in sectarian politics and religiously conservative ideology. It will be interesting to see how Indonesia can harness the economic potential of a dynamic and creative youth culture without igniting opposition from more reactionary elements of society.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>About the Author:</strong> Patrick Cooke, Asia Regional Editor of <a href="https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/blog/patrick-cooke/economic-roundups/can-creative-industries-asean-make-waves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oxford Business Group</a></p>
<p>Source:26 Oct 2018 Oxford Business Group</p>What is the creative economy?tag:iconada.tv,2018-01-08:3600580:BlogPost:6960752018-01-08T13:53:34.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">From ‘creative industries’ to ‘creative economy’ – how the idea of creative industries and the creative economy has changed in the last 20 years</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong><br></br>How the term ‘creative industries’ began</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The term ‘creative industries’ began to be used about twenty years ago to describe a range of activities, some of which are amongst the oldest in history and some of…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">From ‘creative industries’ to ‘creative economy’ – how the idea of creative industries and the creative economy has changed in the last 20 years</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong><br/>How the term ‘creative industries’ began</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The term ‘creative industries’ began to be used about twenty years ago to describe a range of activities, some of which are amongst the oldest in history and some of which only came into existence with the advent of digital technology. Many of these activities had strong cultural roots and the term ‘cultural industries’ was already in use to describe theatre, dance, music, film, the visual arts and the heritage sector, although this term was itself controversial as many artists felt it demeaning to think of what they did as being, in any way, an ‘industry’. <br/><br/><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233145787?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="625" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233145787?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="625" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br/>‘Industries’ or not, no one could argue with the fact that these activities – both the narrowly defined cultural industries and the much wider range of new creative industries – were of growing importance to the economy of many countries and gave employment to a large number of people. But no government had attempted to measure their overall economic contribution or think strategically about their importance except, perhaps, the US government which, for almost a hundred years, had protected and fostered its film industry, not just because of its value to the US economy but because it projected US culture and influence around the world. Although they did not constitute an easily identified industrial ‘sector’ in the way that aerospace, pharmaceuticals or automotive are seen as sectors, one thing all these activities had in common was that they depended on the creative talent of individuals and on the generation of intellectual property. In addition, to think of them as a ‘sector’, however arbitrary the definition, drew attention to the fact that they were part of or contributed to a wide range of industries and professions, from advertising to tourism, and there was evidence that the skills and work styles of the creative sector were beginning to impact on other areas of the economy, especially in the use of digital technologies. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>The first attempt to measure the value of the creative industries</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In 1997, a newly elected Labour government in the UK decided to attempt a definition and assess their direct impact on the British economy. Drawing on a study published in 1994 by the Australian government, Creative Nation, and on the advice of an invited group of leading creative entrepreneurs, the government’s new Department for Culture, Media and Sport published Creative Industries – Mapping Document 1998 that listed 13 areas of activity – advertising, architecture, the arts and antiques market, crafts, design, designer fashion, film, interactive leisure software, music, performing arts, publishing, software, television and radio – which had in common the fact that they “… have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and … have a potential for wealth creation through the generation of intellectual property”. The concept of intellectual property (in other words the value of an idea that can be protected by copyright, patents, trade marks or other legal and regulatory mechanisms to stop it being copied or turned to commercial advantage without the permission of the person whose idea it was) was seen as central to any understanding of creative industries – and continues to be so. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Critics argued that the study was creating false distinctions and that individual creativity and talent were at the heart of many other areas of activity, from bio-sciences to engineering. Of course, that is true but the study had deliberately chosen not to include the creative work of scientists and engineers that is built on systematic analysis and enquiry, and to focus instead on the more random drivers of creativity in the social and cultural spheres. Another criticism was that the study failed to acknowledge the difference between businesses that actually generated intellectual property value through the creative talent of individuals, and were typically small, under-capitalised SMEs or micros (‘small or medium enterprises’, meaning they had between 25 and 500 employees, or ‘micro-businesses’, meaning they had 10 or fewer employees), and businesses that benefitted from owning and exploiting that intellectual property that were typically large, heavily-capitalised transnational conglomerates, sometimes with very little evidence of ‘creativity’ in the way they operated. The two kinds of company could not be more different from each other and yet they were both being defined as part of the ‘creative industries’. Despite these and other criticisms the study attracted considerable interest, particularly when a follow-up analysis in 2001 revealed that this arbitrarily defined creative sector was generating jobs at twice the underlying rate of the UK economy as a whole. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>How thinking about the creative industries has evolved</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Twenty years later, the concept of the ‘creative industries’, and their importance, is recognised by almost every government in the world and is beginning to give way to a much more inclusive idea of a wider ‘creative economy’. Of course, the desire to define specific industries as ‘creative’ persists, and will no doubt continue to be so. In some countries the definitions revolve closely around the arts and culture. Other countries have broader definitions that include, for example, food and gastronomy on the basis that food and cuisine have both economic and cultural significance. Other countries have a definition that includes well-established business-to-business industries such as publishing, software, advertising and design; the 11th Five-Year Plan of the Peoples Republic had as one of its central themes the need to “move from made in China to designed in China” – a classic exposition of the understanding that generating intellectual property is more valuable in the 21st century economy than manufacturing products. Other countries, including the UK, have wrestled with the tricky question of where to locate policy development for ‘creativity’ within their government structures – is it economic policy, industrial policy, cultural policy, education policy, or all four? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The more policy analysts and statisticians around the world thought about how to assess the true impact of the creative industries the more it became apparent that much more fundamental rethinking was necessary. For a start, the fusion of the arts and creative industries with digital technology was spawning whole new industries and skills that were not captured by the internationally recognised templates for measuring economic activity, the so-called ‘SIC’ and ‘SOC’ codes (Standard Industrial Classifications and Standard Occupational Classifications). This had the perverse effect of making important new areas of skill and wealth generation effectively invisible to governments and made international comparisons almost impossible. There were other obvious anomalies – not every job in the creative industries was ‘creative’ and many jobs outside the scope of the creative industries, however one chose to define them, were clearly very creative. The UK organisation Nesta, and others, began to explore this area, coming to the conclusion that the number of creative jobs in ‘non-creative’ industries was probably greater than the number of creative jobs within the creative industries. How could one begin to measure their impact? Moreover, the massive impact of digital technology was transforming every industry, creative or not, while the internet was opening up an ever-changing variety of platforms for new creative expression which, in turn, was generating all kinds of new and very obviously creative businesses. For example, within a decade and a half of its birth the videogames industry had surpassed the hundred year old film industry in value. And if ‘design’ was to be included as a creative industry, which it obviously was, where did that leave process design which was a creative discipline but one whose impact was felt across every other area of economic activity from retail to transport planning and health? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The more policymakers thought about the creative industries the more it became apparent that it made no sense to focus on their economic value in isolation from their social and cultural value. A United Nations survey of the global creative economy, published in 2008, pointed out that far from being a particular phenomenon of advanced and post-industrial nations in Europe and North America, the rapid rate of growth of ‘creative and cultural industries’ was being felt in every continent, North and South. The report concluded “The interface between creativity, culture, economics and technology, as expressed in the ability to create and circulate intellectual capital, has the potential to generate income, jobs and exports while at the same time promoting social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development. This is what the emerging creative economy has begun to do.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>The creative economy has a cultural and social impact that is likely to grow</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In a time of rapid globalisation, many countries recognise that the combination of culture and commerce that the creative industries represents is a powerful way of providing a distinctive image of a country or a city, helping it to stand out from its competitors. The value of widely recognised cultural ‘icons’, such as the Eiffel Tower in France, the Taj Mahal in India or the Sydney Opera House in Australia has given way to whole cultural districts that combine arts and commercial activity, from the Shoreditch district of London with its design studios, tech businesses, cafes and clubs to huge prestige projects such as the West Kowloon cultural district in Hong Kong or the cultural hub on Sadiyaat Island in Abu Dhabi that represent billions of dollars of investment. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Awareness of this broader significance was reflected in a UK government publication of 2009, Creative Britain, which argued that effective long-term policies for the creative industries depended on policy initiatives, many of them at city and regional level, that were social as much as economic and that included, for example, the need for radical changes in the way children’s education was being planned, if Britain’s economy was to achieve long-term success as a home of creativity and innovation. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">By 2014 staff at Nesta felt the debate had moved on so significantly that a new definition was was called for; a simple definition of the ‘creative economy’, rather than ‘creative industries’, as “…those sectors which specialise in the use of creative talent for commercial purposes”. The same year, in an analysis of the UK’s cultural policy and practice, the writer Robert Hewsion observed in his book Cultural Capital – The Rise and Fall of Creative Britain, “It is the configuration of relationships that gives a system its essential characteristics. Thus, it is less helpful to define the creative economy by what it does, than try to understand how it is organised”. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">This, in turn, opens up a whole new arena for discussion. It seems that these industries, especially the thousands of small and micro-businesses that are at the cutting edge of creativity, may not only be of growing economic significance but, in some sense, are a harbinger of a whole new economic order, providing a new paradigm for the way in which businesses are organised, education is understood and provided, value is measured, the working lives and career prospects of millions of people are likely to develop and how the cities they live in will be planned and built. In particular, the rapid growth of automation and the use of artificial intelligence and robotics, which heralds the so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, is certain to have a major impact on employment globally. Researchers at Oxford University estimate that up to 47% of jobs in the US could be replaced by machines in the course of the next 20 years, while their figure for the UK is 35%. But a 2015 study by Nesta, ‘Creativity vs. Robots’ argued that the creative sector was to some extent immune to this threat, with 86% of ‘highly creative’ jobs in the US, and 87% in the UK, having no or low risk of being displaced by automation. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">It is sometimes said that where oil was the primary fuel of the 20th century economy, creativity is the fuel of the 21st century. In the same way that energy policy and access to energy was a determinant of geopolitics throughout the 20th century, it may be that policies to promote and protect creativity will be the crucial determinants of success in the 21st. If that is true then we will have to rethink the way governments are organised, the way cities are planned, the way education is delivered, and the way citizens interact with their communities. So, thinking about what we mean by creativity and the creative economy could not be more important! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>The Author: JOHN NEWBIGIN </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">As Special Advisor to the Minister for Culture, Rt Hon Chris Smith MP, he was closely involved in developing the UK government’s first policies for the creative industries in the 1990s. He was Head of Corporate Relations for Channel 4 Television (2000-2005) and executive assistant to Lord Puttnam as the Chairman of the film company Enigma Productions Ltd (1992-97). As a policy advisor to the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition, Rt Hon Neil Kinnock, MP, (1986-92) he had responsibility for environmental and cultural issues, amongst others. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">He is a member of the UK government’s Creative Industries Council; Chairman of the British Council’s Advisory Group for Arts and Creative Economy; member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths, University of London; and of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Knowledge Exchange Oversight Group. He is a member of the International Board of Advisors of Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore and an Honorary Professor at the University of Hong Kong. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">He was a youth worker in East London for 6 years and writer-in-residence for Common Stock Theatre. He has also worked as a journalist and as an illustrator. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">He was awarded an OBE for “services to creative industries and the arts” in the 2015 New Years Honours List. <a href="https://creativeconomy.britishcouncil.org/guide/what-creative-economy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(Soruce:Creative England)</a></span></p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (8)tag:iconada.tv,2016-03-13:3600580:BlogPost:3737292016-03-13T01:39:50.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">8. FINAL REMARKS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF</span></strong><br></br> <strong><span class="font-size-3">MALAYSIA’S CREATIVE ECONOMY</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">of conflict will be cultural. The clash of…</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">8. FINAL REMARKS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF</span></strong><br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">MALAYSIA’S CREATIVE ECONOMY</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of conflict will be cultural. The clash of civilisations will dominate global politics.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Huntington 1993, 22)</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">8.1 Conclusion and Recommendations</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The twenty-first century has seen ICT affect all aspects of human life, the contemporary global</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market is considerably competitive and complicated. Customers are more demanding and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">require fresh, new, and unique products and services. Traditional sectors, particularly the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural sector, have to adapt to this transformation to remain competitive and relevant.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Failing to do so may affect their chances to grow, and present the danger of extinction. Hence,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">this has made the word creativity popular, with ICT playing a significant role in creating and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">maintaining creative sectors. Many governments have confidently highlighted creative sectors</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">at the centre of their economy reformation, but these sectors are substantially unpredictable</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and high risk, with low success rates in developing countries. In general, the idea and concept</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of creative industries—and now, creative economies—are not fully tested in developing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economies and their resilience to global issues is unknown.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, UNCTAD and many other commentators believe that the close link between culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and creative sectors means that the cultural wealth of developing nations offers substantial</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">potential for developing their creative sectors. Developing countries in the Asian region are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">seen by most commentators to be the next economic powers, particularly in light of the rapid</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economic growth of China and India. With majority of the world’s population living in Asia,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">many scholars believed the twenty-first century will be the Asian region’s opportunity to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">become the new world superpower (refer Mahbubani 2008). However, ICT progress in this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">region lags behind that of developed countries. Recognising this, many developing countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government are developing and upgrading their ICT facilities. Mega projects such as China’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">World Media Centre, UAE’s Dubai Internet City, Hong Kong’s Cyberport, and Malaysia’s MSC</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">were established in the late-1990s and early-2000s to promote ICT development. These</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government projects attracted local and foreign investors, and have encouraged key economic</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transformation in other related projects, from content, creative, and entertainment industries,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to the knowledge economy more broadly. With the combination of cultural wealth and ICT</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">rapid growth in developing countries today, UNCTAD and others recognise the potential of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing countries in generating their economy through these sectors. Thus the concept of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the creative economy is seen as an appropriate option for developing countries to close their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economic gap with developed countries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">UNCTAD’s broad definition of creative economy encourages developing countries to develop</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative sectors that until now have been monopolised by developed countries. This caused</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">debate among scholars because the creative sectors according to UNCTAD are becoming</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">“diluted”. Regardless, many developing governments are following UNCTAD’s 2008 creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy model. Malaysia is one of the developing countries that have supplemented this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">model with some local elements. Although there currently is no clear Malaysian definition and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policy on this concept, both content (animation, film, content digital and television series) and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural (arts, museums, and handicrafts) industries are identified as part of creative sectors</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Abd Aziz, Amin & Isa 2010). The Malaysian Deputy-minister of MICC, Datuk Joseph Salang,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">states that the policy on Malaysia creative industries is expected to be ready by mid-2010</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Bernama 2010). Importantly, the development of these sectors is not new in Malaysia, being</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">initiated more than a decade ago. However, in Malaysia the general public is not familiar with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the term of the new repackaged concept of the creative economy. Many are more familiar with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural tourism than creative industries, not least the creative economy. This is because</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural tourism was been developed first in Malaysia followed by creative industries, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more recently, the creative economy. The creative economy has an encouraging future in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia, since the country has many traditional cultural resources. However, the challenges</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">also are significant, since competition from other countries, particularly Malaysia’s neighbours,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is fierce.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The first of three sections in this chapter offers conclusions about the development of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia’s creative economy within the wider context of the global creative economy. The next</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">section provides recommendations, before this study’s limitations are discussed in the third</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">section.</span><br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2">8.2 Creative Economy Development in Malaysia</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> All four research questions of this project have been addressed in the previous chapter.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Culture plays an important role in the development of Malaysia’s creative economy. Also,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government policymakers and two organisations involved in this research acknowledge by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">importance of ICT, as its involvement in the creative economy strengthens their products and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">services to becoming more competitive. Malaysia’s cultural resources are her major strength,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and aspects of ICT have been used to support cultural institutions like museums in expanding</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to the next level. Recognising the mixture of global and local—or glocal—Malaysia is now</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attracting global market attention by marketing a glocal identity to build a better position in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">region and worldwide.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> However, the two case studies demonstrate that policymakers should refine their policies in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">order for both creative and cultural sectors to grow in the country. While Malaysia has rich</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">natural and cultural resources, their policies in this area are weak and not innovative enough</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to compete with developed countries. Malaysia undoubtedly has all of the right elements to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">become a global market leader, particularly in ethnic unity, provided they can improve their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policies. By being more imaginative with their policies, the government can move their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy to the next level. The development of tangible and intangible ICT facilities should</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">also be improved and applied nationally across the cultural sector. Also, policies in creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sectors remain unclear. Malaysian government and private sector have failed significantly in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">allocating resources in remote and rural areas, instead allocating the bulk of funding and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">infrastructure to metropolitan regions. Despite forming a special ministry to concentrate on</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">remote and rural areas, enforcement and implementation of policies are significantly weak.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Consequently, the Malaysian cultural tourism sector lags behind ICT-related fields like the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative sector. Immediate measures should be implemented by the policymakers and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">stakeholders in this matter because cultural tourism and the creative economy are important</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">for the development of the country. The government should strengthen their cultural policies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and produce clearer policies for creative sectors. This will raise Malaysia to a better regional</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and global position.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Many contemporary producers acknowledge the importance of ICT in assisting them to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">provide the products and services required by the market. Government, non-profit</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">organisational bodies, and traditional institutions are also applying ICT in day-to-day</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">administration, and in offering their products and services. Many cultural producers and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">services use ICT to cater to the market demand, especially in attracting younger generations.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although, the demand for traditional culture is strong, cultural producers applying ICT to their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services are gaining more attention from the market. At the same time, culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">plays an important part in ICT development. A strong cultural background will help individuals</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to become more imaginative. Therefore, culture and modern elements like ICT are necessary</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in any products and services that aim to remain competitive in a modern market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP and PERZIM are strong industry examples of how culture and ICT have been used to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">make their products and services more competitive in the market. Although there are many</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">potential improvements still to be implemented, these two organisations are the market</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">leaders in animation and museum sector in Malaysia and the surrounding region. Other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">organisations in Malaysia and developing countries can use them as a role model to create</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and implement more innovative ideas, in order to be different and unique in the market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The cultural and creative industries need each other to make their products and services</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">competitive and sustainable. Without creativity, culture may face the possibility of extinction,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">while individual creativity normally depends substantially on cultural background. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">combination of these two elements provides the best experience and satisfaction for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">customers. Malaysia is rich enough in both elements to become competitive in creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy sectors, but there are many aspects of these sectors that need further study.</span><br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2"><br/> 8.2.1 Cultural tourism in Malaysia</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Over the last two decades, cultural tourism has become the most important tourism activity in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia. The visitor experience is the most significant element in cultural tourism sector due</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to the intangible nature of the products and services. While the term, experience industries is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">employed by some authors when describing the cultural tourism sector, cultural tourism is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more extensively utilised in Malaysia, and therefore is the preferred term for this research.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Two Malaysian cities hold the title of UNESCO World Cultural and Heritage site—Malacca and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">George Town—and two parks designated UNESCO World Heritage Nature sites—Sabah</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kinabalu Park and Sarawak Niah Cave. The Malaysian tourism industry heavily depends on</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their rich multiethnic and religious culture since they gained their independence from the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">British in 1957.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> But Malaysia’s multiethnicity and religion may also be threatened if careful measures are not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">implemented in regards to delicate issues set in play by extremists and some western powers.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Violent racial tension already has occurred in Malaysia in 1961, and the government is taking</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">all measures to prevent a reoccurrence. Recently, some desperate politicians have used</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ethnic and religion issues to increase their popularity, and to gain global attention and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sympathy. As a result, some western powers are pressuring Malaysia to govern according to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">western standards, which shows that some individuals and countries question Malaysia’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">status as a democracy. They endeavour to impose their own order on developing countries,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and believe that western democracy can work in all countries, which fail to acknowledge what</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">has happened in China, Iraq, and Russia. This has made engendered anti-western sentiment</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in many developing countries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> This strong anti-western attitude has swept through most Muslim countries. The image of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">west has been tarnished among the Muslim countries, particularly after the invasions of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Afghanistan and Iraq. Prior to these invasions, other incidents around the world had made</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Muslim countries sceptical about the west, whose constant involvement in the internal issues</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of other countries has made the developing countries become more protective. Global culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">or western (“Americanised”) culture is not welcomed by many governments in Asia, including</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">China, India, Malaysia, and Singapore, who initially resisted globalisation. However, they soon</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">realised globalisation is inevitable. Even when some of these countries try to censor popular</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">global websites or implement strict controls, there are always ways where people can access</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to these websites. Censorship or strict controls in these countries prompt people to become</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more technologically creative. Therefore these countries use the different approach of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">blending global and local cultures into glocal culture.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> The marriage between western and local culture have been applied by many governments in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Asia, including Malaysia. Normally, these countries maintain close relationships to their former</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">western colonisers. History shows that western countries colonised many countries by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">becoming involved with their internal affairs, before slowly invading them. Using this tactic,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Britain colonised Malaysia (then known as Malaya), the Dutch colonised Indonesia, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">France colonised Africa. Hence, numerous historical sites and artefacts in many countries in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Asia and Africa have a background in western colonisation, which some people feel should</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not be promoted. These groups feel that promoting colonial history offers a favourable view of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the colonisers. Therefore, any transformation of Malaysian cultural institutions requires care,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sensitivity, and even creativity. While cultural tourism growth in Malaysia is soaring, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">implementation of creativity in Malaysian museums is proceeding at a slow pace.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Any changes Malaysia’s museum sector take place through a time-consuming, complicated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">process involving several stages. The majority of these institutions are administered by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">rules and regulations set by state or federal government agencies. Some rigid policies not only</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">affect the attendance rates, but also create difficulty in implementing change. For example, Kedah—the archaeology museum located in the oldest site in the country—is managed by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">state government, while administration and overlapping ministerial issues have left the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Merbok’s archaeological museum abandoned and unattended. Now, due to its poor condition,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the museum cannot be opened to visitors (Kasiman 2010). Malaysian archaeologists are still</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">finding new items on this site, which dates back to the eighth-century. This example highlights</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">wasted Malaysian government resources that were invested substantially in developing the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">facilities and other infrastructure. Although the country has many tourism attraction products</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with significant potential to attract local and international tourists, their main weakness lies in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">poor administration and management of creativity. The museum sector in Malaysia needs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">continuous support from the government, private companies, and the public, and a major</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transformation to become competitive in the tourism industry. As Florida (2005) argues,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative industries need creative governments, creative leadership, and creative communities</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">benefit a country’s socio-economic sector. This is what Malaysia market players,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policymakers, and stakeholders fail to keep up.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Compared to the animation sector in Malaysia, the museum sector in Malaysia is moving at a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">slow pace, perhaps thirty years behind other developed countries like Canada, the US, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the UK. Only in the last decade have Malaysian museums shifted their roles to become</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">modern government or privately-owned. They have begun to adopt some modern applications</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">such as ICT applications, and introduce new activities to provide memorable experience to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their visitors, particularly younger generations. The combination of traditional culture and ICT</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">can probably satisfy all types of market, and will attract a significant number of visitors. To give</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">an optimal maximum experience to visitors, and to make their products and services more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tangible, the museum sector needs significant ICT support. As a cultural institution compared</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to other museums in Malaysia, PERZIM raised new and fresh ideas to attract tourists by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">combining traditional and ICT elements. Their museums now remain competitive with other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism attractions in Malaysia and the region. Although they have close cultural similarities</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with other neighbours—including Brunei, Indonesia, and Singapore—PERZIM’s museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attract significant number of tourists from these countries, and consistently generate unique</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and different programs and activities. The Malacca state government is effective in using all of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their resources and advantages.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> As well as PERZIM’s proactive development in becoming modern museums, one of the main</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">reasons for PERZIM museums to receive substantial number of visitors is due to their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">strategic location between Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur International Airport and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Singapore. Compared to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Georgetown and the two</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">UNESCO World Natural Sites in Sabah Kinabalu Park and Sarawak Niah Cave, little</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> promotion was available because of their distance from Kuala Lumpur.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Despite this proximity, the substantial numbers of visitors to PERZIM’s museums face</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">congestion and pollution during the peak times of weekends and public and school holidays.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The city is becoming congested with people and traffic. Also, compared to MoV, the effect of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM’s changes on their museums is considered minimal. Thus, a more substantial</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transformation is needed to ensure competitiveness and sustainability. New features such as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">souvenir shops, cafes and libraries should be considered, following the examples of museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in US. While there are several museums in Malaysia that have shops and cafes (for example,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">National Museum and Sarawak Museum), the number are insignificant. The Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government has to be flexible and offer more autonomy to museum management to plan their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">direction, rather than follow strict rules and regulation from multiple government agencies. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">current model limits their creativity in expanding, and to make the best decisions for their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums, particularly when these museums normally have to report to more than two</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">stakeholders. The traditional management style of the museum needs to change to make the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums transform into efficient modern museums. While Malaysian museums have ample</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">collections of artefacts, they lack imagination and creativity in comparison to the rest of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">world.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>8.2.2 Digital content sector in Malaysia</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Since the late-1990s, creative industries have been regarded as the new economy model for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">most governments in Malaysia. Recently, however, the relevance of this concept has been</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">called into question because of confusion surrounding the concept and its many definitions. In</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, the creative industries are defined</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">differently, without including culture, particularly cultural tourism. With rapid changes in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology, and recent global trend in creative industries development, however, these</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries have implemented major changes. More key players are started to include culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and cultural tourism in their creative industries definition over the past decade (refer to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cunningham 2002; Hartley 2005). There is even movement in UK to use the term creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism (see Roadhouse 2006; Smith 2007), which acknowledges that culture can play a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">major role in generating income, in particular by attracting international tourists. However,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">since developing their own creative industries, most developing countries like Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">consider culture and part of tourism activities as part of creative sectors. Developing countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">supplement their own local cultural elements with creative industries adapted from models</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produced by developed countries. Thus, the development issues that they now facing may be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different to those faced by developed countries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> This is a competitive sector and products are easily to imitate. Although the first case study</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">highlights claims that LPC is involved in creative industries through animation, franchising and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">merchandising, what they produce is not wholly original. This is secondary creativity because</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creatives had produced similar products in Malaysia as early as 1978 (Mahamood 2001, 131;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Muthalib 2007). Nevertheless, animation products from Japan and the US are perhaps not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">entirely original, because their products are inspired by other sources. Ironically, among the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">earliest animated film—German animator, Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(1926)—was inspired by Indonesian and Malaysian shadow puppet plays (Citizendia 2011).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The creation of purely original products is possibly unachievable, since creativity itself</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">normally relates to culture. While Malaysian animation products may not be examples of firstclass</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creativity as Keane (2010) argues, almost no product can fit into this category. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">argument also applies to human culture where similarities can be seen from one community to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the other.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> There are always markets for traditional and modern products and services. In the music</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industry, the singers who sell millions of albums throughout the world are not necessarily</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">those who have a good voice, but rather produce good songs crafted with the latest</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology and marketed effectively. Singers like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber are two</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">examples of singers who may not have the best voice, but have managed to make a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significant impact on the music industry. These singers are imaginative in using modern</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology to produce their songs and to improve their voice. The same applies to films like</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Avatar, which had a huge impact on the global film market by using advanced technology.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">While not as effective in terms of acting and storytelling, these films have success with certain</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">audiences, particularly younger generation that appreciate technological innovation.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Developed countries have advanced technological facilities compared to developing nations</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">like Malaysia. One major problem Malaysia faces its Internet speed connection. Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Today (2009) identifies the country as having one of the slowest internet speeds in the world,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">although in comparison to its regional neighbours, Malaysia’s position is fair. This problem has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">discouraged companies from Australia and the US from investing in Malaysia. In recognising</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">this problem, the Malaysian government is looking seriously to upgrade the country’s Internet</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">infrastructure. One step is to investigate options to rent a direct line of internet connection to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia rather than stopping over in a number of countries (Azharuddin 2009). MDeC’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">multiple roles include assisting government and private companies in producing with the best</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ICT solutions, actively marketing Malaysian products and services to the world, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">encouraging collaboration between local and international companies. MDeC brought LCP to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">several major world events, and help them build new networks with companies from China,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and South Korea. MDeC also helped LCP market their animation series and 3D film to several</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries around Asia. This strategy is not without issues however.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Malaysia’s multiethnic culture has seen the domination of Malay films provoke argument</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly by non-Malays about whether the industry is presenting the country fairly to the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">world (Hoo 2006). This issue must be addressed carefully by the government because of its</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sensitive nature. Other minorities in Malaysia like the Chinese and Indians already have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">options to watch Chinese or Indian films produced from China and India. Limited buying power</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in Malaysia and competition from Chinese and Indian films mean that it may not be cost</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">effective for Malaysian Chinese and Indians to produce their own films. Also, there are many</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian Chinese and Indian producers producing television series for local television</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">channels. The main concern in the event that the Malaysian film sector is controlled by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">minority ethnics—Malaysian Chinese or Indian—is whether the films will represent Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">faithfully. Therefore, Malaysia’s film and music sectors face a significant dilemma where their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">markets are small and segregated by the ethnic minorities. This creates difficulties for uniting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the Malaysian people, and it is not surprising that even though they were born and raised in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the country most Chinese and Indian in Malaysia cannot effectively speak Malay. Some of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian people are having identity crisis, and consequently opt for the comfort of western</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> The question of national identity arose in Malaysian animation because of the government’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">directive and public opinion that local cartoons should be of high quality and contain eastern</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural values, mainly to counter the negative values contained in foreign animation. In order</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to project didactic values and moral lessons, local animation producers have turned to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional literature for inspiration, and have opted for non-violent visual presentations. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">intention of many governmental policies, including the National Culture Policy, is to achieve</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">racial harmony, therefore characters in Malaysian animation are often multiracial, representing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the three major ethnic groups of Malays, Chinese and Indians. Apart from the depiction of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">rural scenes with Malay houses on stilts amid huge rice fields, urban landscapes that feature</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">recognisable buildings and the LRT system in Kuala Lumpur act as symbols of a progressive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country. But local companies who do not want to follow Malaysian government rules and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">regulations have to find their own financial resources. For example, Igloo Digital Arts—a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pioneer of 3D animation technique and computer games in Malaysia—finance their projects</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">through outsourcing. Their products have limited Malaysian cultural features since they are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">catering more for the global market (Fig. 8.2.2). As a result, their name is less popular than</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP in Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Figure 8.2.2: Computer game character by Igloo Digital Arts</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Igloo Digital Arts 2011)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Even though promising local and international markets may help boost the production of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">domestic animation, many improvements must be made by local animators and producers if</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">they are to succeed internationally. Apart from striving for technical finesse, they have to solve</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural dilemmas in the creation of characters and stories, for it is indeed a serious challenge</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to animate for an international market while maintaining a Malaysian identity, and still adhere</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to government directives. Popular Malaysian cartoonist-turned-animator, Khalid (2001, 154)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">faced cultural differences when his Kampung Boy characters was adapted to television, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">when he collaborated with companies in the US and the Philippines. There is an obvious</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">influence of traditional literature in Malaysian culture, as many animated television series and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">films were inspired by folktales and written literature (Mahmood 2001, 131). Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animated cartoons also deal with contemporary subjects, incorporating renditions of daily life.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">On the other hand, the influence of foreign animation manifests itself through the use of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">superhero characters and plots, as well as through the adaptation of formalistic features and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">characters. All of these factors contribute to the form and content of Malaysian animation, in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the process lending it a Malaysian identity.</span><br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2">8.2.3 Other important issues</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> This project also identified a number of other important issues relating to creative economy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development in Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>Piracy and copyright problems</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Piracy and copyright issues were mentioned briefly in earlier chapters. The UNCTAD Report</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(2008) identifies piracy and copyright as the significant problems faced by developing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries in terms of their creative economy. Piracy remains a major threat for many</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing and developed countries. Copyright theft lost the US film industry USD$3-billion in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2002, and the rapid development of IT makes this problem even more challenging to control</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Yar 2005). Figures from International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) identify piracy levels</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">exceeded more than 90 per cent in developing nations including China, Ukraine, Indonesia,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Columbia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Pakistan, Kuwait, Romania and Bolivia, and industry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">stakeholders regard this phenomenon as an “epidemic”.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> In Malaysia every year, key sectors such as music, film, and publication lost million of ringgit</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to piracy. The more popular the music, film or publication, the more piracy occurred for these</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products. Currently, the popular Malaysian animated film, Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula—</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">which earned six million ringgit at the box office—is facing piracy problems. Pirate companies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not only reproduced the DVD, but also copied the original packaging, including the hologram</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sticker from the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (MDTC). This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sticker is supposed to difficult to forge, and serves as MDTC’s endorsement of an original</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">product. This alone demonstrates that pirate companies themselves are becoming creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with IT. According to the Managing Director of LCP, the pirate version of the DVD is on sale</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">even at authorised shops all around the country (Mahmud 2010).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> This is not a new problem in Malaysia. The music sector in Malaysia has waged a long battle</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with piracy. While the Malaysia government has tried to improve their policy and enforcement</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">on this issue, piracy is still the major challenge for the country. Joint efforts by the local</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">enforcement authorities, including the police force, MDTC and customs are occasionally</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">conducted, and in 2008, Malaysia joined WIPO to protect the sectors directly involved in IP</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services to strengthen their creative industries. But the subjectivity and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">intangible nature of creative economy products and services mean that it is hard to control</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">copyright and patenting, and to register IP. This problem also relates to the weaknesses of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">implementation and enforcement by Malaysian local authority.</span><br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2">Implementation and Enforcement weaknesses</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> The local authorities such as the police and customs play a significant role in enforcing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government policies. At the same time, private companies must also work together with the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government to smooth implementation and enforcement. The public can play an active role</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">too particularly in reporting any misconduct, and not supporting the illegal activities. If the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government, private and public work together, they will become stronger in exchanging useful</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">information, and will be able to stop the crime from happening. The Malaysian government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">faced criticism for not being transparent enough with their decisions, particularly in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tendering process for granting megaprojects to private companies. In addition, government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">staff members are accused regularly by the public of being passive and unmotivated.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, this stigma is slowly changing as improvements in ICT are implemented in Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Major transformation has been apparent in government services over the past five years.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Today, Malaysia has many consumer NGOs protecting local consumers, and many</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">associations exist to protect manufacturers and producers. Since the 1990s, policy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">implementation and enforcement by Malaysian government agencies has improved. ICT</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">growth has made policies much easier to implement and enforce, and the government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">occasionally offers incentives and salary increments to government staff and enforcement</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">agencies to discourage misconduct like accepting bribes to improve their lifestyle.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Lack of funding</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Funding is one of the major problems of developing nations in developing new sectors like</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative economy. Developing nations face a dilemma about whether to promote their creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">activities or other important traditional sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing for the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country’s socio-economy growth. Therefore, most developing countries use cultural tourism as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">an important resource to develop their creative economy, which requires less financial</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">assistance, since culture is an existing natural resource, whereas other sectors may need</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more funding to build facilities and infrastructures. The Malaysian government has allocated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significant funds for the development of creative sectors, but compared to developed countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the facilities and infrastructure of the creative economy in Malaysia still need major</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">improvement.</span><br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2">Censorship</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Most Malaysians value their culture, especially in the face of western and globalisation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">influences. This is evident in the significant response from audiences of music and television</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">programs with strong Islamic influences. All local and imported content products marketed in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia need to pass the censorship board. Obscene lyrics, materials, and scenes are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">censored or banned in Malaysian market. For example, almost daily the local newspapers</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">feature stories about technological advancements, and the government's efforts to make</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia an international centre for multimedia development and distribution. Yet they are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">also filled with editorial comments and quotations from government officials cautioning the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">populace about the importance of safeguarding the moral values of their society. While the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian censorship board is less strict than those in other Muslim countries like Iran, Oman</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and Saudi Arabia, products from Iran facing even stricter rules and regulation at home are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more successful in the market compared to those subject to Malaysia’s less strict rules and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">regulation. The rapid development of global ICT means that censorship can only applied on</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">electronic and printing media, while content on the Internet is rarely subject to censorship.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Some non-Muslim (and some Muslim) creatives in Malaysia feel this censorship rules and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">regulation impede their creativity. While Malaysian culture openly recognises their major</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">religions—Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu—and ethnic divisions—Malay, Chinese and Indian—</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">some with liberal beliefs may find it hard to practise their creativity. This group of people</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">regularly criticise the strict rules and regulation imposed by the Malaysian government. Some</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">practise their creativity outside Malaysia, while others protest using other means including</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Youtube and Facebook.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>8.2.4 Malaysia’s position in the global creative economy</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> While developed country definitions of creative economy may differ from those of developing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">nations, all agree that culture and creative industries are significant elements within the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">concept of a creative economy. The Malaysian definition of a creative economy is similar to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other developing countries, which use the UNCTAD definition, and also with some countries in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Europe, while Australia, New Zealand lean towards the definition of creative industries in used</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in the UK. Applying the model of domains of creativity described by Mitchell et al. (2003),</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia’s creative economy development since establishing the MSC has involved all four</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">domains. This is based on Malaysia’s recognition that to become a developed country they</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">have to develop their creative sectors like other developed countries.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">This research argues that Malaysia and other developing countries do not have to follow the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developed countries model, because what works for one country may not work for another.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, the models used by developed countries can influence the creation of new models</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in developing countries. Hence, when most developing countries included cultural tourism and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">heritage as part of their creative economy, they are playing to their advantages and strengths.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">While some scholars may not be happy with the inclusion of cultural tourism and heritage in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative economy sectors, it is not entirely wrong to do so. With more sectors promoting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">multidiscipline research and work, this inclusion is timely. However, there is little research on</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the connection between tourism, ICT, and the creative sector. In tourism alone in 2009, a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">special issue of the top-tiered journal, Tourism Analysis focused on the close link between</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism and technology. This idea was taken from the first Annual Conference of the Travel</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) in Europe, and was based on the realisation that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism and technology constitute the two main economic drivers in Europe (Dimanche & Jolly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2009). The journal published six papers that examined the close relationship between mobility,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology, and tourism from their unique perspectives.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Moreover, the key player in the global creative economy is the private sector, which is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">primarily comprised of SMEs. The 2001 World Bank Review establishes the significant role of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">SMEs as a core element in fostering economic growth, employment, and poverty alleviation.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In developed and developing countries, the SMEs sector is identified as the foundation for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economic growth. Although there are differences within SMEs groupings in the literature, there</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are many similarities: these companies are considered flexible enterprises (Levy & Powell</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1998) they are generally constrained by availability of resources (Fariselli, Oughton, Picory &</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sugden 1999; Swartz & Boaden 1997); and they have less access to technological</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">information than larger organisations (De Berranger & Meldrum 2000). There are many global</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">problems identified with SMEs companies, hence, they tend to harbour a distrust of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government initiatives (Harrer, Weijo & Hatrup 1988; Bannock 1992; Yap, Thong & Raman</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1994). All of these problems happen because of unclear aims and objectives, lack of support,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">poor value for money, and lack of understanding of the nature of, and constraints experienced</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">by small businesses (De Berranger & Meldrum 2000).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Malaysia SMEs face similar problems, and the government assists them by giving financial,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">training and other support. In creative sectors, the government established the MDeC, among</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">others, to look after the SMEs companies involved in creative sectors. Over the past fifteen</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">years, the growth of SMEs companies involved in content products and services increased</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significantly. Some began by imitating popular content products like animation and anime from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Japan, and film and music from the US; this is a global rather than local phenomenon. For</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">example, rap music now belongs not only to African-Americans; almost all countries in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">world have their own rap groups. Youtube offers evidence of rap groups in Palestine, China,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and India. The creative economies of developed countries in the region—including the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creatively advanced Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan—also began through</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">imitation. Globalisation now means that one culture does not exclusively belong to one ethic</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">group. Mixed culture can be seen and felt all over the world, especially in large metropolises</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">like Dubai, Jakarta, London, Kuala Lumpur, New York, Singapore, and Tokyo.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>8.3 Recommendations</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> From the discussion made in this chapter, I would like to make recommendations relating to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">this topic. These recommendations hopefully will be able to assist the stakeholders and other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">researchers to strengthen and have better understanding on the concept of creative economy,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and inspire future research relating to this under-researched topic.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>Government and Private sectors</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> The Malaysian government should become proactive in supporting the development of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative economy by producing policies that are more transparent and less political.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Continuous support should be given for the development of this new sector and more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dialogue, seminars, and workshop are needed to raise public awareness. Proper training and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">exposure for government and private staff will benefit this sector.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Rather than work independently, private and government organisations need to collaborate in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing this sector to achieve their plans at a faster pace. The stronger their connection is,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the faster this new sector will grow. To evolve effectively, a newly implemented concept like</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the creative economy requires a close relationship between market players and government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">stakeholders. This closeness allows each party to understand each other better, and they can</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">plan the future of the creative economy together, and devise a quality product and service that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is attractive to the local market. The full support of locals contributes to a strong foundation for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the products to go international. However, local products must be competitive and at par with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other products in the market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Thus, it is important for Malaysia to have highly qualified human resources. At the moment,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the country is having difficulties to retaining their professionals because of the competitive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">global job market, particularly in developed countries. The other main reason Malaysia tends</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to lose its professional human resource is because of strict citizenship rules and regulation.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Unlike countries like Australia, India, and the UK, Malaysia does not allow their citizen to have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dual citizenship. Thus, some Malaysian professionals—particularly those who have successful</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">career outside the country—have relinquished their Malaysian citizenship. Meanwhile,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">professionals from Australia, India and the UK maintain their dual citizenship and serve both</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries. This creates a drain of highly skilled human resources from Malaysia to other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries. Therefore, the government needs to re-examine its policies on this matter.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Public</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Malaysians often can be the hardest people to predict and satisfy. They are known to be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">critical of local products, but tend to have high respect for international products, particularly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from the developed countries (refer Muthalib 2007). Local animation still lacks an adult</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">audience, as the medium is still seen as catering only to children. Animation for adults is still</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">far odd, as the general consensus is that Malaysian animators are still not capable of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">producing acceptable films. Even with the expertise, there currently is no local market (Khalid</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2001; Mahamood 2001; Muthalib 2007). Thus, the Malaysian public needs to show faith in,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and support their local products and services. Like Indonesian and Indian viewers, Malaysians</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">should be more patriotic and embrace their local products and services. Public support will</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">help this sector to expand significantly. Malaysian trust of local products will help other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">markets to trust the products.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>8.3.1 Recommendations for future researchers</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> The novelty and lack of understanding of the Malaysian creative economy exposes many</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">areas that still need further attention. Future researchers should examine issues surrounding</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">this topic, perhaps from different points of view, and consulting different people, including</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policymakers and the public. This will allow more comparisons and can provide useful</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">knowledge in the literature. Different methodology approaches should also be applied to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">obtain robust data relating to this topic, and the mixed method is highly recommended in order</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to gain quality research findings. Future research could also work to construct definitive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">models and theory regarding the growth of creative economies in developing countries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Since cultures play a significant role in Malaysia, solid research into Malaysian culture and its</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">relation to creative sectors—for example, the acquisition of technical skills from the west and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the region; a clear vision of the messages conveyed in content; and the awareness that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation, like cartooning, is a legitimate artistic field—needs to be approached seriously.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Feedback from viewers and visitors should also be studied to understand the market better.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Established models or theories from other fields like economy, marketing, and management</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">may be tested in order to build a strong theory for the concept of the creative economy.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>8.4 Study Limitations</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Time constraints dictated that this study could only conduct two case studies in Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Apart from personal interviews, other research methods were not possible because they</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">require longer periods of data collection. Comparison between the two organisations in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia with two case studies in Hong Kong and Canada could only be done through</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">electronic data collection, therefore secondary data was examined. Also, the numbers of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">respondents were small, and only organisation staff members were interviewed. Hence, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">opinions visitors, viewers, and other stakeholders were not included in this study. Future</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">research should include these groups, and other local competitors, including George Town,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Penang and Sarawak Museum, and other international museums to gather more reliable and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">robust data.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Thus the major problem in doing this topic was obtaining reliable data, particularly about the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian animation and cultural tourism sectors. Despite this, the case study approach in this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">research obtained a rich data set from the organisations involved. Data relating to this topic is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significantly limited in the literature, and to date there are no strong academic discourses.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The limited data from these case studies restricted this project’s ability to generalise about</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">wider trends or build new theories. The findings of this thesis are based on the experience of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">two organisations, and offer greater knowledge about the development of a creative economy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in Malaysia. This study will add to the significant gap existing in regards to this topic in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia and other developing countries. As one of the first research studies examining the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">issues of the creative economy in Malaysia, this research makes a significant contribution to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">an emerging field of academic enquiry.</span></p>SITI SURIAWATI ISA:THE CREATIVE ECONOMY IN MALAYSIA (7.3)tag:iconada.tv,2016-03-12:3600580:BlogPost:3737132016-03-12T01:06:18.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2">The “Halal” market and cultural assets</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Currently, the Malaysian government is aggressively developing Malaysia as a “halal hub” for</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">the regional and global Muslim markets, which the Malaysian government began targeting</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">after launching of Halal Hub Corporation in 2008. With their tagline “Halal for all”, this…</span><br></br></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The “Halal” market and cultural assets</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Currently, the Malaysian government is aggressively developing Malaysia as a “halal hub” for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the regional and global Muslim markets, which the Malaysian government began targeting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">after launching of Halal Hub Corporation in 2008. With their tagline “Halal for all”, this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">marketing campaign targets everyone, and involves a wide range of products and services.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia’s strategic location means that it is easier for people from all around the world to visit</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">for business or leisure. With its steady growth, the government’s move in promoting and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing Malaysia to become a world halal-hub is a smart choice. The markets estimated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">worth—US$150-billion (Fischer 2008)—and buying power strength of approximately US$1.9-</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">billion worldwide (Shafie & Othman 2006) offers a stable platform for Malaysian products to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">enter the global market, particularly in Europe and North American. The substantial potential</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the halal market, means that many non-Muslim countries such as Australia, China,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Denmark, New Zealand and the UK are also starting to capture this market (ibid.) mostly by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">offering more halal food outlets, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and hygiene products.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Unfortunately, their products are limited and lack the professional skills that are available in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">With little western understanding of halal, Malaysia has an advantage in tapping into this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market. The country has all the right facilities and a clean image as a Muslim country to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">become successful in this market. For example, the halal accreditation license by Department</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of Islamic Department Malaysia (JAKIM) is recognised worldwide, and their certification and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">logo is highly respected and sought after by businesses worldwide (ibid.). Halal covers a wide</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">range of products and services from food to non-food categories. Hence, Malaysian halal is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not limited to only providing food and beverages, but also covers slaughtering, storage,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">display, preparation, hygiene and sanitation (Shafie & Othman 2006), Islamic finance and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">banking (refer Rosly & Abu Bakar 2003), fashion (Pak 2009), cosmetics for Muslims (Abd Aziz</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">et al. 2010), and halal tourism. In offering a halal hub, Malaysia is also targeting halal tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">for Muslim and non-Muslim markets.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">For more than a decade, the multicultural image has always been at the centre of Malaysia’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">major marketing campaign. However, at the same time, globalisation has seen more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries—particularly developed countries—make similar claims. Now, the concept of a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">multicultural image has become a common selling point, particularly in large cities all over the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">141</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">world. Recognising this, the Malaysian government is expanding their market beyond that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">image into health tourism, halal tourism, and establishing a second home in Malaysia. In order</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to attract Muslim tourists—particularly from the Middle East—the government has developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">many Middle Eastern-friendly facilities. In Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur there is a place called</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as “Ain Arabia” or Arab Street, which offers significant Arab influences in cafes, restaurants,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and shopping complexes. This raises the issue of staged authenticity in the tourism industry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(MacCanell 1979; McKercher & du Cros 2002, 12). Also, tourists might not truly experience</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian culture by visiting this type of place, which is the same as what they have in their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">own countries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Apart from halal tourism, the Malaysian government has initiated many projects in order to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">become the market leader for halal products and services. Moreover, MDeC has collaborated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with Al-Jazeera to produce the animated television series, Saladin, which tells the story of a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">famous Muslim war hero and his clash with the Crusaders in Jerusalem (see Fig. 7.1.4).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Figure 7.1.4: Saladin produced by MDeC and Al-Jazzera</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Multimedia Development Corporation 2010)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">142</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although the term, halal is not directly suitable to be used for animation or content industry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products, contemporary Malaysian animation products are suitable for Muslim audiences</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">because the Malaysian culture that these products are portraying has Malay (Muslim) and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional Asian influences. In 2010 and 2011, Malaysian local animation companies began to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produce animated television series with Muslim characters for local and international viewers</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">such as Bathutta, Boboiboy and Saladdin. Other Malaysian content products including books,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">magazine, and television productions are suitable for the Muslim market. With low violence</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and almost no obscenity, particularly in their animation, film and television products, Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">can enter this market easily. The first reality show on finding young Imam was produced by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">private television channel Astro, attracted international audiences, and created media frenzy in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">non-Muslim countries (AFP 2010). The second season of this program is scheduled for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">broadcast by mid-2011, with contestants from Brunei and Singapore. For the past five years,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian Muslim fashion designers have been active in organising “The International Islamic</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Fashion Festival” in Kuala Lumpur. The annual event receives support from the government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">agencies and local authorities, and attracts many international designers. Organisers have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">collaborated with Indonesian fashion designers to host this event outside Kuala Lumpur.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, there have been heated protests liberal-thinking Malaysian non-Muslim and Muslim</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative talents who are reluctant to be associated with Muslim or Malay images. For instance,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">some of the non-Malay film-makers and audiences in the country question film needing to use</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malay language (Hoo 2006), which is the country’s official language, in order to be designated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">a Malaysian film. This shows that some Malaysians are still confused about their own identity,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and have strong feelings regarding their ancestors’ land and western influence. Malaysians</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">normally speak their mother tongue instead of Malay, and watch the films and television</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">programs from the land of their ancestors. Some may speak English and watch western films</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and television programs. These audiences tend to use other mediums to practise their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creativity, and are prone to identify themselves as the “indie group”. Their end products are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">normally more controversial, lack Malaysian traditional culture, and are more global with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significant western elements. Nonetheless, once they join the mainstream sector they tend to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tone down their controversial ideas to fit into the main market, and to obtain government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">support for their projects. Not only are they following government rules and regulations for the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sake of government funding, but the indie market is too small for them to survive long term.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">For example, FINAS statistics show that indie films released without FINAS approval had poor</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">box office figures.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">143</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Mainstream Malaysian filmmakers can accept the rules and regulation set by the government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that are described by indie filmmakers as too strict and limiting creativity. Some commercial</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">film activists accuse this group of filmmakers as overconfident with their own ability.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">7.1.5: RQ4: How can Malaysia position itself in the region’s creative economy?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In order for Malaysia to position itself in the creative economy in the region, three imperatives</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are suggested, namely,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1) Local to glocal culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2) Policy improvement</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">3) Diversification of target market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1) Local to glocal culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The impacts of globalisation are unfolding quickly, and at the forefront of this new phenomena</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are the developed countries, of which the majority are in the west. In recent years, developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries from the East, including Japan, and South Korea, have broken this western</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">monopoly, and now other countries in the East use these two countries as their model to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">develop their scientific, economic, and technological sectors. For example, in Malaysia the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Look East Policy was launched in the 1980s to develop their culture and economy using the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">same models as Japan and South Korea. However, some of their policies are not suitable for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia, and were amended by Malaysian policymakers to make them more suitable to local</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">environments that are significantly influenced by Malay culture and Islam teaching. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">practise—generally known as glocal culture—intermingles the global and the local (Robertson</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1995, 26). Recognising the inevitability of globalisation—particularly in the face of the rapid</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">growth of ICTs and Internet usage—Malaysia’s latest marketing strategy promotes glocal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture as their image in the global market. At the same time, much of the Malaysian public is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">keen to protect their multiethnic and religious traditional culture.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cultural protection is still relevant in this era, particularly in a multiethnic and religious country</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">like Malaysia. Developing countries can embrace advance technology and elements of culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from developed countries, but they also can be proud of their own culture. Not all elements of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">global culture and technology are good, and some of them conflict with Malaysian and Eastern</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional cultures. Some hazardous technology—like modified drugs and nuclear weapons—</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">could cause great harm without proper management. In addition, local tradition is one of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">unique strengths of Malaysia. Trying to slow or stop globalisation might have a negative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">impact on the country and discourage foreign investment. Thus, glocalisation is a more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">144</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">appropriate tactic for sustainability in developing countries like Malaysia, in that it will help to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">save the local culture from extinction, and encourage the younger generation to become more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">appreciative of their traditions. Also, this will foster acceptance within the global community.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Therefore, the content industry can be used by Malaysian government as an important</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">medium to unite Malaysians and world community. Like regional and global sporting events,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">glocalisation can foster better understanding, and build good relationships among locals and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the international community.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Glocalisation has already been adopted by the Malaysian content and cultural tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industries to gain wider attention in their respective markets. Failing to do so might affect their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">chances of attracting more viewers and visitors on their products and services. For instance,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">most of Malaysian content products previously failed to gain minority ethnic audiences in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia and outside the country. At one point in early-2000, the sector reached its lowest</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">point, as most local animated production ceased production. Then, in 2005, LCP released</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Upin and Ipin, and with the series’ glocal features, became a significant phenomenon in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Southeast Asia and other parts of Asia. Their products have become the most successful</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian animated series and 3D films in history using 100 per cent local creative talent.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Hence, glocal elements might be the best answer to close the gap between what all the ethnic</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">groups in Malaysia and global market needs and wants.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Glocalisation is more significant in the content industry than in the cultural tourism sector,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly in the museum sector, which could be one of the reasons why Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums have lower attendance rates. The museum sector in the country should add more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">global features like the content products to their museums, but retain their local culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">elements. More glocalised features might attract more interest from potential visitors. Although</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional culture is important, modern features—particularly the use of advanced</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technologies—can help to bring raise the museum sector to higher level. Thus, a combination</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the two is necessary. This research found that glocalisation is the most suitable concept—</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">especially considering current limitations in technology—to be adopted by developing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries that depending significantly on their cultural resources for economic growth, and to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">remain competitive. Since Robertson (1995) introduced the concept of glocalisation more than</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">two decades ago, and only from the western perspective, further study on this concept in an</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Eastern context is warranted.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">145</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia is the ideal country to a flagship for the concept of glocalisation, particularly in terms</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the close similarities between countries in the Eastern region. The glocalisation models and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policies of western countries may not be suitable for these eastern countries. Their experience</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with foreign colonisers from the East (Japan) and West (Portuguese, Dutch and British)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">between the sixteenth and nineteenth-centuries, means that there are many things could be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">learnt from Malaysia. Also, the formation of Malaya, and then Malaysia since the nineteenthcentury</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">involves a combination of Eastern and Western cultures. Many Eastern countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">share a similar historical and colonial background like Malaysia, therefore Malaysia has a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">strong claim to become a leader in glocalisation issues. The country may lack creative and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technological skills, but it has rich cultural experiences in relation to the unity of multiethnicity</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and religion from the East and the West. Also, their cultural attractions are being underrated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significantly compared to developed countries. For example, when other countries may have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">only one king and queen, Malaysia has nine Sultans from nine states who are elected to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">become King on a rotational basis every four years. Their rich cultural background and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">experience with multiculturalism means that Malaysia could be the leader in glocalisation and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">globalisation matters.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">While some may argue ethnic unity in Malaysia is superficial particularly the Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">opposition political parties, many agree that Malaysia is an example of a successful</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">multicultural society (see Khalifah & Tahir 1997; Musa 2000; Van der Westhuizen 2004).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia is among the first countries in the world to promote this image in the market, and is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the first to experience globalisation. When most developed countries are promoting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">multiculturalism as one of the characteristics in globalisation in the market, Malaysia had long</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">experienced that culture. The majority of Malaysians are happy living together side by side</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">because this is part of their heritage. They have high tolerance with each other, and each</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture is influenced by the other. Malaysian culture is unique because of these cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">combinations.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, there are many issues that need to be addressed in order for Malaysia to become</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the glocal leader for developing countries. Firstly, the research culture in Malaysia needs to be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">upgraded significantly. More research work on the history of Malaysian culture and glocal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">features should be undertaken from a local perspective. At the moment, there is limited data</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">about global and glocal topics in Malaysia, and most of the research has been done by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">westerners. With their understanding of their culture, local researchers are well-positioned to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">take an active role in examining this topic to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Secondly, Malaysian marketing campaigns and promotion lack creativity. With such cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">wealth, Malaysia should be able to attract significant numbers of domestic and international</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">146</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourists compared to developed countries with limited cultural resources. However, Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">still fails to attract these cultural tourists. A third problem is evident in the poor maintenance of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourist destinations by local authorities; some attractions have been left unattended, creating a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">waste of resources. Malaysia has a significant opportunity to become world leader in glocal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and global issues, particularly relating to multiethnic and religious culture, but the government,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">private sector, and public should be more responsible in improving their infrastructure and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attitude. Importantly, Malaysian researchers have yet to reach global standard. Now is the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">time for them to become glocal researchers and later global researchers in order to inform a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">better position in the regional and global creative economy.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Policy Improvement</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Both new and traditional sectors are vital to the growth of Malaysian economy and society. As</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the CEO of MDeC (Ramlee 2011) observes, the government promotion of a content industry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is not fun, but rather a serious business. He says the creative content industry is far bigger</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">than the information technology industry, with a net global worth of US$2 trillion including</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation, gaming and interactive comic books, special effects tailor-made for films, digital</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">content for mobiles, and visual effects (Ramlee 2011). Malaysian exports in creative content in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2010 totalled RM114.48 million (approximately AUD 38 million) (Business Times 2007), a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">figure that is expected to increase in 2011 (Ramlee 2011). MDeC is collaborating with private</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">companies to find something new and fresh for the export market. Culture as acknowledged</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as the most important element in the content and tourism industry, therefore Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policymakers should strengthen their cultural policies. Although, these are more advanced</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">compared to those for new sectors like the creative economy, some older policies need to be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">revised to be more relevant in this era. Many issues need attention and improvement from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia policymakers, particularly in terms of a clearer definition of creativity.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Further, MSC project paid too much attention to tangible facilities rather than intangible</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">aspects (Jarman & Chopra 2007, 197; Ramasamy et al. 2004, 1196), and the knowledge</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy has been narrowly defined as relating to science and technology (ICT) (Evers 2003).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">As a result, the MSC faces many shortcomings in their early stages of development.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Additionally, Jarman and Chopra (2007) argue Malaysia offers developed countries sources of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cheap labour for their animation sector and content industry. To date, the novelty of creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sector development in Malaysia means that there limited guidelines for the market players.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Many are still being formulated by the government, while some are irrelevant or need</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">improvement and modification. In addition, the Malaysian government is accused regularly of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not being transparent enough in its decision-making (Pandiyan 2009; Sindhu 2009),</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">147</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly in terms of budget allocation and funding. Although funding is provided by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government, it is difficult to obtain. The industries claim that cronyism and favouritism are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">evident in the allocation and approval of funding and projects. Many demand a more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transparent system. Additionally, approval of applications can take months. Sometimes, by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">time a film script or television drama is approved, the production company has to make many</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">changes to the script because of other commitments and weather changes. Also, those who</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">obtain government funding have to follow the rules and regulations set out by the government,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and thus face restriction of their creative freedom. The government has to be more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transparent with their policies and less political in their decisions. All private companies should</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">be given fair treatment when tendering for government megaprojects. Financial assistance</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">should be given to companies that have unique products and services with comparative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">potential. Frequent dialogue and seminars should be conducted between the government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">agencies and those involved in the development of creative sectors in the country.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, the government—with the help from private sector—is slowly overcoming these</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">problems. The past three years have seen positive changes in Malaysian creative sectors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The MSC development is radically different from Silicon Valley and it will take longer time to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">achieve a similar success, but each country has different experience in any developments.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Even different places within one country have different experiences in new developments.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This does not guarantee success for the MSC, even if the development studiously follows the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Silicon Valley model.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Unfortunately, the whole Malaysian cultural sector—and particularly the museums—are facing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">decreasing attendance rates. Although museums in Malacca and Sarawak still attract</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">substantial numbers of visitors, they are face fierce competition from other modern tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attractions. Innovation and new governmental directives should be imposed on Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional cultural institutions, since Malaysians are accustomed to a top-down approach. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government should take the initiative to encourage cultural institutions like museums to play a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more prominent role in their community. Malaysia has rich cultural natural resources that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">deserve more attention from policymakers and local authorities. Many heritage buildings and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sites in the country are not given proper attention. This is also due to weaknesses on behalf of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the Malaysian government in enforcing their policies. While they have the policies for certain</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">areas, the processes of implementation are weak, and their marketing campaign strategies for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural attractions are also poor. All of these issues need urgent attention because they affect</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economic growth. Malaysian ICT facilities—particularly in cultural institutions like museums—</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">should be improved all over the country to make venues more attractive, and help maintain a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">148</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">competitive edge. Currently, improvement of ICT applications only focused on certain sectors,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and museums possess the least technologically advanced applications.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In terms of research study, government funding for the creative industries or social sciences is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">difficult to obtain compared to pure science research. This demoralises non-science</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">researchers from doing quality research; consequently, Malaysian research into the content</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and tourism industries is neglected. The social sciences are as important as pure science</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">because they study the diverse aspects of human behaviour that makes up a national</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">community. The Malaysian government should allocate more funding for researchers in this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">area in order for them to achieve the national goals of Vision 2020.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Also, the Malaysian corporate sector should improve support for the growth of content and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural tourism by providing funding or loans to market players, specifically SMEs. Currently,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">while some of them do so, the funding on offer is too small and only focuses on metropolitan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">businesses. Most remote and rural SMEs are ignored by the Malaysian corporate sector. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">establishment of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development caters to issues relating to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian rural regions, but Malaysia’s corporate sector should play a more prominent role in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">assisting the government to reach rural communities. More financial aid and moral support are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">needed in the rural areas for their SMEs to survive. Once again, the government can offer</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">incentives to those corporate companies who are willing to support rural SMEs.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">I argue that the domains of creativity identified by Mitchell et al. (2003) should be increased</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from four to five domains. Beside scientific, technological, economic and cultural domains,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">there should another domain: policies creativity (table 7.1.5). Growth of creative sectors not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">only depends on these four domains; policymakers in developing countries also should be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative. Many authors (see Low 2001, 7; Yue 2006, 18) argue that the success of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Singapore’s economy came through creative policymakers.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">149</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Table 7.1.5: Domains of Creative Activity (Modified)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Mitchell, Inouye & Blumenthal 2003, 22)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Diversification of target market</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Currently, Malaysia practises diversification by globally marketing their products and services.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The Malaysian government is moving towards capturing the Muslim and non-Muslim markets,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly through their content and cultural tourism sectors (Khalid 2009); in the global</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market, they are promoting multicultural products, while in Muslim markets, they are promoting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">a moderate Muslim image with their halal hub. At the same time, the Malaysian government is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cautious not to push too many Muslim characteristics, and tries to balance the country’s image</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with other images, not only because Malaysia is a multiethnic and mixed religion country, but</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">also because of “global Islamophobia”. This issue has prompted the Malaysian government to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">take extra precautions in their marketing campaigns. Hence, rather than referring to an “Islam”</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">or “Muslim” hub, the government refers to a “halal hub” to market Malaysia globally. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government fears that by overly using referring to Islam and Muslim, they might cause a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">negative impact on their non-Muslim market. Malaysia’s marketing campaign depicts the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country as a modern, multiethnic, Muslim country (Van der Westhuizen 2004, 1278). The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government is using these images to building Malaysia’s national identity in all sectors. While</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">there is domestic and international criticism about government policies that allegedly favour</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the Malay (or Bumiputra) ethnics and Islam (see Business Week 2003), the majority of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Policy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creativity</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Scientific</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creativity</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Technological</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creativity</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Economic</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creativity</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creativity</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">150</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysians tend to follow governmental direction. As a result, the country has become a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">worldwide model for multiethnic and religious unity. As one of the popular developing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries, more attention is paid to every aspect in Malaysia. With pressures from within and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">outside, Malaysia has to take care with their internal affairs.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In 2010, over 200 local companies in Malaysia specifically focused on the area of animation,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">post-production, e-learning, mobile and creative content within the MSC area. These</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">companies offer the services of more than 7,000 skilled and experienced professionals (Abu</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Bakar 2010). This strength and growth is propelling the content industry in Malaysia,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly the animation sector, towards the global market. The strong support for the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian content industry received from the local market over the past three years is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">encouraging more confidence in local companies to market their products globally. LCP plans</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to expand their market in Southeast Asia, India and Latin America; local companies like Handy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pro are eying Saudi Arabia (Abu Bakar 2009); and Igloo Digital Arts, Netcarbon and Shock3D</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are examining the international market (3D Magazine 2010, 20-21). These companies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">collaborate with international companies as partners on international projects. However, little</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian culture is evident in internationally-marketed animated products. Their scripts</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">feature low violence scenes and are suitable for a family-oriented market, but their products</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">have significant global features (refer Fig. 7.1.5).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Figure 7.1.5: Alamaya: Garden of Beautiful Creatures by Shock3D</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Shock3D 2011)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">With cultural wealth, cheap labour, and positive support from the government, Malaysia has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significant potential to become competitive in the regional creative economy. Her location in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Southeast Asia allows a closer proximity to regional market leaders like Japan, Singapore,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">South Korea and Taiwan. This will contribute a spill-over of wealth from these countries to the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">151</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian economy. Also, the rapid economic growth of China, India and Vietnam will bring</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">benefits to Malaysia, particularly in the creative sector. Hence, Malaysia should focus first on</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">marketing their creativity regionally, where other countries share similar histories and cultures,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and there is substantial potential in creative economic activity. The novelty of these sectors,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and a high interest among governments in the region, means that Malaysia can become one</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the market leaders. With her high regional profile, it is possible for Malaysia to establish a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">strong position in Asia’s creative economy. For instance, countries like Hong Kong, Saudi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Arabia and Thailand seek Malaysia’s advice in developing their creative content sectors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Hence, Malaysian government should have good strategy and planning to improve their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">position in the creative economy in the region. Their policies also should be competitive with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other governments.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">7.2 Conclusion</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">These two case studies in Malaysia exemplify Keane’s (2010) argument about fitting new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ideas and alternative visions to existing norms, values and patterns. Rather than creating a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">totally a new idea, the two case studies demonstrate the advantages of adapting other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">established concepts and models. This reduces the high risks encountered in competitive and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">unpredictable sectors because some creativity may take time to be accepted. Developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries like Japan began with this approach, imitating elements in the creative products and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">services of established developed countries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The two case studies found a mixture of Malaysian culture and ICT application as part of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">unique identity used in marketing their products and services. Both LCP and PERZIM</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services have fostered income generation, job creation, and export earnings</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">while promoting social inclusion, cultural diversity, and human development. Also, they</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">embrace economic, cultural, and social aspects through interaction with technology. LCP</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation and 3D products introduced aspects of Malaysian culture to the market through</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">advanced technology. They are also involved in intellectual property (IP) development, an</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">area that PERZIM might soon investigate. The transformation of PERZIM from traditional to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">modern models has attracted more visitors to their museums—particularly younger generation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">keen to learn about Malaysian history—and help to meet government tourism objectives. With</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">inter-ministerial collaboration, the development of LCP and PERZIM is feasible in terms of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">innovative elements and multidisciplinary responses that emerge from the combination of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture and technology and their products and services. At least three ministries are involved</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">directly with the Malaysian animation or content industries—including the Ministry of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">152</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Information Communication and Culture (MICC); Ministry of International Trade and Industry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(MITI); Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI)—and cultural tourism—</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">MICC, MITI and Ministry of Tourism (MoTOUR). These all make contributions to the five major</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">characteristics of creative economy as defined by UNCTAD (2008, 15) namely,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• it can foster income-generation, job creation and export earnings while promoting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• it embraces economic, cultural and social aspects interacting with technology,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">intellectual property (IP), and tourism objectives;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• it is a set of knowledge-based economic activities with a development dimension and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cross-cutting linkages at macro and micro levels to the overall economy;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• it is a feasible development option calling for innovative, multidisciplinary responses</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and inter-ministerial action; and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• at the heart of the creative economy are the creative industries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Unfortunately, these UNCTAD characteristics are too broad, and there is no assurance that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the concept of a creative economy will be workable. This new concept needs more study to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">understand the challenges faced by developing countries like Malaysia. To some extent, there</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is a romantic perception about creative economy as the answer for economic transformation in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing countries (Keane 2007; 2010). UNCTAD special report on developing countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">has become the major guideline for many policymakers to develop their creativity sectors. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">report has become the champion for developing countries to compete fairly with the developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries. However, the reality is far from perfect, particularly when many developing countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">still struggle with other important issues like legal systems (Schultz & van Gelder 2008, 139)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">natural disasters. While they have rich cultural resources, developing countries still lack</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative skills, funding, and technology. As a result, the markets for content and tourism are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">limited in the Asian region, with even less attention from other regions, particularly in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation sector, which has not penetrated the American, African and European markets.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Despite this, Malaysia’s rich cultural resources offer significant potential for the content and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism industries. This country can become a market leader in global and glocal issues.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, to reach this goal, there are many aspects that need to be addressed by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">stakeholders. One major aspect involves policies, which need to be creative to suit global</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">forces. Currently, Malaysia has sufficient technology and natural resources, but lack of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative policies. Policymakers need to produce creative policies in order for the country to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">become competitive globally. Malaysian has unique characteristics, and with their glocal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">features, has significant potential to become competitive through their creative sectors.</span></p>SITI SURIAWATI ISA:THE CREATIVE ECONOMY IN MALAYSIA (7.2)tag:iconada.tv,2016-03-04:3600580:BlogPost:3737322016-03-04T14:30:24.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">Future Plans for the Organisation</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">PERZIM follows the ICOM mission, and is shifting their role to become a modern museum</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">corporation. They have implemented many changes and programs over the past decade, and</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">are among a number of museums in the region introducing different activities and programs…</span><br></br></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">Future Plans for the Organisation</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">PERZIM follows the ICOM mission, and is shifting their role to become a modern museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">corporation. They have implemented many changes and programs over the past decade, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are among a number of museums in the region introducing different activities and programs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">for their visitors. One change incorporates ICT in the promotion of their museums to the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">public, including the establishment of a Facebook fan page, and the virtual museum Malacca</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">website, which covers the eighteen museums under their management. These tactics aim to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attract more visitors to their museums, particularly the younger generation. Hence, more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">engaging and interactive programs and activities are planned to be part of their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transformation. At the same time, they are still maintaining their primary role as cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">institutions, and UNESCO World Heritage City status. PERZIM’s priority still focuses on</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">original collections and displays rather than on ICT applications.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In order for the museums to become competitive with other tourism products and services,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums need to transform from their traditional role. However, some changes by PERZIM</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">have not been welcomed by cultural activists, who activists claim some of the transformations</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">promote and support colonisation culture. Also, the number of visitors to their museums is not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as significant compared to other new modern tourism attractions in the state, including the Eye</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">on Malacca and Taming Sari Tower (see Fig. 7.1.2). Therefore, PERZIM has to balance their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">role between the modern and the traditional. In fact, the transformation of PERZIM and other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian museums is slow compared to other museums, particularly those in developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries. The Sarawak Museum has been talking about incorporating transformation to add</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creativity and technology to their products and services since 2007. However, given their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">distance from the federal government administrative centre of Putrajaya and the Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">capital city Kuala Lumpur, it could take a longer time to obtain approval for these</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transformations. Many commentators (Hoo 2006) have recognised that the Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government has too many bureaucratic levels, and is not transparent enough in implementing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their policies.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">128</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Figure 7.1.2: Popular attractions in Malacca: Taming Sari Tower and Eye on Malacca</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Tourism Malacca Website 2011)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Organisation’s Mission</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM’s museums are progressive in their implementation of new programs, in comparison</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to other museums in Malaysia and the region. In recognition of the difficulty traditional</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums have in attracting visitors, particularly for the younger generation, PERZIM regularly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">upgrade their products and services, and frequently introduce new attractions. For instance,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM add new experiential products like the Sleepover @ Museum program to give</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different and better experience to their visitors, and to encourage repeat visits. According to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Stephen (2001), the experiences the museums provide to their visitors are important for their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">survival in today’s world. With new ideas like the Sleepover @ Museum program, PERZIM</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">hopes to provide a different experience to their visitors, and importantly to educate their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">visitors with new information using non-traditional approaches. This will help them to become</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">competitive and sustainable in the tourism industry.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Nevertheless, their substantial dependence on tourism industry could create a crisis in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">future. As the second smallest state in the country, fierce tourism development has brought</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">congestion and pollution problems over the past decade, and Malacca is also facing a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">constant water shortage. Therefore, the state government is searching actively for solutions to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">problems that could affect the tourism industry.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">129</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Organisation’s Position in the Policy Context</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The evolving museum sector means that the role of the traditional museum is becoming more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">challenging. With competition from their neighbouring countries—particularly Cambodia,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Indonesia and Singapore—museums in Malaysia need to keep up with the latest trends.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Following the definition of museum by ICOM, the existence of Malaysian museums is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">predicated on the principal aims of education, conservation, and preservation of history,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture and natural history, as well as tourism (Malaysia Museum Department 2010). The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Sarawak and Selangor also are constantly organising</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">many engaging activities, programs and workshop for the public. Some of these programs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">encourage more locals to become involved in the tourism industry by establishing their own</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">businesses so that they can generate their own sustainable financial resources.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Heritage buildings need a significant amount of money to preserve them especially with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian weather. Restoration alone will not going generate any income for the owner. With</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">limited financial capabilities, the survival of private entrepreneurs in this sector is doubtful.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Further, the Department of Museum in Malaysia constantly changes its home ministry.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although the museum institution is closely related to tourism, it is currently administered by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">MICC. The divorce of culture and tourism in order to separate ministries since 2002 is making</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural tourism operators lose their focus, who are confused about how to use their heritage</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">resources (Mohamed 2006, 29). The new MICC has too many responsibilities and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">departments, and while their focus is on the restoration and preservation of Malaysian culture,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">at times their functions and roles overlap with MoTour. For example, the minister of MICC</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Dato’ Rais Yatim has constantly talked about attracting more tourists from the US, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">organised several cultural showcases in Washington during the Malaysian PM’s 2010 visit</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">there (refer to Utusan Malaysia 2010; Berita Harian 2010). While this demonstrates the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">importance of tourism as one of Malaysia’s top three income-earners, their concentration on</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the marketing and promoting tourism for the country, could create confusion among the public,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly among cultural tourism producers, about the overlapping roles and function</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">between these two ministries. Also, some other ministries are also talking about similar</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">concepts to culture and tourism such as, agro-tourism (Ministry of Agriculture), Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services (MITI), and health tourism (Ministry of Health).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">130</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">7.1.3 RQ2: What is the development path for Malaysian creative economy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">enterprises?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This section responds to the second research question, and continuing the earlier discussion,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">identifies four primary factors relevant to articulating the development path for Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative economy enterprises. There are:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1. Top down approach</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2. Local culture as the primary asset of the Malaysia creative economy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">3. Limited funding assistance</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">4. New market expansion</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1. Top-down approach</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The content industries and the museum sector in Malaysia depend heavily on the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government’s directive and guidance. This top-down approach is being practised significantly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in developing their creative economy. For example, the growth of the content industries in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country started significantly when the government announced Vision 2020, which led to the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development of MSC mega-project. The museum sector in Malaysia has always been one of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the traditional government institutions that safeguards valuable historical artefact collections.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">All state museums in Malaysia are managed by the state government, whereas the national</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">art gallery, monuments, and museums are managed by the federal government. Although</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM might be one step ahead of the other museums in Malaysia in terms of adopting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">fresh ideas and ICT applications, they still manage their museums according to state and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">federal government instruction. The General Manager of PERZIM has little power in making</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">important decisions, which therefore includes Malaysia in assertions by Lee (2010, 41-42) and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Keane (2007) that creative economies exhibit a top-down approach from the government to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the public. Other countries such as Singapore (Lee 2010), China (Keane 2007), the UK</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Oakley 2004), and Indonesia are experiencing the same scenario in developing their creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sectors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although there are small numbers of content companies in Malaysia, they tend to work</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">autonomously, without following government’s lead, and their products and services are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">almost unheard of in the local market. Normally, this minority industry—better known as an</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">“indie group”—market their products and services abroad or through new media and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">untraditional ways. Private museums in Malaysia are insignificant, except for those operated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">131</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">by big Malaysian conglomerate organisations, including Aquaria and Petrosains, which was</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">established by PETRONAS. However, all museums in Malaysia face fierce competition from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other tourism attractions operated by the private sector, from shopping malls to theme parks.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In addition, those reluctant to follow governmental guidance may have difficulties gaining</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government support. Presently, both LCP and PERZIM made a significant impact in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market due to their close ties to the government.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, I argue that the realisation of the potential of content industry—particularly the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation sector—in Malaysia might emerge from the market itself. The local accomplishment</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the Gila-gila cartoon magazine sparked interest in the cartoon sector, which later led to an</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animated television series and 3D films (Mahamood 2001; 137; Muthalib 2007). This success</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">generated interest in the potential of this new sector among the government and private</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sectors, especially when some foreign products were found to be unsuitable for local culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">because of their negative effects on children. This prompted the government to start playing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">an important role in developing, promoting and supporting the local cartoons and animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that feature Malaysian culture. While the early animation sector in Malaysia was monopolised</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">by a government agency film (National Film), the private sector has been a key player in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">growth of the content industry in the country (Mahmood 2001, 137). Nevertheless, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significant support from the government, with their friendly policies for the market players in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">content industry, has placed Malaysia on the content products and services map (3D World</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Magazine 2010).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">At the same time, I argue that a new sector or concept such as content industry and creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy cannot gain widespread acceptance without the direction and support of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government. This also gives confidence to the private sector, particularly small companies, to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">venture into this high-risk sector. Without the guidance and support of government, small</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">companies will find it difficult to enter the market and compete with bigger companies, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional sectors such as the museum sector need significant support from the government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to become competitive and sustainable in the market. As the majority of Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government museums do not charge high entrance fees, financial support from the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government is crucial for their survival. Countries that have been successful in creative and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural sectors through this approach include China, Singapore and the UK, although there</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are ongoing debates in the literature about the creative sectors of these countries copying</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ideas from other countries (for China, see Keane 2010), producing “output” rather than “input”</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative products (for Singapore, see Yue 2006), and the use of political motifs (for UK, see</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Oakley 2004). Importantly, the Malaysian government should implement fresh and imaginative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policies that assist the growth of creative sectors and transform bring new relevance to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">132</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional sectors. Imaginative policies can guide market players to become more innovative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with their products and services.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2. Local culture as the primary asset of the Malaysia creative economy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Local culture plays a vital role in the development of the Malaysian creative economy. As</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">demonstrated by both of the case studies in this project, multi-ethnicity, religion, food, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">language have been used significantly in animation and museum sectors. In terms of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">content industry, Malaysian culture has been featured on film, magazine, newspaper, radio</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and television, and the government has encouraged local animation and content producers to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">include local culture. Recently, Islamic influence also can be seen in animated series</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produced by government agencies such as MDeC and RTM—for example, Ibn Batutta by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Radio Television Malaysia, and Saladdin by MDeC and Al-Jazzera—focusing on a worldwide</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Muslim audience. Private animation companies like Animonsta (Boboiboy) and Handy Pro are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">also following this direction. However, the Animonsta animation series has more Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">local influence, compared to the other series, which bear significant Middle Eastern influences.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This is the dilemma faced by some of private content producers in penetrating the global</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market. European and US markets require their content products to have more westernised</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">features (3D World Magazine 2010); consequently, their products are not categorised as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian products, and the public may not be aware that these are local productions; for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">example, Transformers cartoon series was produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Lensamation,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">which is now known as Lensa Film Sdn. Bhd.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, Malaysian culture still dominates the majority of content products produced for local</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and regional markets. To become competitive in the high-risk market, some companies also</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">adopt glocal features. In 2011, there are more local animated television series and films</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">scheduled to come out using glocal imagery. Boboiboy is the first superhero, 3D, animated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">television series produced by the three founders of LCP. The story is about a Malaysian child</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">who can change into three forms and fight against bad people and aliens with his multiethnic</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">friends, and one Muslim character wears a hijab (Mohamad Zakaria 2009). Boboiboy has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">resembles Ben 10, but incorporates Malaysian characters and storylines.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">As a cultural institution, PERZIM’s major focus still falls on the traditional roles of museums.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Despite rapid global changes in ICT, this traditional role is still essential even though change</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is necessary to make their existence competitive and viable in a market that competes with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other tourism attractions.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">133</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Government and market players recognise the difficulties in competing with developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries that have advanced technology facilities and more financial support. Hence,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian culture has been utilised as the main tool for the Malaysian content and tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industries, because of its strength and uniqueness compared to other products and services in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">3. Limited funding assistance</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Competition in the creative and cultural tourism sectors requires substantial amounts of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">capital. Development of ICT and cultural tourism require significant financial capital and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">continuous funding assistance. As a small developing country, Malaysia has limited financial</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">resources, and while the country is still growing, it also needs significant amount of money for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other sectors. Therefore, creative and cultural tourism sectors have to work on a limited</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">budget.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Private companies like LCP need to raise their own capital and seek outside resources, rather</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">than depend on government funding alone. In addition, the recent emergence of the creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sector in Malaysia means that raising support from local financial institutions can be difficult, a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">factor that has been identified by the local market players, particularly new and small</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">companies. Very little financial assistance is available, and it is hard for these organisations to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">compete fairly with larger companies. Although the government has been allocating special</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">budgetary resources and giving substantial support for the sector (Vicziany &amp; Puteh 2004),</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">there are still many market players competing for the same funding or government projects.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Jarman and Chopra (2007) and Pandiyan (2009) identify the issue of lack of transparency</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from Malaysian government in tenders for government’s projects and funding, while Sidhu</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(2009) observes out that the government has restrictive bureaucratic measures in dealing with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative sectors. Budgets and government projects are normally awarded to larger companies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">such as KRU Studios. With KRU’s renowned name in content industry and their close ties with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">politicians, the company regularly wins bidding for government projects and contracts. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">company has gained local market confidence in their capabilities for providing high quality</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services in creative sectors. However, the government and private sector in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia should give new and small companies an opportunity to work alongside large</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">companies like KRU.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Larger companies also have the responsibility to include small companies in their projects. By</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">doing this, they train small companies to work in big projects and have their own income,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">which will help them to become independent. These mentor and mentee practises are vital in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">134</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">new fields like the creative sectors. There have been positive changes in this field, with large</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">private local companies assisting small companies like LCP, but more attention should be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">given, particularly in helping small rural companies.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Recognising the limited funding problems in Malaysia, government agencies such as MDeC</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and MITI are helping small and new companies in the creative sectors to network with foreign</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">partners. This makes them more independent and sustainable (3D World Magazine 2010;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Plantec 2009). These companies are encouraged by MDeC and MITI to join overseas</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">exhibition and road-shows to sell Malaysian content products in the global market. From this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">platform, they can network with foreign companies and raise foreign funds. As a result,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation and content companies such as Handy Pro, KRU, and LCP have gained attention</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from foreign companies. Today, these companies are working with foreign partners in China,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the Middle East, and South Korea to produce animation and other content products for the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">global market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">As a traditional cultural institution and state government corporation, PERZIM depends almost</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">100 per cent on government financial assistance. Since their museums are non-profit, like</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">most other public museums, government monetary support is significantly needed (see Zan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2000). Subsequently, their transformation towards becoming modern museums is limited. For</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">example, museums in Malacca are applying new ideas and ICT features, but at a minimal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">level. Most of display items still lack interactive activities. As a result, attracting more visitors is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">a challenge, particularly the younger demographics. In addition, museums are facing tough</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">competition from other modern tourist attractions. This negatively impacts the stakeholders</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and may prompt government budget cuts. According to Goulding (2000) the establishment of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">contemporary museum is restricted in budgetary terms, and administrators are pressured to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">increase attendance. Also, the museum sector in Malaysia falls under the control of the MICC,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">since they are a cultural institution; but for marketing purposes, museums depend on MoTour.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This scenario means that Malaysian museums face the awkward situation of reporting to at</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">least two ministries, which can lead to much duplication and contradiction of duties (Pandiyan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2009). Also, Malaysian government should amend their policies to allow Malaysian museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to become more independent in finding their financial resources, such as operating their own</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">souvenir shop and cafe. This will help them to become independent of limited government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">budgets for their operation cost.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">135</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">4. New market expansion</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">With government help, the creative sectors in Malaysia are always looking for new markets to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">penetrate. Both PERZIM and LCP work hard to remain relevant and sustainable in their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">markets. The main marketing attention for both organisations now is in the Asian (including</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Middle East) region, and slowly is expanding towards Africa and America. This is because it is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">almost impossible to break into the European and US market, particularly in terms of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural differences of content industry products, and large budget animation and film projects</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from these countries (Rosnan et al. 2010). Focusing on the Asian market is a major current</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">strategy because of cultural similarities and the strong economic development in the region.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Also, concentrating on the Asian region offers a good platform for content products from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia to enter into Asian groups reside in Europe and the US. Similar strategies were</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">employed by the Indian, Hong Kong, South American and South Korean content industries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Since the museum sector is considered part of tourism activities, their target market is also</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">including the European region, because Malaysia receives significant numbers of tourists from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Germany, Netherland and the UK, and these tourists like to visit cultural and heritage places.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Tourists from the UK represent the largest group of tourists outside Asian region in more than</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">a decade (Aziz 2009). However, the Malaysian government is also looking for other new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">avenues to market their tourism products and services, and the US has been identified as one</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">potential target market. In 2010, the MICC and MoTour organised a Malaysian traditional</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural showcase in Washington that was officiated by the Malaysia First Lady (Bernama</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2010). This event received favourable responses from the private and public sectors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The Malaysian government is also focusing on the global halal market. They are marketing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their wide understanding about the concept of ‘halal” in their products and services, including</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">through the content and tourism industries. Nevertheless, the government is much aware of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their competition. In diversifying the markets they promote, the Malaysian government avoids</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dependence on only one market. Hence, their economic income will not be affected should</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">something happen to one of their major income sources. The market diversification is needed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as a backup plan, particularly in the high-risk content and tourism industries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">136</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">7.1.4: RQ3: How do Malaysian creative economy enterprises utilise traditional</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian cultural assets?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Three major issues pertain to the use of traditional Malaysian cultural assets for creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy purposes, namely, the role of technology; cultural history and cultural tourism; and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">“halal” issues.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The usage of cultural resources in technology applications</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">As an animation production company, Les’Copaque Production (LCP) uses a high level of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology creativity. In order to make their products different from the market they</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">incorporate Malaysian culture in their global products. This combination is called glocal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Robertson 1995, 25-44), a term that started to get attention from the world community in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">early twenty-first century. In Malaysia, this concept has become commonly used over the last</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">five years. Currently, this is the image LCP is portraying, and has captured the Southeast</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Asian market. Later, they translated their animated products into English. Their market is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">becoming larger and more appealing to global audiences. With this glocal feature, their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animated products are then spreading out to Southeast Asia and other parts of Asia, making</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP the most successful Malaysian animated series and 3D film producers in history, using</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">100 per cent local creative talent. Their market has extended to the Asian region, with their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">television series screening on the Disney Channel and Air Asia in-flight entertainment. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian multiethnic culture being the major image of their animation and 3D products shows</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that the market can connect with their products. The world market today is becoming more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">exposed to other cultures, an effect of globalisation.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Since the emergence of this sector, Malaysian culture has always been the main influence on</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">character and storyline. Hence, creative sectors in Malaysia are substantially influenced by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture. As De Berranger and Meldrum (2000) and Cunningham et al. (2004) note, the Asian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and European (except for the UK) creative industries sectors are deeply rooted in cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">activities and tradition. Their cultural strength and rich resources of many developing countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mean that cultural sectors such as arts and crafts and heritage make up part of the creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industries. Their definition and understanding about creative industries are different from the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">UK and other western countries (Kong et al. 2006). Therefore, many developing countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tend to follow the UNCTAD definition rather than that of the DCMS, because they want to use</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their culture to develop their creativity sector.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">137</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The contemporary animation sector in Malaysia started at the same time as the development</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) began focusing on establishing a knowledge economy.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The model for this project was based primarily on Silicon Valley (in the US), and projects in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Japan and South Korea. Local culture also plays a major role in this project, when policies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from Silicon Valley, Japan and South Korea are not appropriate for local culture. Hence, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian government has introduced some culturally specific rules and regulations</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">throughout the development of the MSC (see MSC 2010). This approach—known as cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">protection—is still applied by the Malaysian government today. For example, although the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">usage of Internet is not censored, there are certain sensitive issues relating to ethnicity and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">religion that are not encouraged. To foster national identity, Malaysian companies are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">compelled by the government to portray Malaysian multicultural and religious identity in their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services (Mahamood 2001, 139). In order to gain government funding, many</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">companies adhere to this guideline. Consequently, all early animated television series in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country have these influences.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, many series tend to have similarities to popular animated series from developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries such as Japan, and the US. This raises concerns among developing countries about</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">a lack of firsthand creativity, which is replaced by a second level of creativity that imitates</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other products in the market (Keane 2004; 2007; 2010). For example, developing countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">like China, Indonesia and Thailand are known for producing imitation products. However,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">since the progress of creativity sectors is hard to predict, it is important to keep track of market</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">responses. Further, most developed countries began by imitating the culture, products and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">services of other countries, and creativity is arguably rooted in culture. For instance, one of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">earliest German animators claimed her first animated film was inspired by traditional</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Indonesian and Malaysian shadow puppet shows (Citizendia 2011). The museum sector in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia is directly involved in merging cultural assets with technology. With the new ICT era,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the state government cultural institution of the Malacca Museum Corporation (PERZIM) is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transforming their role to become a modern museum institution. Modern applications involving</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">IT and innovation are being adopted by all museums under the management of PERZIM,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">although newly established museums such as Malacca Maritime Museum have more modern</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">applications and facilities compared to their old traditional museums.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, the museum sector is moving at a slow pace in Malaysia, and lags behind museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in developed countries. Although, the creative sector in Malaysia has just been established, its</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">growth is faster than the museum sector. Innovation and the application of modern technology</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are implemented at a minimum level by most Malaysian museums. Currently Department</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Museums of Malaysia is administered by MICC, which already has too many responsibilities,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">138</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">including in some aspects of content industry such as film, drama, Internet, and television</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">production. This limits the budget that MICC can allocate to each sector under the ministry.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Consequently, the museum sector in Malaysia has hardly been mentioned by its own ministry,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and receives little coverage by the local media. The development of the creative industries in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia makes the position of museum sector more complicated to place, as it is at an</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">intersection between the creative industries and the cultural sector.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cultural history and cultural tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia’s strengths include a rich history and natural resources. Since the eighth-century, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Northern state of Malaysia, Kedah, and Perak, were administered by the early ancient Hindu</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government, and their influence can still be seen today. Apart from the Hindu influence,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia was also shaped by Siamese (Thailand), Portuguese, Dutch, English and Japanese</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">colonisation. The country has thirteen states within two federal territories, and each state has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">its own culture, and sometimes accents. Governed by a constitutional monarchy, Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">politics are unique, with the “Yang di-Pertuan Agong” as a King and head of the country has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the obligation to act in accordance with government advice (see Heufers 2002). The King is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">elected by nine Malay sultans and four governors, and rotated every four years during the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">“Conference of Rulers”. Malaysia’s multiethnic culture and religion also contribute to the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country’s unique status. All of these factors attract significant numbers of international</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">investors and tourists every year, but Malaysia’s strength also can be their weaknesses.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia’s modern history involved conflict and bloodshed. In the wake of the Second World</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">War, during the transition from Japanese and British rule, Malaya was ruled by the Communist</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Party of Malaya (CPM) for three months. After the return of British to Malaya, CPM was</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">disbanded, but remained active by hiding in the jungle until 1989, and engaging in guerrilla</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attacks against the ruling government. The majority of CPM members were Chinese and led</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">by Ching Peng, they killed many Malay villagers, while the Chinese community helped the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">CPM with information and food (History of War 2011). This has engendered suspicion</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">between the Malays and the Chinese communities, which culminated in race riots in 1969.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Since then, the Malaysian government has concentrating on building unity between their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ethnic groups, and is always promoting the country’s multiethnic and religion image to the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">world, a tactic that has been particularly successful for the tourism industry.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Nevertheless, Malaysia’s tourism campaign sometimes raises heated debate with her</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">neighbours, particularly Indonesia and Singapore. In 2010, a series of disputes over traditional</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dance—tarian pendet originated in Bali—were raised by small group of Indonesians, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">139</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">consequently inflamed by the Indonesian media. After a series of demonstrations in front of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia, there were violent confrontations with Malaysians</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">expatriates in Indonesia. Both governments met to discuss a solution, but even after the issue</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">was settled, UNESCO’s 2009 announcement that Indonesian batik was part of the Intangible</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cultural Heritage of Humanity infuriated Malaysian batik producers. These incidents prompted</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the public to ask the government to start patenting Malaysian cultural items such as food and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dances, which has caused friction with her other neighbour, Singapore. Regardless, Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">still promotes their cultural uniqueness to the world. Conflict with neighbours will not change</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their strategy to use culture in promoting the country.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The significant similarity between Singapore and Malaysia culture is unavoidable, since</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Singapore was once part of Malaysia. Elsewhere, the majority of Malays—particularly in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">southern part of the Malaysian peninsular—originate from Indonesia. The debate on these</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">issues will never cease. Indonesians accusations of cultural plagiarism by Malaysia should not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">be an issue at all. Every country or community has copied other cultures ever since human</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">existed in this world. Thus, culture is not exclusive to one community, and Malaysia is not the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">only country to face this problem with her neighbours. For instance, China, Japan, and South</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Korea each claim that Confucius originated from their country. The dispute over cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">similarities is hard to resolve. Hence, Malaysian government is actively looking for potential</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">new markets and a unique national image. One of these new markets is the Muslim market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The tourism industry has become the second major income for Malaysia since the mid-1990s.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia tourism campaigns use the country’s culture to attract domestic and international</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourists to visit, and Malaysia maintains its position in the top 20 most visited countries in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">world (WTO 2010). The country has the right combination of elements to attract tourists. Not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">only are there unique multicultural and religious aspects, but the country has a low cost of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">living, the majority of Malaysians can speak English, and world class infrastructure has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">contributed to significant tourist numbers. Malaysia’s multicultural status offers advantages in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">meeting the desires of tourists. The country is suitable for tourists from the West and East, as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">well as Muslims and non-Muslims. The government decision to promote Malaysia as a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">modern Muslim country with moderate rules and regulations (Kamin et al. 2008; Van der</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Westhueizen 2004) is a good move, since non-Muslims—particularly from the West—will not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">be afraid to visit Malaysia compared to other Muslim countries that have strict rules and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">regulations. Realising the significant potential of Muslim market, the government began to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">promote Malaysia as a tourist destination for Muslim tourists (Khalid 2009). Islamic imagery</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">has been used to market Malaysia to Muslim markets. At the same time, Malaysia also</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">encourages other tourists to visit the country by using other images like friendly people, good</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">food and a multiethnic culture.</span></p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (7.1)tag:iconada.tv,2016-03-03:3600580:BlogPost:3737122016-03-03T14:50:27.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2">7. DISCUSSION OF CREATIVE ECONOMY</span><br></br><span class="font-size-2">DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA IN THE CONTEXT OF</span><br></br><span class="font-size-2">TWO CASE STUDIES</span><br></br><span class="font-size-2">Innovation creates jobs and boosts national competitiveness. This is why we, too, must</span><br></br><span class="font-size-2">make a creative impact in a competitive global economy. We must not allow ourselves</span><br></br><span class="font-size-2">to be left…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">7. DISCUSSION OF CREATIVE ECONOMY</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA IN THE CONTEXT OF</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">TWO CASE STUDIES</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Innovation creates jobs and boosts national competitiveness. This is why we, too, must</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">make a creative impact in a competitive global economy. We must not allow ourselves</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">to be left behind.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(Malaysia Prime Minister, New Strait Times, 2009)</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">7.1 Introduction</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">The intense development of technology in Malaysia started with the Vision 2020. The</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysian federal government plans to boost their communication, creativity, multimedia and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">technology growth (Gray et al. 2002) and treats the creative economy as a top priority. An</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">example of this is the announcement of 2010 as the Year of Innovation and Technology (New</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Straits Time 2009). However, the terms, creative economy and creative industries are only</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">popular among policymakers and key players involved directly in the development of these</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">sectors. Even then, there is much confusion amongst policymakers regarding these terms; in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">fact, to some extent there is an overuse of terms like creativity and innovation in Malaysia. At</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">present, all ministries in Malaysia are stressing the importance of creativity and innovation,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">although their definition of the terms remains unclear. New terms such as creative tourism and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">creative government are being coined constantly to promote innovation and new ideas among</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">the public. Thus the assertion that a top-down policy approach is valid at least in both case</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">studies and for Malaysia in general. This same approach is used in other countries like China,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Apart from addressing scientific creativity, the two case study organisations considered the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">economy, and technological and cultural creativity in developing their products and services in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysia. However, their experiences may not be creativity as defined by DCMS (1998), but</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">rather a second level of creativity as Keane (2009) has defined it. It is most likely that the two</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">case studies in Malaysia exemplify the fitting of new ideas and alternative visions to existing</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">norms, values and patterns as argued by Keane (ibid.). Rather than creating a totally a new</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">idea, the two case studies demonstrate the modification of other people’s ideas. This is</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">reduces the high risks often incurred in these competitive and unpredictable sectors.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">117</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">However, culture remains a significant element in all sectors in Malaysia, including in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">animation, and obviously in cultural tourism. Likewise, innovation is needed in all sectors,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">including culture and, particularly animation. Many authors identify the same close connection</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">between the cultural and creative sectors, as I have with this current study. Both case studies</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">here have significant cultural elements, and involve imagination, innovation and technology in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">their products and services. Drawing on both cases, the chapter will discuss and analyse</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">critical issues for creative economy development in Malaysia. Each research question will be</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">discussed. The chapter extends and contextualizes the findings of the cases drawing on</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">secondary sources and literature where relevant.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">7.1.1 RQ1: What are the main operational issues for Malaysian creative</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">economy enterprises? – Les’Copaque Production</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Workforce Issues</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">LCP staff members have expertise in a range of fields, which may contribute to their</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">company’s positive impact on the market. Different disciplines allow the staff to produce new</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">ideas for their animation and merchandising products. However, the majority of the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">respondents graduated from MMU, (as did three pioneers of the company also graduated).</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">This raises the issue of cronyism and favouritism in choosing LCP staff. More than three</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">higher-learning institutions in Shah Alam offer courses relating to animation sector, but the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">majority of LCP staff employed are from MMU, which is located about thirty kilometres away</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">from Shah Alam. This environment is perhaps normal in any organisation, particularly in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysia, where favouritism towards graduates is widespread. Hence, the presence of MMU</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">culture is strongly felt at LCP and in their products.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Respondents were all younger than thirty, and approximately ninety per cent of all LCP staff</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">fall into that age bracket. The argument that younger demographics are more attracted to ICT</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">than in previous generations is compelling in this case (Allenby 2006; Hoo 2006). All of LCP’s</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">animation and merchandising staff members are young and understand the desires of the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">younger market. However, aspects that are lacking—such as finding financial support for their</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">products, and networking with established international companies—mean LCP has had to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">depend heavily on Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC).</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">While the CEO of the company is one few staff members aged more than fifty-years-old, he</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">comes from a different field and background. As a result, he may not have good contact with</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">118</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">key people in the domestic and international animation sectors. At present, no LCP products</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">involve collaboration with Malaysia’s well-known senior cartoonists or animators such as Mohd</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Nor Khalid or Lat (Kampung Boy cartoonist/animator) and Muliyadi Mahamood</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(academician/cartoonist). A collaboration between LCP and these internationally renowned</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">creative might produce more interesting products and reach a wider market, particularly</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">among those over thirty. With LCP’s target market being the whole family, including parents</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">and grandparents, the company should consider having a good blend of staff from all ages.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">This mixture would strengthen their animation and merchandise products.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Management Approach</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">LCP practices a non-traditional management style where all staff members have the right to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">express their ideas. This creates a different working environment from more traditional</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">companies with a less bureaucratic management style. Commonly, most private companies</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">involved in Malaysian ICT products and services adopt (or try to) this style of management.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Florida (2002), Handy (1995), and Sabel (1982) argue that the characteristics of the post-</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Fodist workplace (which include creative sectors) are inherently less hierarchical, more</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">“humane” in liberating the expertise of highly-skilled workers to allow productivity gains and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">the development of a more contented workforce. However, the final decisions regarding LCP’s</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">products and services are still made by CEO. For example, the CEO recently cancelled the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">production of LCP’s second 3D film, Geng: Angkasa (Gang: Outer space), arguing that it was</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">not what the primary non-Malaysian animation market of Indonesia wanted. Also, LCP’s sister</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">company, Bruang Film Production is going to refilm their first feature production, Zaitun</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Ceritaku (Zaitun: My story) because the CEO was not happy with the overall direction and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">acting in the film. This shows that the top-down approach is still the primary practice in this</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">company, although many of the decisions for LCP’s animation products are collectively made</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">by the staff.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Not only has LCP wasted money and time in those two projects, but the cancellation and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">refilming exhibits a lack of good decision-making and confidence with the domestic and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">international markets outside Indonesia. LCP products are also popular in Brunei and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Singapore. Gang: Outer Space 3D may not be what the Indonesian market wants, but other</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">markets might welcome the film. Unless there are other undisclosed reasons, LCP’s</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">justification for cancelling this project—originally slated for a 2011 release—is questionable.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">The decision to make a biopic about popular 1980’s Malay singer, Zaiton Sameon involves a</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">number of risks, particularly given the unpredictable response to local feature films in Malaysia</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">in comparison with significant competition from Hollywood, Hong Kong and Bollywood. Also,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">119</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Sameon—who is now in her fifties—was popular for less than five years in Malaysia, and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">remains unknown in comparison to other Malaysian singing legends, particularly to audiences</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">who are below thirty-five years old—the most active cinema-going audiences (Movie Picture</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Association of America 2010). This again has raised the issue of favouritism, since the CEO of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">LCP came from the same state as the singer. Given the unpredictable nature of the sector,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">however, the film might get a good response from the Malaysian public.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Geographical Location</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">As LCP’s animation products are geared towards the family market, their location in Shah</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Alam is more suitable than in Cyberjaya. Shah Alam status as a mature city with a multiethnic</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">population from all classes will boost the company’s image and their merchandising sales.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">LCP’s convenient location close to the federal highway, ample parking spaces, restaurants,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">and malls makes it easier for the public to access to their products. Also, the proximity of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">these facilities makes it easier for staff to work at Shah Alam than in Cyberjaya. Although</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Cyberjaya has other advantages, particularly a high speed Internet connection, LCP does not</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">see it at as enough of an incentive to move there since they are not involved in outsourcing</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">activities. With at least three highways connecting Shah Alam to Cyberjaya, it is not a problem</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">for them to go to Cyberjaya whenever necessary.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Nonetheless, LCP’s local competitor, KRU Studios moved their operation to Cyberjaya</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">because of their close proximity to Putrajaya, and managed to secure many high profile ICT</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">contracts from the government and private agencies. As one of the local pioneers in the ICT</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">sector, KRU won the bidding; but this may also be due to their close connection with some top</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">politicians who are involved in making Malaysia policies and important decisions. Politics plays</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">a major role in the direction of the Malaysian economy. A close relationship to top politicians</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">can assist private companies secure high profile projects from the Malaysian government (see</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Johnson & Milton 2003). Apart from this, other criteria make these companies successful in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">the market. For example, their products have to be accepted by the market, particularly in a</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">new sector like animation. Also, KRU has a strong background in the creative sector, with</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">founders who are a famous trio sibling band, music composers, actors and film-makers. KRU</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">has operated longer than LCP, and established profiles and a strong network, KRU’s</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">movement to Cyberjaya is perhaps the best step for them to further expand their operation.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Prior to the relocation, KRU operated in Kuala Lumpur for more than fifteen years. The highest</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">priority for a young company like LCP is to strengthen their company profile and brand.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Hence, Shah Alam is regarded as the best location for their operation—it is important for them</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">to be close to their market, especially since LCP is not involved in any outsourcing activities</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">120</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(unlike KRU). In any event, currently LCP is more focussed on expanding their products in the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">region than on other aspects.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Position in Sector</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">With their main product being an animated television series, LCP is directly involved in the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">animation sector, which is part of the content industries. Not only have LCP managed to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">produce international standard animation products at a minimal cost, but they also feature</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysian culture, which is different from other existing products in the international market.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">This new feature introduces the uniqueness of Malaysia to the world, and attracts tourists.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">This activity—known as film tourism—will contribute significantly to the local economy and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">generate income for locals. Many places worldwide such as France, New Zealand, South</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Korea and Thailand attract considerable number of tourists based on their films, television</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">dramas, documentaries and animations, which demonstrate the close connection between film</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(including animation) and the tourism sector. Although measuring the contribution of LCP</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">animation products towards film tourism in Malaysia is difficult, their products offer significant</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">potential to contribute to this the sector. Indirectly, LCP animation products and 3D films also</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">contribute to other sectors (like merchandising and tourism) in Malaysia.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">With the positive response from the local and Asian region market, LCP has proved that</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysian animation and 3D products are on par with international products. Before that, few</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">local animation products had the same impact as their international competition, even in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysia, primarily because of the sceptical perception of local animation products among</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">local audiences. Arguably, the Malaysian local market prefers foreign products in animation</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(Muthalib 2007), fashion (Zainol Ariffin 2011), furniture (Mohamed 2011), and films and music</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(Basri 2011) compared to local products.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysians audience can be less patriotic about the creative sectors, because they claim the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">local products lack creativity. In comparison to creative talent from outside Malaysia, local</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">talents such as actors, film makers, and singers struggle to gain attention from local and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">international sponsors. Maher Zain, a popular international Swedish singer performed three</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">times in Malaysia over six months (Basri 2011), while veteran Malaysian composer and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">musician, Datuk Dr Ahmad Nawab—who produced more than 2000 songs for many Malaysian</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">popular singers since the 1960s—has been unable to perform at a big scale concert until</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">recently (Shamsudin 2011). In the animation sector, Muthalib (2007) observes that the general</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">consensus is that Malaysian animators are still not capable of producing competitive animated</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">films. Notably, LCP competes with large budget global players like Disney and Pixar. Also, the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">121</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">perception that cartoon or animation products are “children’s only” is still strong in Malaysia,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">which means that although local products are sometimes better and cheaper than the foreign</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">products, the local market leans toward foreign products. In addition, Malaysia’s market is</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">fragmented by multiethnic groups who prefer to watch the productions from China, Hong Kong</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(for Malaysian Chinese), and India (for Malaysian Indians) (Hoo 2006). However, younger</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">generations in these ethnic groups are starting to appreciate Malaysian products, although</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">there is still a preference for Japanese, South Korean and western products due to J-Pop and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">K-Pop culture, and the effect of globalisation.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Future Plans for the Organisation</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">The positive achievements of LCP products in Malaysia and Asia demonstrate that their</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">products are well accepted in the region. Respondents believe that one of the major strengths</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">of their products is the point of difference of exhibiting Malaysian culture to the international</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">market. In the future, in order to make their products more relevant to the global market LCP</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">plans to mix local culture with global content. Also, they plan to diversify their products to other</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">content industry-related products, including computer games, feature films, IPs,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">merchandising and franchising. Importantly, Malaysian culture will be the major element in all</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">of their content products.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">However, as LCP has been operating for only six years, the company should consider</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">carefully their objective of diversifying. Not only does this require substantial funding, but LCP</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">also may not have expertise in some of the new areas, particularly in producing feature films.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Despite the success of their films and music in the 1960s, the Malaysian market is rather</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">small, and not many Malaysian films achieve local success (Hoo 2006). The recent</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">announcement from LCP’s CEO not to show their first featured film due to quality issues</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(Mahmud 2010), and not to proceed with their second 3D film project, may tarnish their</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">reputation with the public. This shows that LCP should not jump eagerly to unfamiliar fields</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">where they lack expertise; rather, they should concentrate on establishing their core products.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">LCP also should be more careful in evolving a new sector, as while their future could be</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">promising, there is fierce competition from both local and international products. For instance,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">numerous local 3D animation films and television series will soon be released by companies</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">such as Animosta Studio—see Fig. 7.1.1 Boboiboy—and other products, including Alamaya</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">and Supertots. In addition, KRU Studios produced CGI musical, Magika, which received good</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">response from local audiences in 2010 following their two high-achieving CGI films, Cicakman</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">and Cicakman 2 in 2006 and 2007. In March 2011, KRU Studios’ multilingual, epic film, The</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">122</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malay Chronicle: Bloodliners (refer Appendix 13) will be shown in 72 countries. Through the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">constant support and incentives from the Malaysian government, market players and products</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">in the content industry are growing strongly each year, and a static audience size means that</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">competition is fierce.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Figure 7.1.1. Boboiboy 3D animated television series produced by Animonsta Studio</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(Animonsta Studio Website 2011)</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Organisation’s Mission</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">LCP’s mission is to penetrate the international animation market by using Malaysian culture as</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">their unique selling point. This uniqueness differentiates their products from those of other</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">countries. Currently, many countries in the Asian region are responding well to LCP’s</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">animation products and merchandise. Their new networking with animation companies from</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">China, India and South Korea is used as a platform to establish their products in these</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">countries and other countries. Thus, they are confident their animation and 3D film products</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">stand a good chance to break into the global market due to their distinctive image. This will</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">assist LCP and Malaysia to better position themselves in the global animation sector or at</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">least in the region.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Nonetheless, the Malaysian multiethnic image and culture may not be what the global or even</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">the local market desires. With the effect of globalisation and the implications of internationally</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">successful Japanese animation products, LCP’s animation and 3D products may be able to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">find a place in the global market. For example, presently LCP products still cannot break into</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">123</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">other regions, such as America and Europe, although they might get some attention within</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Asia. As the new market player in animation sector, it is hard for LCP to compete with other</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">well-established products from Japan and the US. On one hand, their cultural image could be</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">a unique aspect for Malaysian animation, but on the other, not all countries understand or can</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">accept such cultural differences. As Khalid (2001, 154) states, the US company he worked</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">with (Matinee Entertainment) to turn his comic cartoon into an animated series, had difficulties</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">understanding Malaysian culture. Also, the rapid evolution of technology makes it hard to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">predict the overall direction of the animation sector and the content industry. The market is</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">becoming complicated, and sometimes quality may not be what the market is looking for.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Perhaps differentiation of products is what the market is looking for.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Company’s Position in the Policy Context</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">With less than a decade to achieve Vision 2020, the Malaysian government is increasing their</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">efforts to develop ICT related sectors, including animation. These sectors are heavily</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">subsidised and have been growing for the past five years, in accordance with government</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">plans, and there is steady growth in advertising, animation, fashion, film, publication and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">television production. For example, less than five animation studios existed in Malaysia until</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">2005, and that number has expanded rapidly to more than eighteen over the past three years</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(3D World Magazine 2010). According to MDeC, the number of creative content producers in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysia increased tremendously to more than 200 companies in 2010. More production</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">houses are involved in the animation sector, or adopt the latest technology such as CGI, Maya</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">technology, and Dolby sound applications in their productions. In addition, the number of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">higher institutions in Malaysia offering ICT-related courses in order to produce higher qualified</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">human resources is increasing every year. As a result, these factors have contributed to the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">high quality work produced by the local companies on animation series, 3D films, video</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">games, and other related products. Also, the Malaysian public are becoming more aware of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">the high quality of local products compared to the last ten years.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Nevertheless, the domination of developed countries in animation and the content industry is</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">still a threat to developing nations like Malaysia. Global film markets (including animation) and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">television productions are dominated by western products particularly those from the US</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(Rosnan, Ismail & Mohd Daud 2010). Since the majority of content industry companies in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysia are categorised as SMEs and have limited funding and facilities, their target market</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">is restricted to within Malaysia or around South East Asia. The chances for their products to</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">go abroad are slight without help from the government and private sectors. Hence, their</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">124</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">growth is heavily dependent on government support and incentives. Funding is always a major</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">challenge, competing with international products that have strong financial and technical back</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">up is never easy. The government funds like the Creative Fund and the E-Content Fund have</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">been created to assist the development of Malaysia’s creative economy to become one of the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">important players in the animation global market. However, the processing of funding</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">applications is claimed to be complex, inefficient, slow, not transparent, unprofessional and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">unfriendly (Hoo 2006; Leong 2009). Malaysia’s ongoing position in the creative economy</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">globally is hard to predict, but their local market has a significant future, that perhaps will spill</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">over around the Asian region.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">With proper training and education, LCP staff members have conceived quality products in</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">contrast to the previous animation products in Malaysia. They use higher technology facilities</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">at a minimal cost after receiving significant support from the Malaysian government and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">private agencies. LCP received support from at least three ministries and two private</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">organisations for their first 3D film. Since LCP commenced operations, the Malaysian</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">government and private agencies have become increasingly aware of their presence, and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">have been more prepared to offer the right equipment and support. In addition, the public is</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">ready to embrace their product.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">The significant progress of LCP animation products and merchandise in Malaysia and around</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Asia is due to the collective efforts from the government, particularly MDeC and other</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">corporate companies, as compared to the previous animation companies. The establishment</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">of MDeC has enhanced the creative industries in Malaysia, and taken them to the next level.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">The government has initiated support of the creative industries, and the local market now</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">follows the government’s lead. Hence, O’Connor’s (2007) argument that this sector is using a</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">top-down approach cannot be ruled out entirely, particularly in Malaysia. Also, their products</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">meet many of the needs and wants from the local and regional market, while the animation</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">products of previous companies failed to identify those elements. Of the four animated films</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">produced in Malaysia, LCP’s 3D film exhibited good story boards, the highest quality</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">technology, and was almost on par with other international products. The film is suitable not</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">only for children, but also for other family members because the story has characters that</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">represent each age group. However, there is lack of high quality movement of the characters,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">with movements still looking slightly robotic compared to characters created in more advanced</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">countries. The staff members of LCP need to upgrade their skills in this regard. However, as</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">the cheapest 3D animated film available internationally, this lack of technical skills is</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">understandable.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">125</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">7.1.2: RQ1: What are the main operational issues for Malaysian creative</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">economy enterprises? Malacca Museum Corporation</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Workplace Issues</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Staff members at PERZIM comprise a mixture of all ages and qualifications. This creates a</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">good blend of younger and older generations, which is necessary for their institution. As a</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">museum corporation, they preserve and take care of Malaysian culture. This mixture of staff</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">could contribute to PERZIM’s accomplishment in attracting a significant number of visitors</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">compared to other museums in Malaysia and the Asian region. Their products and services</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">combine the modern and traditional to fulfil the interests of visitors. Hence, PERZIM needs</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">staff from all ages to represent their market.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">However, the qualifications of their curators are not varied enough, and almost 100 per cent of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">their staff is from Malacca. This may result in a lack of interesting ideas. Also, by limiting the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">intake of their staff to only locals PERZIM have limited the potential for more domestic visitors</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">from other states to their museums.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Management Approach</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">The curators of PERZIM are state government staff, and abide by the rules and regulations of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malacca state. Their role is to manage the museums. The General Manager (GM) acts as the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">CEO of the corporation, and he works together with the museum curators to administer all</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">PERZIM museums. Each curator manages between two to eight museums.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">However, not much authority is given to these curators. Each curator has to defer to at least</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">three stakeholders before making any decisions. This may cause conflicts of interest between</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">the desires of the federal and state government, and UNESCO, who all may support the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">museums financially and in promotional aspects, but can complicate the decision-making and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">implementation process. New changes require approval from more than one stakeholder,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">which involves tiered-level decision-making. The organisation uses a top-down management</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">style, where lower level staff may have fewer opportunities to discuss changes with top</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">management.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">126</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Geographical Location</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malacca attracts a significant number of local and international tourists. Their status as a</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Malaysian Historical City and UNESCO World Heritage City aids in promoting their museums</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">to tourists. Today, Malacca has the most number of museums in Malaysia, particularly around</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">their city centre. Visitor responses to their museums are among the most positive in Malaysia</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">(refer Appendix 14). With the proactive support from the state government—who continually</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">raise new and fresh ideas for tourism products and services—the state has established the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">most museums in Malaysia. Their Facebook fan page attracted more than a thousand people</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">until November 2010, and they update the page regularly with their activities. Their proximity</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">to Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and Singapore makes the</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">state easily accessible by local and international tourists.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">However, the state government’s weaknesses in forecasting and planning the city have</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">caused massive traffic and congestion problems during weekends, and public and school</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">holidays over the past five years. The local people of Malacca avoid visiting the city during</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">peak periods, when parking is hard to find, making drivers parked their car by the road side,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">which affects the traffic flow. This congestion leads to other problems like pollution and price</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">increments among the hotels and taxis.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Position in the Sector</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">Their products and services of PERZIM combine culture and tourism with some elements of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">innovation, to provide different experiences to their visitors compared to the other museums.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">PERZIM regard themselves as cultural tourism providers with new, additional roles. Therefore,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">many current programs and activities organised by PERZIM portray their new role, and also</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">attract more visitors from all markets to consume their products and services. In recognition of</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">the rapid development of ICT in the world PERZIM, is also implementing such applications.</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">However, PERZIM status as a non-profit organisation means that they depend heavily on</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">state and federal government financial aid. With minimal charges collected from the visitors,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">PERZIM has a limited budget and income to make significant changes that involve advanced</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">technology. As a result, PERZIM’s museums are less attractive to certain group of markets,</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">especially in comparison to Singaporean museums. Also, the museums have to compete with</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">many modern and unique tourism attractions in and outside Malacca city. These attractions</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">managed to attract a substantial number of people compared to the museums. PERZIM needs</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">127</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">to be more imaginative in attracting visitors to their museums. By using ICT applications and</span><br/><span class="font-size-2">innovative planning, the corporation can become competitive with other tourism attractions.</span></p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (6.3)tag:iconada.tv,2016-02-27:3600580:BlogPost:3737092016-02-27T13:38:06.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2">Traditional to Engaging Phases</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Phase I: Traditional</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">The formation of Malaysia started in Malacca in the thirteenth-century. The image of Malacca</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">as one of Malaysia’s historical cities lends a substantial advantage in terms of attracting</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">visitors to museums. The Malacca state government has played an active role in…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Traditional to Engaging Phases</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Phase I: Traditional</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The formation of Malaysia started in Malacca in the thirteenth-century. The image of Malacca</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as one of Malaysia’s historical cities lends a substantial advantage in terms of attracting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">visitors to museums. The Malacca state government has played an active role in developing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and promoting the tourism industry in the state since the 1980s, and this is due to their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">disadvantage in natural resources compared to other states in Malaysia (Cartier 2002). The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">state is heavily dependent on the tourism industry as their primary income, and the cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism sector has been their major attraction for local and international tourists. Since being</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">named a “UNESCO World Heritage City”, Malacca has become more popular with local and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">international tourists. Further, the location of the museums, attractive museum architecture,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and a constant stream of imaginative programs, are among the strategies implemented by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">corporation to increase attendance. Occasionally, PERZIM introduces special events and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">themes to their museums to make raise public awareness of their existence, and to give the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">best engaging experience for their visitors. At the same time, original artefacts, collections and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture are still their main focus. PERZIM is also actively involved in the local community via</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their programs and activities, and encourages the locals to become involved with the tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industry.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">107</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Museums in Malacca have a significant, close relationship to the tourism industry. This study</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">found that other museums in Malaysia are also associating their products and services closely</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to tourism. In addition, the Malaysia Department of Museums formerly operated under the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Ministry of Tourism (then Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism) (Department of Museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2010). Since the Malacca state government is heavily dependent on the tourism industry, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums in the state have to raise new and innovative ideas for their products and services</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to become competitive. To date, Malacca is the state in Malaysia that has the highest number</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of museums (sixteen public museums) with more being planned. Each museum in Malacca</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">offers different products and services compared to other museums in the country and some</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums in the region. Thus, as the market leader of the museum sector in Malaysia,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM has to be aware of the latest developments taking place in the museum sector and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">experience industry. PERZIM is cautiously working in the same direction as the rest of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">world’s rapidly evolving museum sector.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Phase II: Engaging</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The experience industries involving museums in Malaysia once involved only static displays</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and no visitor interaction. With the new role of museums globally, however, the broader role of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums as educational institutions and to some extent entertainment venues benefiting the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">wider public (Stephen 2001), has prompted museums under PERZIM in Malacca to adopt new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">approaches. These are among the first few museums in the country and the wider Asian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">region to implement these new strategies. Importantly, the development of PERZIM uses the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ICOM mission and objectives to inform their organisation’s guidelines. ICOM (2010) mission</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and objectives ask for a commitment to the conservation, continuation and communication to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">society of the world’s natural and cultural heritage, present and future, tangible and intangible.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">During the interviews, PERZIM staff affirmed that their organisation mission and vision is not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">only to make museums a place to display artefacts relating to history, but also to offer</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">education, R&D activities, cultural centres, and to some extent to provide entertainment. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">offers visitors unique experiences and redefines the institution’s role as traditional museums.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM also recognise that they have to follow world trends, which dictate that new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">components of interactivity have to be applied to their products in order for them to attract</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more visitors, particularly younger generations. Thus, PERZIM’s programs and activities are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">designed for all demographics of visitors, in particular with families.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM’s Sleepover @ Museum program offers the experience of education and as well as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">entertainment to their visitors. This program had managed to attract domestic and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">108</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">international tourists. However, the development of the experience industry in Malaysia—</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly the museum sector—is in a slow phase compared to other new sectors like</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation and advertising. For instance, the development of animation sector in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">began in the late-1990s, but its progress has been more rapid than the museum sector, which</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">has existed in Malaysia for much longer. This slow progress could be due to most of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">formation of public museums in Malaysia being administered by the state and federal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government. The bureaucratic implications of top-down management here sometimes causes</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">slow decision-making (for further reading read Siddiquee 2006), especially in cases involving</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more than one stakeholder in the decision-making process. Consequently, new changes may</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">take longer time to be implemented.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM’s official website shows that from 2000 until 2009, the Malacca Maritime museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">managed to maintain the first rank of attendance among all of the PERZIM museums. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">could be due to the new features applied by these museums to make their products and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">services more competitive compared to other museums in other states in Malaysia. With</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different activities and programs being introduced constantly to their visitors, these museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">have managed to attract a significant number of visitors. Some states in Malaysia may have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">better and more valuable collections (see the Perak Museum, and the Cultural Museum in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Negeri Sembilan Shukry 2010) but attendance at these museums is lower than at Malacca</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums. However, perhaps because of Malacca’s UNESCO status caused them to receive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">top priority from the federal government, particularly in terms of funding and promotion, since</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">this title helped to introduce Malacca to the world.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">As the museum sector is part of the experience industry, it has to become more imaginative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with their products and services in order to offer the best experience to their visitors</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly the younger generation. PERZIM is seen as being aggressive in promoting and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing their museums and brand image throughout the country and the region, while the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other museums in Malaysia are more passive. The only other state recognised for being</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">aggressive in developing their museums’ brand image in Malaysia is Sarawak through the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sarawak Museum Department, which is not only offering visitors high quality cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">collections, but also produces annually an academic journal titled The Sarawak Museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Journal (Sarawak Museum 2010). Nevertheless, compared to other museums in developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries, the museums in Malaysia are far behind with their engaging phase, although there</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are some positive changes towards it. Some Malaysian museums—for example, the Kedah</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Archaeology Museum (Utusan Malaysia 2009)—are not given proper attention by the state</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and federal government, and as a result incur significant wastage of resources.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">109</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Interview respondents revealed that the engaging phase at PERZIM museums has been</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">taking place rapidly over the past five years while they were prepared the city to become</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">UNESCO World Heritage City. Once the title was obtained in 2008, PERZIM became more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">active in offering new features to their visitors, and has subsequently opened more museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in the state. While their new features combine culture and imaginative components the strict</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">rules and regulations from the federal, state government and UNESCO, mean some of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">changes may not be too imaginative in fact.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">6.5 RQ3: How do Malaysian creative economy enterprises utilise</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional Malaysian cultural assets?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">All respondents categorise PERZIM products and services as belonging to the cultural tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sector, and realise the importance of tourism as the major income for the state. Thus tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and culture are the two terms used by staff most frequently when describing their industry and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the products and services they offer. With the announcement of Malacca as “World Heritage</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">City” in 2008, cultural tourism remains a significant tourist attraction. Although the new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative economy concept has been introduced by policymakers in Malaysia, cultural tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is the more acceptable term used by this corporation to describe their products and services.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Since Malacca is lacking natural resources in comparison to other states in the country, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural tourism sector is identified as one of the sectors that can generate significant income</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to the state. Thus, all the museum activities under the management of PERZIM mainly aim to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attract more numbers of visitors and tourists to visit the museums and the state.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The state government established PERZIM to manage the operation of the museums all over</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the state, and to preserve their local culture. At the time of the interviews, PERZIM was</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">operating sixteen state museums and planning five museums around Malacca. Recently,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM also expanded their role by making their museums education institutions for the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">public. Hence, their program is normally a mixture of all these elements, and these products</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are somewhat different from most of the other museums in Malaysia. This gives an experience</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to their visitors that other museums in the country do not provide, and attracts visitors from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different types of market to their museums. PERZIM also assists locals interested in becoming</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">involved with cultural tourism products and services by organising training and seminars open</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to the public. Through this exposure, the organisation hopes locals will learn to operate their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">own businesses. This is in line with the state government mission to achieve zero</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">unemployment rates. Since the 1980s, the state government has recognised that the tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industry could generate more job opportunities for the local people and give significant support</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">110</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to the development of this industry. Malacca is called the “Historical state of Malaysia” and its</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government plays an active role in developing the tourism industry in Malacca, particularly by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">promoting their strengths, two of which are history and culture. To support the creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy concept, the corporation is using culture, new ideas and technology.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Like other countries in the region, Malaysia promotes her unique culture to attract tourists to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their country. This can be seen in all promotions for Malaysia, whether they are designed to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attract investors, international students or tourism (particularly). The culture of Malaysia has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">always been the primary feature. Each state in the country has a different culture to offer to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their visitors, and since the 1970s, culture has been an important component in attracting local</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and international tourists to the country (Musa 2004, 147).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sometimes tourism campaigns based on Malaysian culture create heated debate with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia’s neighbours, particularly Indonesia and Singapore. Recently, due to similarities</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">between Malaysian and Indonesian culture, there has been dispute among the cultural groups</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in Indonesia. The issue has been prominent in the Indonesian media for more than three</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">months, and has sparked a series of demonstrations in front of the Malaysian Embassy in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Indonesia. At one point this created a violent situation for the Malaysians who reside in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Indonesia. Both governments met to discuss the issues and try to find ways to solve the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">problem. After the issue was settled in 2009, UNESCO recognised Indonesian batik as the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This made Malaysian batik producers furious.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Following these incidents, the Malaysian public urged their government to start patenting local</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural items such as food and dances, which caused debate in Singapore. The similarities</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">between the cultures of Singapore and Malaysia are unpreventable, since Singapore was</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">once a part of Malaysia. I argue that this is an unending debate. The cultural plagiarism that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">some Indonesians have accused Malaysia of should not be an issue at all. Every country or</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">community has copied the culture of others since humans have existed in this world. Culture is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not exclusive to one community, and Malaysia is not the only country to face this problem.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">6.6 RQ4: How can Malaysia position itself in the creative economy in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the region?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">As the historical city of Malaysia, Malacca has managed to position herself comfortably among</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the domestic and regional tourists, particularly from Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">state is also gaining substantial attention from international tourism market, and has ranked</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malacca together with other important cities in Malaysia such as, Kuala Lumpur, and George</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">111</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Town. Now, more international tourists are travelling to Malacca; consequently, the whole</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">state benefits. The number of tourists to Malacca has been growing every year, and the same</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">scenario is evident in their museums (refer figure RQ 2.1 and RQ 2.2). More engaging and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">interactive components offer visitors better experiences of PERZIM’s products and services.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">With the state government target to attract eight million tourists to the state in 2010,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">aggressive promotion has been planned.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM had succeeded in positioning their museums as some of the most visited museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in Malaysia, and have become important tourist attractions in the Malacca. UNESCO’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">recognition of PERZIM sets a good example to other state agencies in the country. Other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums in the country and regions, including Indonesia and Thailand, now seek PERZIM’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">advice on managing their museums. As a result, not only they have a better positioning in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country but also in the region, and this will directly contribute to the position of the Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative economy. After modifying their mission and objective to have their museums do more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">than just display historical artefacts and collections, PERZIM has succeeded in adding new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">changes to their products and services. The organisation wanted the state to have the highest</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">number of museums in the country, and at the moment they are leading other states in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Tourism has been the state’s traditional primary income, and recently creative economy has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">been identified by the state government as having significant potential to generate income.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The state government has given priority for the development of creative economy, particularly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in terms of supporting and promoting such development among locals. Each year through</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM, the state has run many training courses, seminars, and workshops, encouraging the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">public to participate, especially those who want to start their own businesses. This gives the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">locals the proper exposure and preparation for them to get involved in creative economy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services, particularly relating to cultural tourism sector.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">At the same time, the transformation of the creative economy is also affecting the whole</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country. From other data resources, this study found that Malaysia is trying to position herself</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as one of the most important countries with a creative economy in the region. In addition,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">several significant transformations have been achieved in Malaysia over the past ten years, in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">line with the government mission and policy to raise the status of Malaysia to that of a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developed country by the year 2020. For the past five years, more positive development to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">promote the creative economy has been taken place across the nation, particularly around</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Klang Valley area and in Malaysia cities. Also, more private organisations are playing their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">112</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">active role in helping the government to more effectively position the Malaysian creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy sector. These government and private organisations are outlined below.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kuala Lumpur City Hall (KLCH)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur receives constant support and development from the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">federal government and major private sectors, particularly in the tourism sector. Although most</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the administration’s government offices have moved to the new administration city of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Putrajaya, KL maintains its major role as the nation’s number one Central Business District</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(CBD). In the KLSP20, the city identified the importance of culture and creative industries in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing and promoting their tourism sector. Today, KL has many world class creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy facilities, and among the popular facilities are:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Istana Budaya (Cultural Palace)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Pusat Konvensyen KL (KL Convention Centre – KLCC)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (Petronas Philharmonic Hall)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Panggung Bandaraya DBKL (KLCH Theatre)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Pasar Seni KL (KL Central Market – KLCM)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">National Arts, Culture and Heritage Academy (ASWARA)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ASWARA opened in 1994 and now has five departments: dance; music; film and video;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">writing; and theatre. Currently, they plan to open up a new department of heritage. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">academy offers short courses and certificate and diploma level programs for part-time and fulltime</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">students. This focus on education in the arts, culture and heritage contributes to the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government's Vision 2020 agenda to become a developed nation. Malaysia aims to follow</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">these characteristics of developed countries. ASWARA works closely with other government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and private organisations in developing, promoting, and preserving Malaysian culture, and is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">well known for preserving and popularising Malaysian traditional dance, music and theatre,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">which is on the verge of extinction, particularly in KL. In doing so, this institution often</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">experiments with new ideas that are a combination of technology, innovation and creativity in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attracting the public particularly the younger generation and international tourists. However, in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">comparison to other traditional institutions in KL and Malaysia, ASWARA’s impact as a higher</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">institution can be considered small, particularly in terms of R&D and producing IP. Until today,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">none of their graduates have contributed a significant impact in the development of creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industries in Malaysia compared to other university graduates.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">113</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">University of Malaya (UM)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">UM is the oldest university in Malaysia, and has a global reputation as one of the top Asian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">universities. Their Cultural Centre was established in 1974, and in 1997 began to offer a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">degree with honours program. In 2001, the centre launched their postgraduate program.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Today, UM offers three undergraduate (music, drama and dance) and postgraduate</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(performing art, visual art and PhD) programs for students. The centre is also active in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">research and organising dialogues, seminars, exhibitions and conferences about creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industries. Since UM is the first university in the country, the institution has managed to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">maintain their R&D and facilities at an international standard. For instance, the centre</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">organised an International Conference on Performing Arts as Creative Industries in Asia in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2008 (UM Cultural Centre 2009)—a joint effort with the then Ministry of Culture, Arts and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Heritage which received catered to participants from all over the globe. The Cultural Centre is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not only active in organising Malaysian traditional shows, but also modern and foreign</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">performances such as orchestra, ballet and English theatre. Also, hospitality and tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">subjects have been introduced at the higher degree level at the Faculty of Business and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Accounts since 2002. As the oldest university in Malaysia, UM offers vast national and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">international networking privileges. Unfortunately, the social science subjects are not as highly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">regarded by university management as the pure science subjects, and often receive second</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">class treatment.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">New Media Trend (Blogging/Online Social Network)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Blogging has become the latest global trend, and Malaysia is no exception. Apart from the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">online media websites, blogging has become the other means of positioning Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums in the region. Thus, both case studies in this research have their own official</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">website, blogs, and fan pages on Facebook and twitter, which attract substantial fan numbers.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In the time of writing up this chapter in October 2010, LCP attracted over one million fans on</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their Upin & Ipin Facebook page, while PERZIM has more than 800 fans, and their number</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">increase every day. Both organisations actively update their account with photos from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">previous and current programs, and organise activities for their fans. Sometimes, these fan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pages inadvertently prompt their fans to fight over certain issues—in one instance, a small</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">group of Indonesians posted hate messages to Malaysians. Hence, the moderators need to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">handle the situation with care.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">114</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Conferences/Meeting/Dialogue</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Today, the Malaysian government and private agencies actively collaborate to raise public</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">awareness about the significant potential of creative economy for the country. Increasing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">numbers of domestic and international conferences, meetings, dialogues and workshops</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">related to this sector have been organised over the past three years. The latest event</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attracted significant names from the creative industries sector, and was held in Kuala Lumpur</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in December 2009. The Digital Content Conference managed to attract more than twenty</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">international renowned creative industries figures and local key players to give their speeches.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In 2009, MDeC for the first time sent the biggest group from Malaysia to attend the Cannes</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Film Festival to showcase Malaysian 3D-animated products. The Prime Minister attended this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">international event to show his support for this sector, and to show Malaysian government’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">commitment to develop this field. All of these activities were organised to develop the creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy, and to position Malaysia as the important country in this sector in the world.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia claimed to be ambitious with their Vision 2020 mission and the mega projects they</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">launched, such as the MSC development (Bhuiyan 1997). For the past ten years, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian government has continuously offered significant support and incentives to local and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">international investors, particularly to open their ICT business in Malaysia. The creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy development has been the Malaysian government’s top priority for the past three</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">years, and many plans under the Malaysian Plan 10 have been established by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government for its benefit and progress. With Vision 2020 less than 10 years away, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government and private sector need to speed up with their work. Since becoming the sixth</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Prime Minister, Najib has demonstrated his commitment for the development of a creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy, and positive progress can been seen all around Malaysia. With strong neighbours</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">such as China, India and Singapore, this vision is seen by some as impossible. However,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia has encouraged major international companies including Intel, Harrods, Hewlett-</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Packard (HP), Microsoft, and Rhythm and Hues to invest in the country in all aspects of ICT.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This is a positive sign that international companies recognise the potential for Malaysia with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">her rich resources (like human resource and culture) to succeed in this sector.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Nevertheless, there are many aspects that still need major attention from the government. For</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">instance, the level of awareness from the public about creative economy is significantly low.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Hence, the government should educate the public first before they develop this sector further.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The top-down approach by Malaysian government may reach and benefit only some people,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">but not the entire public. If the public understand the government’s vision, it will be easier to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">115</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">get their support in implementing the vision. Also, until today there is no clear definition or</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policy about creative economy or its sectors. A clearer policy on creative economy will give</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">proper guidance for the market players in developing their products.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">6.7 Conclusion</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">After comparing PERZIM and MoV, this chapter presented the data gathered from PERZIM as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">a state government corporation managing more than 16 museums and heritage building in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia. This highlighted the differences and similarities of museum management in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing and developed countries. Then, PERZIM’s experience as a traditional cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism producer adapting to new changes and ideas with new role was categorised in seven</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">themes, which answered RQ1 of this study. In answering RQ2, a discussion followed about</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">how PERZIM developed their cultural products and services to remain competitive in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market. Finally, RQ3 was addressed by highlighting the close relationship between the cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism and imaginative ideas used by PERZIM in their products and services. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">corporation also used ICT facilities to gain a better position in the market. However, special</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">consideration is needed with these modern applications. With their elite status within a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">“UNESCO World Heritage City”, the corporation has to ensure their changes continue to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">maintain the traditional elements in their museums and heritage buildings. RQ4 discusses</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government strategies to assist in positioning Malaysia’s cultural organisations in the region.</span></p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (6.2)tag:iconada.tv,2016-02-20:3600580:BlogPost:3736072016-02-20T07:49:22.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2">Respondent Profiles</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">From the total of four respondents interviewed by this study, there is only one female staff</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">member. Three respondents worked with PERZIM for more than ten years except for one,</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">who worked there for less than a year. Two of the respondents were in their mid-thirties, one</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">of them in his…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Respondent Profiles</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">From the total of four respondents interviewed by this study, there is only one female staff</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">member. Three respondents worked with PERZIM for more than ten years except for one,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">who worked there for less than a year. Two of the respondents were in their mid-thirties, one</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of them in his late-forties, and one in his mid-twenties. All respondents obtained their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">education in Malaysia, with one staff possessing a vocational certificate qualification, three</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">possessing a Bachelor’s degree, and one currently completing his Masters.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">95</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Table 6.3: Respondents Profile for Malacca Maritime Museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Respondent Post Age Sex Years of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">working</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Education background</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Mohd Shukry Curator for Malacca Maritime</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Museum Complex</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">24 M 10-months Bachelor Degree (UM)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Zulkifli Museum Assistant 37 M 19-years Certificate (SMVM)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Hj Khamis General Manager for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">49 M 24-years Masters Degree (UKM)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Syahidah Curator for History and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Ethnography Museum,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malacca Education Museum,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Democracy Ruling Museum,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malacca Yang Dipertua</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Negeri (Governors) Museum,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia Youth Museum,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malacca Art Gallery, and Folk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Art Gallery</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">34 F 10-years Bachelor Degree (UM)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM has a strong blend of staff from all ranges of age and qualification. However, their top</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">management staff qualification does not vary; all of their curators have tertiary qualifications in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">history. I argue that the corporation needs staff from other areas—for example Arts and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Design, Culture, and Tourism—to provide more interesting and different ideas for activities</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and programs. By employing a staff with diverse fields of expertise the museum can offer its</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">visitors a more engaging and satisfying experience.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">During the interviews, I found one curator has to look after eight museums under the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">corporation, and that the senior curator post for the corporation has been vacant for almost a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">year. This potentially creates issues relating to work overloads. PERZIM’s status as a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government corporation means that it takes longer to fill a senior position vacancy, because</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">promotion depends on seniority and other qualifications. Further, due to the worldwide</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">recession of the 1980s, the Malaysian government tried to reduce the size of its public sector</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">by curbing the creation of new posts, abolishing vacant posts in non-critical areas, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">reviewing positions in statutory bodies (Siddiquee 2006). Since PERZIM is a state government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">agency, only local Malacca people can apply for the job. Job vacancies sometimes are not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">filled long-term, possibly due to shortages of interest in filling the post, because salaries are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not as competitive as those offered by private companies.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Working Environment</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The most senior curator at PERZIM is Hj Khamis, whose title is General Manager (GM). Under</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Hj Khamis, there are eight curators and this study interviewed two of them. The GM manages</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and makes decisions for PERZIM as a whole, while the other curators make decisions for the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums under them after getting approval from Hj Khamis. The curatorial roles in PERZIM’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">96</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums are different from those in developed countries like Australia and the U.S. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">curators are responsible for managing their own museums and staff. For instance, Shukry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">looks after the Maritime Museum Complex, which has three museums, while Syahidah looks</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">after eight museums, and Hj Khamis as the GM administers PERZIM. The GM also represents</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM during state government functions or meetings.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This organisation is a Malacca state government corporation and operates using a top-down</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">management style similar to that of most other government corporations in Malaysia. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">curators follow the state and federal government policies, rules and regulations communicated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">via memos and other instruction. Further, the museums around Malacca city are required to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">follow the rules and regulations of UNESCO to retain their status as a “UNESCO World</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Heritage City”. To be appointed as a curator at PERZIM, a person must hold either a degree in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">history or museology. They must also meet various other criteria set by the state government,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">for example, they must be born in Malacca. The GM makes major decisions for the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">corporation after getting approval from the state government, while the other curators made</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">decisions for the museums and staff assigned to them. Thus, each staff member must report</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to their superior, according to the traditional government structure of an organisation. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">main role of curators under PERZIM is to manage the operation of the museum assigned to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">them. Their job is largely administrative, as opposed to centred on thinking of new ways to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">make their museums look more appealing for the visitors. Any decisions made by curators can</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">take a long time due to tier decision-making and a top-down management style. This may stop</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the curator from being proactive and productive in their job. With more than two stakeholders</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to report to, and following the rules and regulations, any decisions need careful consideration</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in order to avoid any conflict of interest.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">When I asked how the staff members are involved in contributing ideas and taking part on the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">future planning with their organisation’s products and services, they answered brain-storming,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">meeting, and peer group discussion. These processes involve all PERZIM officers from all</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">departments, and are headed by the GM or a curator. The GM normally chairs the meeting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with the most senior management officer of PERZIM, while the curators lead the meeting for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the museums under their responsibilities with their staff. In this way, ideas for the corporation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are generated; for example, the establishment of a new museum and other activities. For their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">activities meeting, PERZIM also consult with the local community members for their opinions</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and advice. Malacca local ethnic community leaders such as Malay, Baba Nyonya (Malay</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mixed with Chinese group), Chetti (Indian), and Portuguese were called to a meeting to help</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the organisation brainstorm the best activities and outcomes for visitors. These community</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">leaders are also invited to attend PERZIM’s functions and events.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">97</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The rank and file staff members have a special association called MPK, which invites</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">comments and opinion about their work and other issues relating to PERZIM. Later the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">representative for this association brings forward their comments to each related department</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in another meeting with PERZIM management. Besides that, each curator organises monthly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">meetings for all staff under their supervision. During the meeting, staff members are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">encouraged to give their comments, opinions and ideas, and report any problems so the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">curator can bring the matter to a higher level authority. Some of the staff members have been</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">working with the museums for more than twenty years, and the management always seeks</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their advice and opinions on certain matters.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Like any other tourism (including cultural tourism) producers, the PERZIM lower-ranking staff</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">members are the “front-liners”, and meet the visitors the most. Their top-ranking staff</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">members have less involvement with visitors. Thus, it is crucial for PERZIM or other tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">producers to train their front-liners adequately; for example, by sending them to attend</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">seminars and conferences to upgrade their knowledge, and provide their staff with the latest</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">news about the museum sector in the country and region.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Experience is important, but depth of knowledge is also an important aspect of the front-liner</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">job, particularly in an era where visitors tend to be more knowledgeable and educated than</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ever. Front-liners are required to meet local and international visitors every day, and therefore</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">these staff must be alert and well prepared. The front-liner needs to represent the corporation,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the state and the country. By attending suitable seminars and conferences, they can improve</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their knowledge-base and thus confidence with their job. Front-liners often spend more time</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with visitors than other museum staff, as such they play a significant role in presenting the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">corporation and state government’s mission to the public. During the interviews, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">management of PERZIM were fully aware of the concept of the creative economy and creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industries, unlike the lower-ranking staff. PERZIM management should deliver important</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">information to all of their staff particularly the front line, as they need first hand information</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">about the museum’s plan in their everyday work. Unfortunately, not many tourism producers</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(including PERZIM) in Malaysia recognize the front-liner role as a crucial role in contributing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">towards the development of the entire industry.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">When generating new ideas for their museums, the staff must to go through several levels of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">decision-makers. The lower rank of the staff member, the further he or she is from the final</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">decision-making process. For example, during the interview the lower-ranking staff did not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">know about creative economy development, while the top management were aware of this,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">which shows that there is a gap between the top management and low-ranking staff. This type</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">98</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of information is crucial for the management to deliver to their staff so that they understand</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">about the future plans of the corporation, and subsequently can educate the public about the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">new changes too. PERZIM encourage their staff to express their ideas to the higher authority</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the museum, but whether they approve these ideas or indicate when they are going to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">approve them is another question.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Location</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia is a historical state, and the state government realises the importance of preserving</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and restoring its historical locations, particularly around the city areas. Malacca managed to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attract approximately two-million tourists in 2009, and in 2010 their target is to attract eightmillion</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourists, according to PERZIM’s GM. The state has been one of the most popular</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">destinations among local and international tourists in Malaysia for more than a decade.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, according to PERZIM staff, local tourists make up a smaller percentage of visitors</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">compared to international tourists.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Shukry reported that PERZIM museums are experiencing decreasing numbers of visitors</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">because they are facing competition from other tourism products in Malacca state. Examples</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">include the Melaka Taming Sari tower, which celebrated 500,000 visitors in less than a year in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2009, and the Malacca River Cruise operated by a private company, situated next to the MMM</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">complex. In addition to these problems, some of the PERZIM policies are discouraging visitors</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to their museums. When they started to adopt ICT applications and new ideas like the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sleepover @ Museum program to their museums, the number of visitors increased</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significantly. PERZIM have also recognized a different pattern in the market recently, where</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">children tend to bring their parents to the museums as opposed to a long-standing trend of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">opposite. Hence, PERZIM’s current and future activities and programs are more familyoriented</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in order to attract everybody to the museums.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">When asked about the responses to their latest program, Sleepover @ Museum, Shukry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">stated that as at January 2010 they had hosted ten groups, of which seven were international</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">groups from Singapore and Japan. This study found more information about this program</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">through PERZIM Facebook fan page, and in less than a year since they launched the program</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(until April 2010), they had three groups of local visitors, of whom the majority were students</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from college and universities. PERZIM expects the number of local groups will increase in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">future, when the program becomes more popular and the public are more aware of it.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">99</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Figure 6.3b: Sleepover@ Museum program at Malacca Maritime Museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(PERZIM Facebook 2010)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">At present, the experience of visiting museums is about more than merely inspecting exhibits.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, they can also deepen knowledge and understanding (Colbert 2003). In the last</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">decade, traditional museums globally started to shift their roles to become more than just</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">exhibition centres. To remain competitive in the market, they are offering other services such</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as research and development, meeting rooms, conference facilities, bookshops and cafes to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their visitors. With the rapid development of modern museums, such as science and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology museums, traditional museums face tough competition to attract visitors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The same scenario is also occurring in the Malaysian museum sector. Although the numbers</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of visitors for PERZIM museums are high compared to other museums in the country, they are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">facing tough competition from modern museums and other tourism attractions in the state and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country. Cultural tourism producers, particularly in the museum sector, need to find new ways</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to attract visitors to their museums. Introducing new activities and programs could be one way</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to attract more visitors, especially from the younger generation. Programs such as PERZIM’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sleepover @ Museum received a positive response from younger visitors, who tend to be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attracted to new technology applications and different ideas. Therefore, the museum sector</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">needs to incorporate these features in their museums. The older generation are perhaps more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attracted to the traditional and cultural features of a museum, thus the museums need to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">preserve their cultural identity too. Museums have to cater for both markets and have both</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">100</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">elements in their attractions in order to remain sustainable and competitive in the experience</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industry.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sector or Industry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In the case of PERZIM, this shows a substantial and close relationship between creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(experience) industries and cultural tourism. Although modern applications are used at a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">minimal level by PERZIM currently, more changes relating to modern components are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">expected to be adopted by the corporation within three to five years. For instance, PERZIM</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">plans to collaborate with a private company to re-launch their Lights and Sounds interactive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">program and Malaysia Cultural Parade before the end of 2010. As well as these new activities</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and programs, other expansion plans involve a mixture of cultural tourism and modern</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology to attract more visitors to their museums. This is evidence of PERZIM’s serious</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">commitment to shift their function as from the traditional to the modern category of museum.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">All of these new changes are evidence of the close connection between the creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(experience) industries and cultural tourism adopted by PERZIM. However, in light of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malacca’s “UNESCO World Heritage City” status holder since 2008, more deliberation must</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">occur before they can introduce any new changes to their museums, because they have to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">maintain strong elements of Malaysian culture in their products and services to remain in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">accordance with the UNESCO guidelines (Syahidah 2010). Nevertheless, PERZIM has tried</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to include both aspects of culture and modern applications in their museums. They</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">acknowledge the importance of both elements for their museums, and are working towards</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">maintaining a balance between cultural and modern elements. This shows the uniqueness of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM museums, which attract visitors from all over the world.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM’s statistics show that their museums have among the highest attendance numbers in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia; at end of December 2009, they received a total of almost 680,000 visitors to their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums all over Malacca (PERZIM official website 2010). The Sleepover @ Museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">program is an example of a cultural tourism product being given a fresh touch to become</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">unique and more appealing to the market. These figures have prompted PERZIM to realise</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that there have been significant changes in the behaviour patterns of their visitors. One major</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">shift is that children are bringing their parents to visit the museums (Shukry 2010). Thus, they</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are making appropriate changes in response to market needs and wants, which have more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">family-oriented appeal and other fresh elements. The findings showed that the museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">managed by PERZIM are marrying both creative (experience) industries and cultural tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in their products and services.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">101</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Apart from that, PERZIM has actively organised events, programmes and activities with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different components for the past three years to offer the best experience to their visitors, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">also to create awareness of their products and services. These programs differentiate</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM products and services from other museums. The management of the organisation is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">fully aware of the new developments taking place in museum sector in developed countries,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">which involve new technology, and the museums under their management are slowly moving</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in that direction. At the same time, they acknowledge their major role as the cultural institution</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that preserves the history for the country.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Expectation and Future Planning for the Organisation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM plans to open up at least another five museums around the state in the next five</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">years. According to Hj Khamis (GM for PERZIM) (2010), there are plans to open up a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museum at Pulau Besar, a popular local tourist island in Malacca. Also, the first submarine</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museum will be built around the Kelebang area, and will be the second of its kind in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ASEAN countries (the first being in Surabaya, Indonesia). There also are plans for more ship</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums to be built around the Kelebang area. This strategy to build more museums outside</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malacca city hopes to divert the attention of tourists to other parts of Malacca.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The organisation also realises the important role of technology, and creativity in today’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural product and services. Thus, PERZIM is trying to shift their products and services to be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">closer to the tourists and visitors because this is the era where the museum has to implement</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">those elements in order to remain competitive. Museum visitors want to be able to interact</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with exhibits. The GM (ibid.) is aware of this latest trend taking place all over the world and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">states:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Yes, at the moment we are trying lah, to divert and change to something that make us</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">closer to tourists and visitors with museum artefacts, because we can see that this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">decade is the era for that, the decade where if we go to the museum in Singapore, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums in Singapore already shifted to those direction. So it is the high time for us...</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not only museums in Malacca, but also museums all over the country. Ok, no more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">static exhibition lah, more interactive, more into engaging with our visitors and the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">artefacts and displays.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">At the same time, PERZIM wants to actively involve the local people in the tourism industry,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly around Malacca city, to improve their income. With help and support from the state</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government, there are many plans involving the locals that are going to be implemented to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">give them exposure on the positive potential of tourism products and services. This is the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">102</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">future creative economy development plan that the organisation and state government have in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">order to generate better income for the locals.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM has planned to develop their products and services in line with creative economy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development in Malaysia. Not only they will keep preserving the cultural elements, but they will</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">also keep on introducing new products and services to provide good experience for their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">visitors. At the same time, PERZIM is encouraging more local people to get involved in small</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">businesses relating to cultural tourism sector, using workshops and seminars. Culture and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism remain the basis for new ideas to attract the younger generation to visit PERZIM’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums. This expansion plan involves culture, tourism and various engaging activities to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">offer a better and different experience to their visitors. PERZIM is one of a few museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">corporations in the country and region to have such a progressive plan.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, even there changes are perhaps thirty years behind those of museums in developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries. I argue that new technology is needed for the museum sector to attract the younger</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">generation, but as a country that has significant cultural features, Malaysia also should focus</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">on this strength. Not only does new technology require a lot of investment and financial</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">assistance, but to compete with the advanced countries, modern museums might be too</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">difficult for PERZIM and Malaysia regardless. Hence, let the advanced countries play to their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology advantage while Malaysia continues to promote cultural strength with some</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">modern applications whenever necessary. Developing countries like Malaysia lack the modern</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">applications and technology that are strengths for developed countries. Thus, museums in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia should concentrate on their own strengths like unique culture, rather than on their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">limitations.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Organisation’s Mission</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">According to the curator of MMM, Mohd Shukry, MMM follows PERZIM’s mission and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">objectives, as the museum is part of the corporation’s entity. The main objective is not to make</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">money, but more to educate their visitors, particularly the younger generation. They are totally</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">committed to the International Committee of Museums (ICOM) statement, which defines a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museum as a research institution and a place for exhibitions. Thus, the programs and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">activities organised under PERZIM’s museums are more to educate, encourage R&D, and be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">family-oriented. However, they still charge minimal fees to their visitors, and the museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">under PERZIM have been a main contributor to state income.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">103</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">With decreasing visitor numbers to traditional museums for the last decade, PERZIM is trying</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to reinvigorate the museum in Malaysia. They constantly organise programs and activities</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">according to special themes, which are normally chosen according to the federal and state</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government mission. Among the activities and exhibitions organised by them in 2009 were the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Multiethnic Food Festival, Ancient Currency Exhibition, and Malay and Islamic World</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Convention and Exhibition. These activities and exhibitions were organised to educate and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">expose visitors to the artefacts, and give visitors firsthand experience and knowledge of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">collections.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Apart from that, PERZIM’s latest role has been expanding to include preservation of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">state’s culture and heritage. The General Manager (GM) of PERZIM explains, the job’s scope</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and their objectives and mission of their organisation:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Now, our scope of work today is a little bit different, lah, compared to other museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in other states because PERZIM is the secretariat, lah, for heritage and preservation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">enactment. Hence, we have to look at all aspects involved, we had repaired around 51</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional houses located in the state of Malacca so that these people can maintain</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their traditional houses, as well as encouraging them to get involve in tourism activities,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">lah. And at least while we help them to maintain their houses beautifully, we also help</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to preserve the architecture, preserve the culture, they also are encourage to receive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourists domestically and internationally. So we gave them basic courses on how to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">entertain these tourists, gave them necessary information, and other related stuff...</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The staff noted that the longer they worked for PERZIM the more they could relate to their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">organisation’s mission and objectives. Staff who worked for more than ten years with PERZIM</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">explained that they are more connected to the museum in their everyday activities.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The corporation is shifting their focus from being a traditional museum to incorporating other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">roles according to the ICOM definition of museum (refer to ICOM website 2010). These</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">changes have been applied by many museums in developed and developing countries. In</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia, PERZIM became among the first few museums to introduce significant new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">changes, and receive a positive response from the public and tourists. Nevertheless, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">number of visitors is still low compared to other tourist attractions in the state and Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">With other tourism attractions aggressively marketing for their products, museums in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">remain unpopular among the public. The decreasing number of visitors to traditional museums</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is not only happening in Malaysia but all over the world, thus more traditional museums are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">shifting to become modern museums particularly in developed countries. New changes</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">undertaken by PERZIM are seen to have potential in attracting the Malaysian public and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourists back to the museums. However, to remain sustainable and competitive in the museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">104</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sector in the country and region, they need to adopt new changes such as interactive areas</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">for visitors in order to foster a different experience.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creative/Experience Industries/Cultural Tourism Development in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM management realises the importance of adding new applications such as interactive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">features and hands-on experience to their products and services in order to make them</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">competitive in the global market. The curators and GM of PERZIM are fully aware of the rapid</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">changes taking place around the world, with interactive elements being adopted by many</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums. PERZIM is also following the trend by adding these elements in their products and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">services to give the best possible experience to their visitors. The museums under PERZIM</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are among only a few museums in Malaysia to implement these features. According to the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">MMM curator, vandalism problems meant that there is no immediate plan to add more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">interactive elements to MMM. Even at the federal level, only two museums—the National</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Museum in Kuala Lumpur, and the Culture Museum in Negeri Sembilan—are doing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">incorporating these elements. Besides, PERZIM’s main focus is on displaying the actual</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">artefacts, rather than depending on the technology and ICT aspects.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The GM’s responses to the question about implementing engaging and interactive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">components in their museums, and about the development of the creative economy sector in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia, was more positive and clearer than answers given by others, particularly in terms of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the creative economy sector:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">We just had a discussion... discussion with one company from KL, lah... about... if this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">project to take off... it will take place by middle of next year. We want to turn the whole</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">complex to become... more towards like Disneyland, lah. Disneyland with our main</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">focus on history... Malacca history and other related history... because we want to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">introduce this as a new component for tourism... and other related industries, right... to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">get involve many local people ok, in... in this sector, lah...</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM has other new approaches to attract more visitors to their museums. These new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services make their museums different and unique from the other museums in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the country. Their 2009 program, Sleepover @ Museum (at MMM and Malacca Sultanate</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Palace museum) was inspired by a similar program in Europe. A Light and Sounds show is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">planned to be relaunched in April 2010. PERZIM has designed these new attractions and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">programs by PERZIM to offer a different experience from those offered by other museums in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia and in the rest of the region. Also, these new attractions and programs are designed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to encourage R&D practices among Malaysians, and to educate high attendance rates.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">105</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Visitors who took part in the European version of the Sleepover @ Museum program did not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sleep much in the museum. For the most part, visitors took the opportunity to do in-depth</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">research about the displayed artefacts and collection inside the museum from various</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">aspects. However, this study’s interview revealed that Malaysian visitors were looking for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different experiences compared to European visitors; normally, most of them slept for the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">whole night during the program. Some joined the program hoping for a mystical experience</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">such as meeting with ghost. Further, the museums occasionally would add more artefacts and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">collections, and rearrange them with a different style and position so that the visitors would not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">get bored with the same collections if they visited the museums later.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">With their new additional products and services in the museums, PERZIM is hoping to offer a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different experience and attract more visitors to their museums. Their museums are among</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the only museums in the Malaysia region to offer different products and services to visitors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, offering different or non-traditional products and services can be risky, and different</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">markets may look for different experiences, as the Sleepover @ Museum program showed.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Document analysis reveals that the program received different comments from two journalists</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">who joined. One discussed superstitious belief—about the possibility of encountering ghosts in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the museum (Kosmo, 2009)—while the other expressed the excitement at the experience of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">joining a new program (Johan, 2009). This demonstrates that in the experience industry each</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">visitor has different experiences, and often seeks different experiences with new products and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">services. Unfortunately, research about the behaviour and experiences of museums visitors is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">lacking, particularly in Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">According to Goulding (2000) there is little research that examines the actions and voices of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museum visitors, but what museum curators and related official bodies are good at is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">collecting numbers. This may lead to misunderstandings about the needs and wants of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museum visitors compared with what the museums are offering them. In addition, not all</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">changes are well accepted by the public. Some changes implemented by PERZIM prompted</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">argument among and criticism by the locals. For example, the building of the replica of Flor de</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Lama had been promoted as supporting and promoting colonisation. This dilemma is normal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in postcolonial countries like Malaysia. The sixteen museums currently operating under</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM have different collections and themes that attract a different market of visitors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Further, since the experience industry involves intangible products and services, it is crucial</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">for the producers to make their products and services more tangible to their visitors. Thus</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more museums are establishing shops to sell souvenir items that could make their products</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and services more tangible experience to their visitors. However, at present there are no</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">106</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museum shops at any of PERZIM museums, although there are museum souvenirs produced</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and sold by local people around the state and country.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">6.4 RQ2: What is the development path for the Malaysian creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy enterprises?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The development of the experience industry in Malaysia is not new, as it is similar to the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">concept of service industry. At present, the Malaysian public is more aware of the term,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">service industry than the term, experience industry. Recently, the museum sector has become</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">considered as part of the experience industry, because it offers experience to its visitors. With</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the new roles of museums today, museums in Malaysia have shifted their scope as well. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transformation is slowly taking place in Malaysia, following a general shift in the function of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums towards offering a better experience to their visitors. PERZIM’s experiences in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing their cultural tourism products and services can be identified as a transformation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from traditional activities to engaging activities, and involve two phases.</span></p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (6.1)tag:iconada.tv,2016-02-12:3600580:BlogPost:3736052016-02-12T09:30:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">6. CASE STUDY TWO: MALACCA MUSEUM CORPORATION</span></strong><br></br> <br></br> <span class="font-size-2">With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Malacca </span><span class="font-size-2">demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay </span><span class="font-size-2">sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century.</span><br></br> <br></br> <span class="font-size-2">The town…</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">6. CASE STUDY TWO: MALACCA MUSEUM CORPORATION</span></strong><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Malacca </span><span class="font-size-2">demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay </span><span class="font-size-2">sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">The town constitutes a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel </span><span class="font-size-2">anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. </span><span class="font-size-2">(UNESCO 2008)</span><br/> <br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span class="font-size-2"><br/> 6.1 Introduction</span></strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> The second case study was undertaken with Malacca Museum Corporation (PERZIM) which </span><span class="font-size-2">is currently managing Malacca Maritime Museum (MMM) and eighteen other state-owned </span><span class="font-size-2">museums in Malacca. Staff members from this state government cultural tourism corporation </span><span class="font-size-2">were interviewed face-to-face. As an organisation involved directly with cultural tourism </span><span class="font-size-2">products and services, the Malacca Museum Corporation’s experience can provide insights </span><span class="font-size-2">regarding the transformation of cultural institutions, particularly museums, when adopting </span><span class="font-size-2">modern technology and ideas in order to become competitive in the global market.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">The chapter opens with outlines about the second case study interview for this research, </span><span class="font-size-2">followed by a comparison of PERZIM and the Museum of Vancouver (MoV). Similar to Case </span><span class="font-size-2">Study One, seven themes are identified to answer the first research question. The findings of </span><span class="font-size-2">the interviews, secondary data, and quotes taken from document analysis will be used to </span><span class="font-size-2">answer research questions two, three and four. Finally, a chapter conclusion will be delivered.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2">6.2 Comparison between Malacca Museum Corporation, Malaysia </span><span class="font-size-2">and Museum of Vancouver, Canada</span></strong><br/> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">In this section a comparison between PERZIM, Malaysia and MoV, Canada (formerly known </span><span class="font-size-2">as Vancouver Museum) will be presented. Research on MoV was done based on document </span><span class="font-size-2">analysis, while research on PERZIM was done through face-to-face interviews and document </span><span class="font-size-2">analysis. The similarities and differences between the two museums are presented in the next </span><span class="font-size-2">section.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span class="font-size-2">6.2.1 The development of Malacca Museum Corporation (PERZIM)</span></strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM is a Malacca state government corporation that manages all the state’s museums </span><span class="font-size-2">and heritage sites (refer Appendix 10).<br/><br/> Realising their lack of other natural resources, the state </span><span class="font-size-2">government paid special attention to developing the tourism industry as their major income, </span><span class="font-size-2">and cultural tourism is one of their focuses. PERZIM has many plans in line with the ICOM </span><span class="font-size-2">mission to become a non-traditional museum by implementing new ideas and upgrading the </span><span class="font-size-2">museum via such means as relaunching their light and sound program, opening at least </span><span class="font-size-2">another three museums outside Malacca city in 2010, and curating a cultural parade show.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although the state government is searching for other resources for their economic growth —for </span><span class="font-size-2">example, from the agricultural sector — tourism remains their main focus. Due to its small size</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and limited natural resources, the state’s dependency on the tourism industry is unavoidable </span><span class="font-size-2">(Cartier 2002).</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">The tourism industry has been the most important income for Malacca for the past twenty </span><span class="font-size-2">years, and is fully supported by the state government. Not only have their heritage sites been </span><span class="font-size-2">fully utilised, but their minority ethnics such as the Baba Nyonya, Chetti and Portuguese are </span><span class="font-size-2">used as tourism attractions for the state. As a result, all ethnic groups are given fair attention </span><span class="font-size-2">in the state government tourism planning. However, the issues of unfair treatment to certain </span><span class="font-size-2">ethnic groups, particularly minorities, have continuously been raised in Malaysia. A multiethnic </span><span class="font-size-2">country like Malaysia will always have this issue. Analysis made by the Malacca state </span><span class="font-size-2">government on the evolution of the tourism industry that took place in Malaysia and Asian </span><span class="font-size-2">region in the 1980s, revealed that heritage tourism alone was not sufficient to attract tourists </span><span class="font-size-2">(Cartier 2002). Thus, the state is not only promoting and developing their heritage buildings </span><span class="font-size-2">and places, but also education, entertainment, and minority ethnics. Importantly though, other </span><span class="font-size-2">states in Malaysia such as Kedah, Kelantan and Perak, have more interesting cultural </span><span class="font-size-2">resources than Malacca, which through poor management, and a less pro-active state </span><span class="font-size-2">government, has led to cultural resources not being fully utilised. This has created resource</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">wastage, and a loss of potential income.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Another contentious issue in Malaysia lies among the minority ethnic groups, who claimed </span><span class="font-size-2">they were not given enough attention in the development, although local authorities denied </span><span class="font-size-2">these allegations. For example, in a state like Penang that is populated largely by Chinese, </span><span class="font-size-2">any Malays living in the island state feel that Malay history has not been considered and </span><span class="font-size-2">thereby largely ignored (Mohamed 2006). Other states with a majority population of Malays, </span><span class="font-size-2">Chinese and Indian minorities feel similarly ignored. Issues including whose culture to </span><span class="font-size-2">promote, authentic versus staged culture (Mohamed 2006), and commercialisation of culture </span><span class="font-size-2">(O’Connor 2007) have caused heated debate among the academic sector, cultural activists </span><span class="font-size-2">and local people. Further, another group of cultural activists feel that most of the heritage </span><span class="font-size-2">buildings in Malaysia are colonial buildings. These activists disagree with the idea of </span><span class="font-size-2">preserving and promoting the colonial past and culture. Thus, the question of whose culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">should be promoted as the main feature remains a contentious issue in promoting cultural </span><span class="font-size-2">tourism in Malaysia. Postcolonial tourism has been utilised by many countries in the world </span><span class="font-size-2">because it attracts a greater number of tourists, particularly from the west. Malacca‘s major </span><span class="font-size-2">tourist attractions are mainly postcolonial buildings.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">An anti-colonisation group criticised the building of the Flor De Lama replica, arguing that it </span><span class="font-size-2">represents a symbol of high respect for Portuguese colonial power and history in Malaysia. </span><span class="font-size-2">This group also criticized PERZIM when they introduced a new feature that saw museum staff </span><span class="font-size-2">wearing the traditional costumes of colonial countries (Portuguese, Dutch and English) that </span><span class="font-size-2">used to rule Malaysia, and allowed the visitors to take photos with them. Of course, new ideas </span><span class="font-size-2">or changes will always invite debate, and there will always be at least two camps in any new </span><span class="font-size-2">development. This process occurs in any development because there will always be positive </span><span class="font-size-2">and negative sides. Rather than support the commercialisation of cultural resources, this </span><span class="font-size-2">study’s stance is that they should be promoted with caution so that any misconceptions can be </span><span class="font-size-2">avoided or minimised.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Heritage buildings and places owned by private companies and individuals have to find </span><span class="font-size-2">independent means to finance their properties. The government can only provide limited </span><span class="font-size-2">assistance to them, and in most cases only moral guidance and support. In many cases, </span><span class="font-size-2">building owners cannot always generate enough income to preserve them, especially </span><span class="font-size-2">considering Malaysian weather. Thus, some owners may end up selling if they receive an </span><span class="font-size-2">attractive offer. Subsequently, the purchase of these properties often leads to the demolition of </span><span class="font-size-2">heritage buildings to make way for other development projects. Through tourism activities, </span><span class="font-size-2">these owners may have a chance to generate their own financial resources rather than </span><span class="font-size-2">depending too much on the government. Through the tourism industry, specifically cultural </span><span class="font-size-2">tourism, these private owners can generate their own financial resources. The balance </span><span class="font-size-2">between development and local sensitivity is very important. The stakeholders should take</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">into consideration the best way to tackle these problems and issues.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">The efficiency and determination from the Malacca state government in developing and </span><span class="font-size-2">promoting cultural tourism contributes in a major positive way to their economy. Hopefully, the </span><span class="font-size-2">active role played by PERZIM in developing and promoting their products and services, will </span><span class="font-size-2">encourage other museums in Malaysia to become more proactive. If they fail to keep up with </span><span class="font-size-2">the changes and remain stuck in their traditional roles, their existence will be less attractive</span><span class="font-size-2">and it might be harder to sustain their place in the market.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span class="font-size-2">6.2.2 The development of the Museum of Vancouver</span></strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">MoV (known as Vancouver Museum until 2008) has a long history that dates back to the Art, </span><span class="font-size-2">Historical and Scientific Association’s first exhibition in November 1894. By 1905, more than</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">10,000 people had signed their guest register, and the museum received continuous public </span><span class="font-size-2">donations for its collection. In 1922, the museum accepted the first remains of a mummified </span><span class="font-size-2">child from a tomb in Luxor, Egypt from Dr. George Kidd. After that, visitor numbers </span><span class="font-size-2">significantly increased, particularly between 1939 until 1945. This influx of visitors meant that </span><span class="font-size-2">the most valuable collections of the museum were removed to an underground vault for </span><span class="font-size-2">safekeeping. In 2008, the museum announced a major shift in strategy that would see the </span><span class="font-size-2">institution become a physical reality and as an idea. They would use cross-disciplinary </span><span class="font-size-2">approaches, and engage the community in dialogue about contemporary issues. The following </span><span class="font-size-2">year, the museum changed its name to MoV to reflect their new vision. This latest transition </span><span class="font-size-2">was underpinned by a new vision and strategic plan for 2008-2011, which would hold a mirror </span><span class="font-size-2">to the city and lead provocative conversations about its past, present and future. In their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">strategic plan they identified four strategic priorities:</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">1. Secure their financial and operational stability;</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">2. Develop exhibitions and programs that interpret Vancouver through a broad range of </span><span class="font-size-2">disciplines, put history in a contemporary context, and provoke debate and discussion </span><span class="font-size-2">about the city;</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">3. Enhance their visibility and reputation; and</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">4. Develop a more inclusive and collaborative approach to community involvement in the </span><span class="font-size-2">Museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Museum of Vancouver 2010).</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Today, the MoV is the largest museum in Canada (Butler 2002, 8); its website shows the </span><span class="font-size-2">museum has incorporated interactive exhibits and programs for the last twenty years. Also, </span><span class="font-size-2">the function of the MoV is as more than just a cultural institution. They also offer services to </span><span class="font-size-2">the public such as food and beverages, meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibitions </span><span class="font-size-2">(MICE), rental space and gift shop facilities. These products and services show that MoV is </span><span class="font-size-2">more financially independent, and fully autonomous in making their decisions. Further, MoV’s </span><span class="font-size-2">board of directors have differing educational background and fields of expertise. Also, the </span><span class="font-size-2">museum programs and organised activities are diverse in order to cater for various groups of </span><span class="font-size-2">people and interests. This diversity shows that MoV is positioning themselves not just as a </span><span class="font-size-2">museum, but as a diverse institution with many roles and functions. This is the latest trend that </span><span class="font-size-2">is taking place among museum institutions, particularly in developed and developing</span><span class="font-size-2">countries.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Museums need a contemporary image in order for them to remain competitive. From an</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">architectural perspective, Erickson (1994) states that among a number of functions, museums </span><span class="font-size-2">reside with the bureaucratic elite of a cultural institution in the curatorial machinery of modern </span><span class="font-size-2">architecture. MoV is a real-world example of this statement. In today’s rapid evolution of </span><span class="font-size-2">creativity and technology, the roles and functions of museums have become more challenging </span><span class="font-size-2">and not limited to those functions identified by Erickson. However, this study will not discuss </span><span class="font-size-2">further the functions and roles of the modern museums. For further information please refer to </span><span class="font-size-2">Butler (2007).</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although MoV’s user-friendly website is with rich information about the museum, there is no </span><span class="font-size-2">statistical information regarding patronage. Nevertheless, being the largest museum in </span><span class="font-size-2">Canada and one of the four most important, this study assumed that attendance is significant.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">This is also based on its location in Vancouver, one of the most populated cities in the country.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span class="font-size-2">6.2.3 Comparing Malacca Museum Corporation and Museum of Vancouver</span></strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERZIM management is currently shifting their role from a traditional mode to become more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">educational, and focussed on R&D and entertainment for all their visitors. PERZIM has been </span><span class="font-size-2">among the first state government organisations to apply these changes in Malaysia. Few </span><span class="font-size-2">museums in Malaysia are taking these steps, and perhaps that is one of the reasons the </span><span class="font-size-2">number of visitors to PERZIM museums in Malacca increases every year compared to the </span><span class="font-size-2">other museums in the country. Museums in Malaysia have been lagging in terms of new </span><span class="font-size-2">changes and applications or functions. While PERZIM museums have over the past ten years </span><span class="font-size-2">adapted their new approach, the museums in the United States have, for instance, been doing </span><span class="font-size-2">the same thing since 1970s. In their mission statement, the American Association of Museums </span><span class="font-size-2">(AAM) aims to enhance the value of museums to their communities through leadership, </span><span class="font-size-2">advocacy and service. Also, they are dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a major part </span><span class="font-size-2">of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievement of the human </span><span class="font-size-2">experience, past, present and future. This mention of human experience in their mission, </span><span class="font-size-2">means that experience plays an important role in the establishment of a museum. Also, under </span><span class="font-size-2">their code of ethics, the AAM states that their common interest is to make a “unique</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">contribution to the public by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the things of this world”</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(AAM 2010).</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">MoV (2010) offers products and services that focus on educational programs for children, </span><span class="font-size-2">youth, and families. This is similar to what MMM is doing, however MoV is more advanced in </span><span class="font-size-2">this area; they have connected their school programs to the provincial curriculum in </span><span class="font-size-2">workshops, and activities for students aged from five to fifteen. MoV also has their own blog to </span><span class="font-size-2">give updates about the latest events at the museum.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Since the history of MoV is longer than MMM, their collections, products and services are </span><span class="font-size-2">more diverse than those of MMM. Also, they have a different management style because MoV </span><span class="font-size-2">is not administered by a government corporation or agency. MoV is a money-oriented </span><span class="font-size-2">institution when compared to MMM, which charged minimal entrance fees (RM 2 per entry to </span><span class="font-size-2">visit one museum complex). MoV also:</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Charges entrance fees for their visitors from $ 8.00 dollars;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Is privately owned;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Has many activities and programs for their visitors; most of which charge fees; and <br/></span> <span class="font-size-2">• Have other side-products and services to generate income to their museum such as </span><span class="font-size-2">rental space for MICE activities, F&B, and a gift shop.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cleary’s (2006) PhD thesis identifies four different types of culturally and politically valid </span><span class="font-size-2">contemporary museums: modern museums; modernist museums; post-museums; and new </span><span class="font-size-2">museums. Earlier, Hooper-Greenhill (2000, 150) identified three categories of museums </span><span class="font-size-2">(modern, modernist and post-museums), and it is significantly possible for Cleary’s new </span><span class="font-size-2">category to expand in the future. The modern museum according to Cleary (2006) maintains </span><span class="font-size-2">the traditions of display, investigative research and public instruction through accepted </span><span class="font-size-2">collection acquisition and exhibition practises. MMM and most PERZIM museums are most </span><span class="font-size-2">likely to fall under this category. Modernist museums position themselves by employing </span><span class="font-size-2">architecture as an attention-seeking strategy, but essentially not changing their developmentby-</span><span class="font-size-2">accumulation collection model. Since the early-1990s, museum architecture has received </span><span class="font-size-2">wide attention in the literature, due to the close link between architectural designs and culture.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">The third category of “post-museums” considers postmodern criticism and becomes more </span><span class="font-size-2">pluralistic and complex in their construction of history. Only a small number of PERZIM </span><span class="font-size-2">museums can be regarded as post-museums, since they are categorised and operated as a </span><span class="font-size-2">government corporation, and abide by all the rules and regulations set by the government and </span><span class="font-size-2">UNESCO. With their full autonomy and financial sources, MoV is more likely to fall under this </span><span class="font-size-2">category. The fourth category of “new museums” is commemorative and non-inclusive, and </span><span class="font-size-2">are created for and maintained by a small elite, essentially to reposition its own history as </span><span class="font-size-2">central.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Based on Cleary’s classifications, this study categorises PERZIM’s museum, particularly </span><span class="font-size-2">MMM, as a “modern museum”, and MoV as a “post-museum”, with both also having </span><span class="font-size-2">characteristics of as “modernist museums”. For example, MMM has the Portuguese Flor de </span><span class="font-size-2">Lama replica (Fig. 6.3), while MoV (Fig. 6.2.3) has modern architecture and a crab sculpture </span><span class="font-size-2">fountain. Architecture has played a major role in marketing cultural tourism for the past </span><span class="font-size-2">decade. More buildings are adapting cultural elements and symbolisation in their design, </span><span class="font-size-2">including the buildings of MMM and MoV. As institutions for cultural preservations and </span><span class="font-size-2">restoration, it is substantially important for the museum buildings to be represented by the </span><span class="font-size-2">collections in their public image. In the case of architecture, this study believes that MMM has </span><span class="font-size-2">managed to portray its image as a maritime museum, while MoV portrays itself as a modern </span><span class="font-size-2">and diverse museum.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Figure 6.2.3: Museum of Vancouver</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Museum of Vancouver 2010)</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">In terms of modern applications, MMM lags behind MoV. However, MMM does not have to be </span><span class="font-size-2">like MoV in all aspects because their approach and formation are different. Both institutions </span><span class="font-size-2">have their strengths (also weaknesses), and cater for a different group of visitors or markets.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">The strength of MMM lies in its focus on colonial history and a multi-cultural environment, </span><span class="font-size-2">while the strength of MoV lies in its long-established history, and a variety of functions and </span><span class="font-size-2">roles (refer Appendix 11). Based on their strengths, it is wise for both institutions to </span><span class="font-size-2">concentrate on further developing these strengths rather than to try to develop something </span><span class="font-size-2">unfamiliar. Not only can this be risky, but it involves the investment of money and time when </span><span class="font-size-2">success is still unsure. Both museums need to keep up with the changing expectations and </span><span class="font-size-2">desires of visitors, and at the same time maintain their primary role to educate the public and </span><span class="font-size-2">preserve their culture. Perhaps in the future, their roles and functions might be different from </span><span class="font-size-2">now, but presently they should maintain their uniqueness, and at the same time be aware of </span><span class="font-size-2">the changes taking place around them. </span><span class="font-size-2">This study has identified some similarities and differences between the MMM and the MoV.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia was focussed on their multi-cultural and multi-faith attractions even before they </span><span class="font-size-2">gained their independence from the British in 1957. The multi-cultural and multi-faith images </span><span class="font-size-2">are the primary topic among Malaysia’s top politicians when they discuss Malaysia’s position </span><span class="font-size-2">in the global market. The Malaysian government works hard to maintain this globally unique </span><span class="font-size-2">resource. Since there is an ongoing cultural revolution all over the world, Malaysia has to find </span><span class="font-size-2">new ideas to sustain their place in the global market. To date, more countries—such as </span><span class="font-size-2">Australia, Canada, US and UK—are claiming to be multi-cultural. Based on their collections, </span><span class="font-size-2">artefacts, activities and programs, MoV and MMM have long emphasised a local cultural </span><span class="font-size-2">influence. Since both countries are promoting multi-culturalism as part of their image to the </span><span class="font-size-2">world, this element has been employed by both museums. Therefore, the multi-cultural image </span><span class="font-size-2">may not be unique to Malaysia in the future.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">A combination of cultural tourism and modern technology could generate new attractions to </span><span class="font-size-2">enable Malaysia to enter the global market. In consideration of this, the Malaysian government </span><span class="font-size-2">is working towards making the public aware of the significant potential of creative economy for </span><span class="font-size-2">the country. All ministries in Malaysia are talking about adapting these two aspects in their </span><span class="font-size-2">administration as well as their products and services. At the same time, private companies in </span><span class="font-size-2">the country also are taking an active part in these sectors. However, they need to become </span><span class="font-size-2">more independent, particularly with regards to finance, as the government cannot support</span><span class="font-size-2">them forever.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span class="font-size-2">6.3 RQ1: What are the main operational issues for Malaysian creative</span><span class="font-size-2">economy enterprises?</span></strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Figure 6.3a: Port De Lama Replica Ship in Malacca</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(PERZIM 2010)</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">This study interviewed the Malacca Maritime Museum curator Mohd Shukry Abdullah at the </span><span class="font-size-2">Royal Navy Museum in January 2010. Other interviews were conducted with museum staff </span><span class="font-size-2">members on the same day around the Malacca Museum Complexes in Malacca city. The first </span><span class="font-size-2">interviews were with the “front lines” of the Malacca Maritime Museum at the Port De Lama </span><span class="font-size-2">replica ship, followed by the General Manager of PERZIM at his office, and the last interview </span><span class="font-size-2">was with the curator of all eight museums at Historical Museum office.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Seven themes best categorise the answers from the PERZIM respondents. Tables and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">exhibits are used whenever required.</span></p>SITI SURIAWATI ISA:THE CREATIVE ECONOMY IN MALAYSIA (3)tag:iconada.tv,2016-02-10:3600580:BlogPost:3736282016-02-10T15:17:57.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-size: 10pt;">3. CREATIVE ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">3.1 The Malaysian Experience in Developing a Creative Economy</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">He is the One GOD: the Creator; the Initiator; the Designer. To Him belong the most beautiful names.</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Glorifying Him is everything in the heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, Most…</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;" class="font-size-3">3. CREATIVE ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">3.1 The Malaysian Experience in Developing a Creative Economy</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">He is the One GOD: the Creator; the Initiator; the Designer. To Him belong the most beautiful names.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Glorifying Him is everything in the heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, Most Wise. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(Al-Quran 59:24)</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The recent historical background of the creative economy development discourse in Malaysia forms the first section of this chapter. Following this is an examination of the animation and cultural tourism sectors, specifically museums. This discussion includes examples from other Asian countries. The final section focuses on globalisation and localisation.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">For the last fifteen years, the Malaysian government has actively participated in developing their Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and media sectors, including animation, advertising and local television programs. Malaysia has moved from being a manufacturing-based economy to embracing service and ICT sectors, which have played a significant role in the economy since the 1990s. Some authors have described Malaysia’s ICT development agenda as one of the most ambitious in the world (refer Ratnathicam 2002), and recently, many government ministers have discussed developing cultural and media sectors following the models of their nearest neighbour, Singapore.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Today, the Malaysian government is giving much attention to the growth of content and technology sectors, a model that already has been implemented by Singapore. With limited natural resources, and relying on a fresh water supply from Malaysia, Singapore has managed to become a developed country through innovation and technology. The Singaporean government introduced the first creative economy policy in Asia in 2002 (Yue 2006), and has become an important hub for the world market to enter the Asian region.</span></p>
<p><br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2">3.2 Developing Malaysia’s Creative Economy</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Compared with other important traditional economic sectors in Malaysia such as agriculture, and manufacturing, the creative economy is not well understood by the government and the public. Traditionally, the country has been known as the major exporter of commodities such as palm oil, rubber and tin (Ramasamy & Yeung 2006). Apart from the manufacturing-based</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy, the second largest contribution towards Malaysia’s economy has come from the tourism industry for more than two decades. Tourism arrivals grew from 10.22-million in 2000 to 17.55-million in 2006 (Ministry of Tourism Malaysia 2010); by the year 2020, Tourism Malaysia forecasts 30-million tourists (Ng 2010, 8). The country has managed to maintain its position as one of the Top 20 most visited countries in the world for many years (WTO 2007; 2008; 2009) as shown on table 3.2.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-1">Table 3.2: The Top 10 international tourism destinations in 2009</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">Rank Country International tourist arrivals</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> 1 France 74.2 million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2 United States 54.9 million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">3 Spain 52.2 million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">4 China 50.9 million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">5 Italy 43.2 million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">6 United Kingdom 28.0 million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">7 Turkey 25.5 million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">8 Germany 24.2 million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">9 Malaysia 23.6 million<br/></span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">10 Mexico 21.5 million</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-1">(World Tourism Organisation 2010).</span></p>
<p><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Arts, culture, and tourism policies have been introduced since the late-80s by the Malaysian government (Khalifah & Tahir 1997, 177-178), and now cultural and tourism sectors are well established. In 1991, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamed, announced his government’s plan (Vision 2020) to make Malaysia a developed nation. This speech marks the starting point of ICT development in the country (Vicziany & Puteh 2004), with the establishment of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in 1996 focusing on the development of a knowledge economy (Gray, Minges & Firth 2002).</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>3.2.1 Vision 2020 and the Knowledge-based Economy</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Developing a Creative Economy through the Knowledge‐based Economy and the MSC</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The history of Malaysia’s knowledge-based economy started almost at the same time of Vision 2020. Cunningham (2002) states that a knowledge-based economy is one of the important parts in developing creative industries sector, which will then contribute to the growth of a country’s creative economy. However, only in the early-2000s, did the higher education institutions in Malaysia begin to offer programs that supported the development of a knowledge-based economy sector. The National Arts, Culture and Heritage Academy (Aswara), Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) are among the first public and private universities to offer academic programs relating to arts, creative writing, dance, design, drama and ICT programs at diploma and higher degree level. Although UM, UiTM and USM offered courses relating to arts, design and culture since 1970s and 1980s, however their approach was more inclined towards preserving cultural traditions rather than integrating culture with the knowledge based-economy. Further, investment in arts, design and culture at these universities during those days was insignificant compared to pure science and economics disciplines. The amount of research funding allocated by the Malaysian government from 1996-2000 to arts and cultural field was substantially low compared to other disciplines (Lai & Yap 2004). A dominant feature of national policy promoting this development is the government’s emphasis on information technology. Mahathir predicted that Malaysia would be "a pioneer in electronic government, a multimedia-networked paperless administration when the MSC becomes a reality by the year 2000" (The New Straits Time, 1996, 2).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Each year, the Malaysian government and private agencies have sponsored thousands of students to obtain their tertiary education abroad, particularly for undergraduate courses that provide skilled human resources. The significant development of the education sector is in line with the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) policy to make the country’s education sector competitive, and attract more international students to study in the country. According to Cunningham (2004), every economy, large or small, can enter into the knowledge-based economy because it is based on competitive advantage, rather than traditional comparative advantages. Unfortunately, knowledge-economy is narrowly defined among the key players in Malaysia in terms of science and technology (IT or ICT), with high-</span><span class="font-size-2">tech activities and e-commerce playing a leading role (Evers 2003). As a consequence of this definition, there is confusion among the public about this sector and other related components. Jarman and Chopra (2007) argue that investing in knowledge-based economy infrastructure alone will not make Malaysia competitive in high value activities such as research, design and innovation because it takes years for a knowledge-based economy to develop and mature. Malaysia has to compete with other countries with more advanced research resources, funding and facilities in their knowledge-based economies.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">For the past five years, a clearer understanding about Malaysia’s knowledge-based economy has been emerging, and a number of positive changes occurred. The new generation of Malaysian researchers have access to more facilities, funding and incentives from various government agencies (for example, MoHE and MoSTI) and private sectors. This has resulted in the significant growth of ICT and creative activities.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In 1996, the MSC mega project was announced. Influenced by the success of Silicon Valley, which is close to Stanford University in the US, the MSC covers 250 square kilometres spreading south from the Kuala Lumpur city centre to the new International Airport at Sepang. It includes Putra Jaya—the new high tech administrative capital—and IT City, an urban development of smart buildings with the latest information infrastructure. The entire area is serviced by a fibre optics network that will directly link the MSC with ASEAN, Japan, the US, and Europe. The vision is far more than a business development: the MSC is envisaged as "the leading edge of a new national strategy for Malaysia to achieve the goals described in our country's Vision 2020" (Mahathir, 1996a, paragraph 29). These goals include not just economic development but development along political, social, spiritual, psychological, and cultural dimensions. This unique vision aims for Malaysia to be unlike any of the nineteen "developed countries" (in 1996), but "a developed country in our own mould" (Mahathir 1996b, paragraph 4).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">However, the development of the MSC began before Malaysian universities offered professional training for human resources required for the development of this project. The incompatible development of the MSC and universities in Malaysia delayed the progress of ICT progress in Malaysia in comparison to the more successful developing country like India (Vicziany & Puteh 2004). India’s ICT and US’s Silicon Valley have followed a different course. The MSC in Malaysia is reported to face human resources shortages, particularly in meeting the demands of the ICT and multimedia industries (Ramasamy et al. 2004).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Silicon Valley had an influx of highly-skilled graduates (Saxenian & Hsu 2001), while in India, the IT revolution ensured new jobs are available for educated graduates (Vicziany & Puteh 2004). In Malaysia, skilled graduates were limited, and this affected the growth of the MSC project. Another reason involved a misunderstanding on the part of key players among Malaysia’s knowledge-based economy, which is narrowly defined as related to science and technology (IT or ICT), although other high-tech activities and e-commerce play leading roles (Evers 2003). The MSC development lacks entrepreneurial aspects and innovative spirit, which have been noted as the two most crucial aspects for the success of Silicon Valley (Ramasamy et al. 2004) and Hsinchu-Taipei (Saxenian & Hsu 2001). Although the Malaysian government is providing various funds and assistance for private companies to get involved in sectors related to the MSC, many companies tend to wait for the government to guide them rather than propose their own ideas. Market players need to initiate their own imaginative and innovative ideas, similar to Silicon Valley, Hsinchu-Taipei, and content industries in Japan.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In general, most Malaysian entrepreneurs in the MSC core business areas—such as software, system integration, and web design and content—still depend significantly on the government in terms of supplying funding and to implement new ideas. Ramasamy et al. (2004) have pointed out that Silicon Valley was initiated by the private sector, while the MSC is a government-mooted initiative like Singapore’s Science Park, and the Kanagawa Science Park in Japan. Hence, one of the MDeC missions is to train local companies to be independent and to foster international collaboration (3D World Magazine, 73). Policymakers in Malaysia have been supportive in providing tangible facilities for the success of the MSC project before the year 2020, although intangible ingredients such as management skills are still lacking (Jarman </span><span class="font-size-2">& Chopra 2007; Ramasamy et al. 2004). Compared to the first decade since the launch of the MSC, there are many noteworthy changes, particularly during the past five years, and specifically in the content industry. As a result, other developing countries such as Hong Kong and Thailand had used the MSC as a model to build their own similar projects.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Malaysia has less than ten years until their Vision 2020 is realised, and at the moment there is not much available data on the progress of the MSC. Although the government is promoting Cyberjaya as the MSC’s capital city, many local companies and key players are reluctant to operate their businesses from there. In comparison to cities like Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam, Cyberjaya is still not attractive enough to live in. While basic infrastructure like housing and public transportation are not complete and convenient for people to use, in the past three years there have been some improvement in these amenities.</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>3.2.2 The Content Industry in Malaysia</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Post‐independence (1957‐1980)</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">After Malaysia achieved independence, their content industry was closely influenced by other British colonies, particularly India and Hong Kong. Many Indian film makers and script writers came to Malaysia, and the influence of Indian films was significant. Many Hong Kong film producers such as Shaw Brothers and Cathay Film financed Malaysian films (Rosnan, Ismail</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">& Mohd Daud 2010). Singapore became the centre for Malaysian filmmaking. During the peak period of Malay films in the 1950s and 1960s, many major Asian awards were won by Malay films. Unfortunately, after the centre for Malaysian films was moved to Kuala Lumpur, this successful era ended. The primary reason for this demise was political—the Malaysian government began focussing attention on national unity (ibid.).</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">Transformation to Developing Country (1981‐2000)</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In 1983, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir bin Muhammad launched the “Look East” policy, which diverted attention to Japanese and South Korean systems, and became Malaysia’s new model in developing its economy. More networking and technology exchanges with Japan and South Korea took place, and in 1985, Malaysia produced its first car, the Proton Saga, based on Japanese technology from Mitsubishi. During this era, Mahathir wanted to expose Malaysian people to the idea that western civilisation is not the only advanced community in the world. Asian countries like Japan and South Korea are also at par with the west in terms of their economic development. His intention was to encourage Malaysians to trust and use their local products.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">Modern Malaysia (2000 until the present)</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Currently, Malaysia is seeking to enhance economic, technological, cultural, and scientific creativity. The government announced 2010 as the “Year of Creativity and Innovation”, acknowledging that innovation creates jobs and boosts national competitiveness (New Straits Times 2009). Recently, the MICC minister, Dato’ Seri Rais Yatim (Utusan Malaysia 2010) announced that the policy on creative economy would be presented in March 2011. This represents move by the Malaysian government to provide a clearer set of guidelines to key players.</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> The current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak constantly mentions technology, creativity, and innovation in his speeches whether when he is addressing issues of culture, education, health, religion, and tourism. In his speech during the launch of 1Malaysia Chinese Association (MCA) Medical Foundation, Dato’ Seri Najib urges Malaysians to be creative and innovative in helping others who are in need of financial assistance for their basic healthcare needs. The responsibility should not be left to the government alone in servicing healthcare needs (Mysinchew 2010). In addition, the top management of many private organisations have stressed the importance of culture, tourism and creative industries in their speeches and planning. Conglomerates such as Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), YTL Corporation, and the AM Bank have been working closely with the government in boosting infrastructure to an international standard. These private companies play an active role in developing ICT infrastructures, and funding R&D activities in creative sectors to generate better facilities in the country. The government is committed to give support and funding for development around the MSC (Vicziany & Puteh 2004).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The Malaysian government and private organisations have been working together to create awareness through conferences, dialogues, seminars, talks and workshops. In 2009, the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Culture (MICC) organised a conference in Kuala Lumpur. With the title Creative Industry: A New Dimension of Economic Growth, the conference aimed “to gather all media players and related industries from local and abroad to share their knowledge and exchange of ideas to formulate a framework for the development of creative industries in Malaysia” (MICC 2009). These academic events can assist policymakers and key players. The importance of the creative economy is acknowledged; support is provided financially and by the development of new policies (refer MSC 2009; New Straits Times 2009; Utusan Malaysia 2010). Meanwhile R&D on cultural tourism and creative industries is low and funding for ventures is difficult to obtain in comparison to funding available for R&D by pure sciences and economics disciplines (Lai & Yap 2004). The social science sectors have not received enough endorsement from the government and private agencies in Malaysia.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In her column in The Star, B.K. Sindhu (2009) claims that the Malaysian government has bureaucratic ways of dealing with creative talent, and argues that the country often loses talent to other countries, particularly to their close neighbour, Singapore. As Richard Florida (2005) notes, however, this is a global phenomenon; Malaysia is not isolated. Sometimes when a country has many expatriates working abroad it could be an advantage for the country. Losing people overseas does not mean that they will not return or contribute the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">expertise gained to their home country. For example, expatriate Chinese, Indians and</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Taiwanese (Saxenian & Hsu 2001) are known to contribute significantly to their homeland country.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">To speed up their creative economy development Malaysian government has introduced policies on Intellectual Property (IP), Information and Technology (IT), media, and Research & Development (R&D). These policies--including The Patents Act 1983; The Copyright Act 1987; The Industrial Designs Act 1996; The Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits Act 2000; The Optical Discs Act 2000; and The Communications and Multimedia Act 1998—have been formulated to boost and support the expansion of ICT activities in Malaysia (refer MSC 2009). Recently, Malaysia has become a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) (MSC 2009), and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoSTI) and MoHE are among the two active government ministries—in 2007, MoHE the development of four new public research universities. Together with other organisations such as MoSTI, MoHE fully support the development of R&D and IPs among these institutions. MoHE also promised to give more authority to these four universities to make their own decisions on future planning and direction. This act is in line with the MSC milestone and target outlined in table 3.2.2.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-1"><strong>Table 3.2.2: MSC Milestone and Targets</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>Phase I (1996-2003) Phase II (2004-2010) Phase III (2011-2020)</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> • 1 Corridor</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• 50 world class companies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Launch 7 flagship applications</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• World-leading framework of cyber laws</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Cyberjaya as world leading intelligent city • Web of corridors</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• 250 world-class companies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Set global standard in flagships applications</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Harmonized global framework of cyber laws</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• 4-5 intelligent cities linked to other global cyber-cities • All of Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• 500 world-class companies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• Global test-bed for new multimedia applications</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• International CyberCourt of Justice in the MSC</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">• 12 intelligent cities linked to the global information highway</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <span class="font-size-1">(MSC 2010)</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Bunnell and Coe (2005) have noted that the development of MSC project is intended to ‘upgrade’ Malaysian citizens and continually re(educate) them through local and electronically- mediated interaction with ‘intelligent’ others; ‘smart families’ and Smart Schools plan promote active use of leisure time. However, the zone separation around the MSC area may create a highly socially and spatially differentiated national territory of government (Ong 2004, p 47). Beside the MSC model is adapted from Western ideas with local modification its feasibility is still a major question. As this table shows, not all MSC milestone and targets have been</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">accomplished, partly due to the global economic recession of 2008 when the government had to reduce the budget for the megaproject.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Vicziany and Puteh (2004) argue that Malaysia has lost about a decade in establishing the kind of policies that support the development of the kind of knowledge based-economy that has been identified as the primary factor for the growth of ICT sectors in developed countries. Although the Malaysian media is heavily controlled by government (see Zaharom & Kim 1998), the launching of the MSC project saw a significant number of independent online media start-ups.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2"><br/> 3.2.3 The Animation Sector in Malaysia</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Animation in Malaysia started in 1946, when simple animation for documentaries and public service filmlets were produced by the Malayan Film Unit (now National Film), which was founded by Australian war photographer, Gillie Potter. The first Malaysian short animated film Hikayat Sang Kancil (A Mousedeer Tale) was produced by the unit in late-70s (Muthalib 2007). Malaysia’s first Malay cartoon and humour magazine Gila-Gila (Mad) appeared in 1978 (Anour 2009). The sector started to show substantial growth when Mahathir became the Prime Minister in 1981. However, only in 1995 after the government’s initiative to develop ICT sectors, did the animation sector become commercialised (Muthalib 2007). Almost at the same time, Gila-Gila attained the number one spot with the largest local magazine circulation in the country (Provencher 2001, 187). After the success of Gila-Gila, more local cartoon publications--including Gelihati (1978), Batu Api (1985), and Ujang (1993)—began to emerge. The cartoon sector in Malaysia reached its highest point, and cartoonists were well-paid and treated like celebrities. In 1994, the most prominent Malaysian cartoonist turned to animation; Mohammad Nor Khalid—famously known as Lat—was awarded the noble title of “Dato” by the Sultan of Perak, in recognition of his contribution to the national cultural heritage with his popular cartoon book, Lat: The Kampung Boy (refer to Appendix 1).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Private companies began to produce animated television series, and some used the popular cartoon publications as inspiration for their television characters—the first television animated series called Usop Santorian was aired in 1995 using computer technology, (one of the earliest to use computer in Malaysia) (Mahamood 2001, 140). These companies also started to produce animation for the Malaysian government television channel RTM 1, which agreed only to broadcast Malaysian animation, and paid the producers handsomely (US$10,000 per episode) (Muthalib 2007). Unfortunately, their payment could take months to settle, causing</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation producers to face financial problems and close operations after two to three years. Consequently, many animators and creative workers began working in unrelated sectors.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The animation sector reached its lowest point when Mahathir stepped down as Malaysia’s Prime Minister. The newly-elected Abdullah Badawi concentrated on traditional sectors like agriculture and building a modern Islamic image (“Islam Hadari”) for the country. During this time he pushed the idea of marketing Malaysia as an international “halal hub” for the Muslim market (Kamin, Lohan & Chandran 2008). However, since half of Abdullah Badawi’s term as prime minister was dealing with economic recession, his focus was more on the survival of the country. The development of the MSC gradually slowed until the current Prime Minister, Najib Abd Razak took his post in 2009. Not only did the animation sector then become stronger, but other local content, including advertising, electronic media and print, film, and television series, grew significantly. Unfortunately, local television channels were cautious with local animation, and preferred to buy foreign products. As a result, statistics by the National Film Development Committee (FINAS) show the total number of imported films from 2004 to 2010 (table 3.2.3a) is significantly higher compared to locally produced films (table 3.2.3b) in Malaysia.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-2">Despite this, locally-produced advertisements, drama, films and other local television programmes increased substantially after 2008 (refer Appendix 2). In 2010, the Malaysian local reality television show, Imam Muda, produced by Astro Oasis, attracted international attention for its unique content. Contestants recited verses from Quran, washed corpses, slaughtered sheep according to Muslim rules, and discouraged youngsters from engaging sex before marriage and taking drugs (AFP 2010).The show was looking for young Muslim leaders.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Animated films were less active than television programmes. In 1990, ZHA Film Production made Mat Gelap, the first film to combine animation and live acting. In 1998, the first fully animated Malaysian film was produced. The failure of Silat Lagenda was due partly to the economic recession, and also because of a lack of interest among local audiences, who criticised the production for its poor quality compared to other international products, without considering other aspects like much cheaper production costs and animators who never had formal training in animation (Muthalib 2007). At least two more animated films were produced without much success. In addition, feature films in Malaysia did not receive good response from the public. Unlike Indian viewers who according to Barrowclough & Kozu-Wright (2008, </span><span class="font-size-2">30) appreciate their own films, Malaysian audiences are claimed to be unsupportive. The small market size of an adult audience group for local animation market in Malaysia could have contributed to this failure (Muthalib 2007).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">However, one company managed to prove that local animated films can attract local audiences. Les’Copaque Production (LCP)’s first 3D animation film, Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula (Gang: The Adventure Begins) opened in 2009 and managed to collect more than</span> <span class="font-size-2">RM6.3-million dollars in Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore. Earlier, LCP produced the hit television series, Upin & Ipin (2008). Although the first 3D effort by a Malaysian company was reportedly produced by Young Jump Animation—Nien Resurrection (2000)—the film was released in video compact disc (VCD) format, and marketed as “Made in Japan and Hong Kong” (Muthalib 2007). Today, LCP television series and merchandising products have managed to penetrate Asian market. Their formula, featuring Malaysian multi-ethnic and religion themes and discourses in their animation products, has gained attention from the regional market for its unique approach, and differences from other products.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">3.2.4 Cultural tourism sector</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">UNCTAD (2008, 117) states that arts and crafts are the only creative industry where developing countries have a leading position in a global market where the key developing countries are China, SAR Hong Kong, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Thailand, Republic of Korea and Malaysia. Their cultural tourism products—including the arts, handicrafts, heritage sites, and traditional music—have significant potential. In 2004, the whole of the Asian region received 153-million international tourist arrivals, the second highest after Europe. Cultural tourism activities are identified to be among the top three reasons for tourists to visit Asia (Khalifah & Tahir 1997, 186; UNCTAD 2008, 23). Many popular cultural tourism sites in Asian nations have been announced as world heritage sites by UNESCO. The region has rich cultural resources, and many are not well-developed because of financial constraint and lack of modern technology. With the rapid evolution of ICT, more cultural tourism producers are implementing technology to keep their products and services competitive and sustainable in the market. This has created a significantly close relationship exist between ICT sectors and cultural tourism.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">China, for example, is among the developing nations that put much effort in developing their cultural tourism sector with the combination of modern elements. Malaysia is also one of the important countries in Asia with many cultural tourism resources and two UNESCO world heritage sites—Malacca and George Town—that provide knowledge and experience to the visitors, and contribute to the socio-economic stability of the region. The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) (2004) identified Malaysia as one of the most popular destinations in Asia for international tourists, and in Southeast Asia, Malaysia captured approximately eleven per cent of international tourist arrivals (WTO 2006). Cultural tourism products are identified as one of the major resources for Malaysia (Khalifah & Tahir 1997, 178), and are constantly used to market the country in all sectors. In addition, the government has been marketing Malaysia</span> <span class="font-size-2">as a modern Muslim country since the 1990s (Westhueizen 2004), including in content and tourism industries (Khalid 2009; Westhueizen 2004).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Despite this, Mohamed (2006) notes that some heritage buildings and sites are not fully utilised, and reveals that in 1996, there were 30,000 heritage buildings located in 162 Malaysian cities. Most of these buildings are located in historic cities such as George Town, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Malacca, and Taiping. Unfortunately, not all of these buildings are well-maintained as a result of policy problems and duplication of government roles and functions. The Ministry of Tourism (MoTour) is responsible for marketing and promoting Malaysia as a tourism destination domestically and internationally since 2004. In addition, the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage (later known as MICC in 2009) is one among several that oversees the Malaysian cultural sector.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The separation of the cultural sector from MoTour means that the ministry has lost control over this sector. As a result, many cultural producers in Malaysia are unfamiliar with their real markets, although the majority are still operating for the purposes of tourism. Occasionally, the overlapping functions between these two ministries complicate matters. As Pandiyan (2009) argues, many government departments are run under fragmented and tiered structures, resulting in much duplication or contradiction of duties. He continues, highlighting that Malaysian civil servants are known for their ineffective delivery of public service. Also, MICC has many responsibilities in other many subsectors including information and communication. Nonetheless, this problem is not unique to Malaysia; other developing countries, such as China, Indonesia, and India, also face similar challenges (UNCTAD 2008, 44).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">With rapid global development of technology, more cultural producers and operators are embracing new technology in their products and services to remain competitive. This worldwide trend is being embraced slowly by Malaysia’s cultural producers. The adaptation of these cultural products and services by Singapore cultural producers since the early twenty- first century has brought success in the world market (Yue 2006).</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">The Museum Sector – Past and Present</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Museums play an important role in maintaining historical artifacts and collections. According to ICOM (2010), the museum is a bridge for the past and future. The evolution of ICT has shifted the role of traditional museums to become more multipurpose in offering tangible and intangible products and services to their visitors or guests. Traditionally, museums have offered a space to collect and display material treasures of the past. Now, modern museums are adopting an approach of engagement. The museum sector presently is a vast field that </span><span class="font-size-2">involves a diffusion of different knowledge platforms interacting with one another to develop </span><span class="font-size-2">and establish resource and learning centres that focus on national heritage. With the </span><span class="font-size-2">endorsement from UNESCO in 1974, ICOM acknowledged the changes on the role of </span><span class="font-size-2">museums, and revised the definition of a museum as “a non-profit making, permanent </span><span class="font-size-2">institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which </span><span class="font-size-2">acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits for purposes of study, education </span><span class="font-size-2">and enjoyment material evidence of humankind and its environment”. However, this revised </span><span class="font-size-2">role means that operating costs for modern museums are increasing, and require the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museums to find further forms of funding. This is when creative elements play a significant</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">role in museum management. As a result, more museums are introducing other services like</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">souvenir shops, book stores and cafes to generate side income (Gilmore & Rentschler 2002).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Gilmore and Rentschler (2002) note that contemporary museums offer a variety of products</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and services not only to maintain their competitiveness, but also to generate income. Further,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with significant budget cuts, the management of museums have to locate alternative,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">supplemental funding, particularly in developed countries like Canada, the US, and UK</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Goulding 2000). However, in certain countries such as Australia and Malaysia, the museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sector is comprised of public, non-profit entities. Some of these public museums may charge</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">minimal entrance fees for visitors, or to enter specific exhibition spaces, but not with the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">intention to make profit (Zan 2000). Since museums in general are still regarded for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">safeguarding invaluable, irreplaceable national treasures, the public may not welcome</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">admission fees, particularly when the collections or exhibits are not of a high standard. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">existence of museums is void without their collections (ICOM 2010). A reputation of a museum</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">depends largely on its vital collection and methods use to disseminate them through exhibition</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">techniques, interpretation programs, marketing and publication on various mediums (Stephen</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2001). Collections provide identity and enhanced popularity to the museums, but other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">modern elements such as architecture, conservation methods, and technology contribute</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significantly in attracting visitors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Museums are also centers of informal learning. Resources and museum objects educate and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">enlighten the human spirit through various genres of museums that include history, art,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">science or natural history (Goulding 2000). The existence of museums feed public appetites</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">for education, conservation, and preservation of history, culture and natural history, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism. Today, museum management offers significant challenges. Stephen (2001) argues</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that certain ethics and policies regarding museum functions such as acquisition, research,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">concepts, and education and enrichment should be drafted and become core aims for </span><span class="font-size-2">museum professionals. Nonetheless, outside of academic circles, there is little research that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">accounts for the actions and voices of the actual visitors to museums. What museum curators</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and related official bodies are good at is collecting numbers (Goulding 2000).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> However, much museum research has been criticised for its lack of any attempt to integrate</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their data into a coherent framework (Moscardo 1996; Stephen 2001), and for failing to use</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the results to advance an overall understanding of the nature of each visit (Merriman 1989;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Stevens 1989; Stapp 1990). Visitors bring a multiplicity of interpretations to the reading of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">displays, and the fact that artefacts may be subject to multiple interpretation has important</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">implications for the way museums regard and present themselves (Smith 1989, 1; Urry 1990;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Squire 1994). Much work on museums as service providers has tended to concentrate</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">predominantly on museums as institutions of culture that are primarily ideological in what they</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">choose to present (Simpson 1993; Byrne 1991; Thomas 1991; Jenkins 1991). Also, much</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">museum research is concentrated in developed countries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>3.2.5 The relationship between cultural tourism and creative industries</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Among the key issues this research wishes to highlight is the claim of overlap between the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism and creative industries on cultural products. Literature about culture (Scott 1997),</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism (Seaton 1996, 25) and creative class (Florida 2005) shows close link between culture,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tourism and creative industries. WTO (2004) reported that cultural tourism is one of the top</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">three reasons people travel domestically or internationally. As a result, many countries are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">actively promoting cultural tourism to local and international tourists (Smith 2007, 2).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> The changing role of museums requires management to become imaginative when </span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">formulating the products and services offered to visitors. For example, programs like</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sleepover @ Museum add a new experience to products. UNCTAD (2008, 23) has pointed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">out that contemporary consumers use the Internet, mobile telephony, and digital media as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their information media. This not only expands their range of cultural experiences, but also</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">transforms them from passive recipients of cultural messages into active co-creators of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural content. Hence, the dependency of the museum sector on ICT and creative activities</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is becoming vital in attracting more visitors or tourists, particularly the younger market. With</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that realisation, the term, creative tourism, has been introduced recently to highlight the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mixture of tourism products and services, and creative elements.</span></p>SITI SURIAWATI ISA:THE CREATIVE ECONOMY IN MALAYSIA (4)tag:iconada.tv,2016-02-10:3600580:BlogPost:3735432016-02-10T01:00:14.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2"><strong>Creative Tourism</strong></span><br></br> <br></br> <span class="font-size-2">The term creative tourism is an extension of cultural tourism. Richards and Raymond (2000)</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">are among the first authors to use this term, and argue that consumers are increasingly</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">looking for more engaging, interactive experiences that can help them in their personal</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">development…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><strong>Creative Tourism</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">The term creative tourism is an extension of cultural tourism. Richards and Raymond (2000)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are among the first authors to use this term, and argue that consumers are increasingly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">looking for more engaging, interactive experiences that can help them in their personal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development and identity creation. Modern consumers are more exposed, educated, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sophisticated, and always searching for new experiences. In order to remain competitive and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sustainable, the stakeholders of site need to be creative and innovative in developing and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">promoting their cultural tourism products. This innovation can attract tourists and investors. By</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">recognising their resources and the network systems around them, stakeholders can identify</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the strengths and weaknesses of their resources, and specifically assist policymakers in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing good and effective policies for new sectors.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Few authors discuss about the relationship between culture, tourism and creative industries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(exceptions include Richards & Wilson 2006; Roodhouse 2006; Smith 2007). Richards and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Wilson (2006) note the close connection between the three sectors, and their co-existence in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the past, present and in the future. Cultural tourism is a significant factor in attracting tourists</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to a destination, and requires creativity and technology in order to ensure competitiveness</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with other tourism products. The intangible nature of some tourism products means that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">producers have to use their imagination and ICT to make their products become more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tangible. Creative tourism possesses the right characteristics to meet the requirements of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">demanding tourists. However, the concept of creative tourism is not widely used in academic</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">research work or in the tourism industry. A thorough investigation is needed to examine into</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">details of the relationship between the creative and tourism industries, particularly to refine the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">concept and framework so that a strong theory can be built. The usage of creative in the term</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">will be challenged by many, and the promotion of culture as a commodity in the tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industry has already created heated debate in the literature. This research will not engage in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">deeper discussion about creative tourism, other than to recognise that tourism researchers are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing this term further.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><strong>3.2.6 Cultural protection</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Initially, many leaders in developing countries had seen western culture as the only way for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their countries to move forward. Mahbubani (2008, 127) points out that Kemal Ataturk—who</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ruled Turkey from 1923 to 1938—believed Turkey should join the western world by adopting</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">western values. Ataturk expressed this in symbolic terms by calling fellow Turks to abandon</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">specifically Muslim head-gear. To date, however, Turkish westernisation policies have failed to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bring any positive transformation. Turkey is still a developing country, although relatively</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">westernised (Mahbubani 2008, 154), and the country’s long battle since 1959 to join European</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Union (EU) is still in process (Arikan 2006, 1). Later generations of Asian leaders, however, do</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not share Ataturk’s enthusiasm. Ghandi (India), Sukarno (Indonesia), Mahathir Mohammed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Malaysia), and Lee Kuan Yew (Singapore) have been sceptical of western culture. They have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">been inclined to protect culture values, but at the same time acknowledge the importance of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">western economic advancement and technology.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Contemporary Asian leaders had been vocal about cultural protection for their countries. In</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">addition, Mahathir’s constant criticism towards western policies saw western leaders label him</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as “anti-western”. The Look East Policy launched in Malaysia encouraged the public and the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">region not to idealise the west. As a consequence of postcolonialism and globalisation, these</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kinds of Asian ideologies began to dominate public attitudes in the late-1980s (Yue 2006).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although Asian countries like Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan have reached the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">status of developed countries, their governments remain protective of their culture. In</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">recognition of this, the Malaysian government has focussed on protecting the country’s unique</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture, multi-ethnic identities, and religion, making Malaysia one of the first countries in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">world to proactively promote this image.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">A Multicultural Country</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country, with a culture that has distinctive features; successive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">governments since the 1950s have promoted the calm nature of their mixed cultures and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">religions. The three major ethnics include the Malays, Chinese and Indians who shape the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country’s culture, while other smaller minorities such as the Thais and “Baba Nyonya”</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Chinese mixed with Malay community) maintain a notable influence. Malay is the national</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">language, while other minorities are free to speak their own languages. Malaysia is a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">moderate Muslim country, where Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Taoism also are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">practiced openly. The Malays opened the country to outside influences from the eighth to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">fourteenth centuries, and during British colonisation in the eighteenth-century invited Chinese</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">workers to mine tin, and Indians to work on rubber plantations. Since then, Malaysians have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">learned to live with a multitude of differences and similarities.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Before independence from Britain rule, a lack of socialising and communication existed among</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ethnic races. These groups read Chinese and Indian publications, spoke their mother tongues,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and established their own schools, which followed curriculums from their homelands (Fenton</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2003). Few could speak Malay, and in 1969, Malaysia experienced the most extreme racial</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tension in its history, when two Chinese extremist political parties mocked the Malays (The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">National Operations Council, 1969, 28-29), and supported Lee Kuan Yuew (when Singapore</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">was under Malaysian rule) with the slogan “Malaysian Malaysia”. This activism began in Kuala</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Lumpur and spread throughout Malaysia.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">In the wake of these activities, the Malaysian government took careful measures to make sure</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the same incident didn’t happen again. Public discussion of sensitive issues relating to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ethnicity and religions are prohibited, which has sparked much criticism from western</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">politicians. While the growth of ICT has meant that these issues are discussed freely on the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Internet, the government is trying to impose some control. After centuries of living together, all</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ethnicities in Malaysia embrace each other’s cultural traditions.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Therefore, animation and cultural tourism institutions like museums incorporate the multiethnic</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and religion culture of Malaysia, creating different experiences for audience or visitors. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">advantage has been promoted extensively by the government locally and internationally,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">however, these institutions have to compete with a rapidly growing global culture.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><strong>3.2.7 Global Versus Local Culture</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pietersen (2009) argues that the challenges of cultural globalisation first became apparent</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">around 1980. The phenomenon can be categorised into several phases: print, radio, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">television, followed by film, and now, the Internet. Today, the Internet has become one of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">most powerful mediums in the world, where news can be gathered and disseminated within</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">seconds. This has created a virtual culture among Internet users or communities that extends</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">across the world. Hence, this may create cultural clash between the new community formed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">by the Internet itself and the other existing communities bound by locality and cultural tradition</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Hongladarom 1999). On one hand, there can be distinct culture differences between some</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries, while countries within the same region might share cultural similarities. In addition,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural differences even occur within the same country in terms of the accent, costume, food</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and lifestyle.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Cultural globalisation covers a wide scope, including cross-cultural encounters, cuisine,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">fashion, global-local relations, language, lifestyles, migration, marketing, media, film, music,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology. Knox (1996, 124) defined globalisation as “a globalised infrastructure of unitary</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">nation states, together with international agencies and institutions, global forms of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">communications, a standardised system of global time, international competitions and prizes,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and shared notions of citizenship and human rights”. In addition, many definitions of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">globalisation relate to economics, culture, human rights, politics, and neoliberalism (refer to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kong 1999; Pietersen 2009, vii; Robertson 1992). As Pietersen (2009, 8) notes, there is more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">controversy than consensus surrounding the meaning of globalisation. The areas of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">consensus on this topic are narrow in comparison to the controversies as described in Table</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">3.2.7 by Pietersen (ibid.). For this section, the discussion on global culture will focus on those</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that relate to the topic of this research, specifically the cultural tourism and animation sectors.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><strong>Table 3.2.7: Consensus and Controversy Relating to Globalisation</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><strong>Consensus – Globalisation:</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> Is being shaped by technological change</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> Involves the reconfiguration of states</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> Goes together with regionalisation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> Is uneven</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><strong>Controversy</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> What is globalisation?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> Is globalisation a recent or a long-term process?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> Is globalisation essentially economic or multidimensional?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> Does globalisation exist or is it rhetoric “globaloney”?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> Is globalisation is neoliberalism or capitalism?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2"> Is globalisation manageable?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pietersen (2009, 8)</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">In a modern world, cultural globalisation once related substantially to western culture,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly from the US, and known as Americanisation. With the majority of information</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sources and media dominated by western countries, this kind of globalisation is almost</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">impossible to stop, and is influenced primarily by the western ideals of liberalism,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">individualism, respect for human rights, and democracy (Hongladarom 1999). This “global</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture” is supposed to help create a more peaceful world. However, there is also a fear of a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">specific effect of cultural globalisation—the “airport culture”, where the rich diversity of human</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">civilisation will be homogenised and vulgarised. This fear has been vocalised in the rhetoric of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">“Asian values”, which recently has attained a certain political significance, particularly in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">expression of various Islamic resurgence movements, and even in some European regions</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">like Austria (Osman 1998, 174; O’Meara, Mehlinger & Krain 2000).</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although American culture still influences global culture, there are many other key players.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">“Asian styles” are popular: the world entertainment industry has experienced Bollywood,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Japanese “cool”, and the Korean waves. Japanese manga and anime, and Bollywood dancing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">45</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">have been embraced around the world. According to McGray (2002), Japan has become the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">new world superpower since the 1980s, and today their influence is growing stronger. From</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pop music and consumer electronics, architecture and fashion, to food and art, Japanese</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture has a growing cultural reach. The successful Japanese strategies of adopting the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">western culture but also preserving their own culture have encouraged other non western</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries follow their lead. As the twentieth-century unfolds, it is becoming apparent that the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Americanisation influence is losing its recognition as the only culture accepted in the world, to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">a mixed culture between the East and the West. The evolution of global ICT sectors means</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that global culture has spread at an increasing rate. At first, many Asian governments—</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">including China, India, Malaysia and Singapore—attempted to stop or slow the spread of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">global culture, but they eventually realised such a goal was unachievable. Consequently,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">these countries adopted a different approach, blending the global and local cultures.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><strong>Local culture</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Local culture refers to authentic or traditional values and practises that accumulate within the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">majority of a community (Hongladarom 1999). Normally, local cultures are shared among the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other neighbouring countries in the same region, such as Australia and New Zealand, the US</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and Canada, and Malaysia and Indonesia. According to Cohen (1988) local culture generally</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">serves as the principal example of such commoditisation, in particular “colourful” local</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">costumes and customs, rituals and feasts, and folk and ethnic arts become touristic services</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">or commodities, as they come to be performed or produced for touristic consumption.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Greenwood (1977, 131) argues tourism activities will direct areas in the life of a community</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that prior to its penetration by tourism have been within the domain of economic relations, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">regulated to commoditisation by the criteria of market exchange. Commoditisation allegedly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">will change the meaning of cultural products and of human relations, making them eventually</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">meaningless. However, Cancilini (1992, 31) and Murphy (2003) argue that it is necessary to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">add modern elements to cultural products for their survival. Furthermore, local culture does</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not belong exclusively to one community, particularly as migration has become a common</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">factor in human life. All cultures to some extent share similarities and differences.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Normally, before any culture can be accepted on a global scale, it must be accepted and have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">a substantial impact within its own country. Both Japanese animation and manga, and Indian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">films and songs had a significant impact on their local audiences before they became popular</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with international audiences. This also is due to the significant number of their immigrant</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">groups located all over the world, particularly in the US and UK. These immigrants (either</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">permanent or temporary) directly or indirectly introduced their culture in their adopted</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries. Therefore, if we travel to cities like Dubai, Japan, London, Paris, New York and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sydney, there are many Japanese and Indian restaurants in those cities. These two countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">managed to export their local culture to the global market, and it has become a common</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">characteristic for larger cities either Japanese or Indian restaurants. At times, when a local</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture wants to gain better acceptance from the larger global market, they tend to marry their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">local culture with global culture. The subsequent result is the term, glocal, which is adopted in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">order for a product to develop further in the world market.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><strong>Glocal Culture</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">The hybridisation of global and local into the term, glocal was coined by Roland Robertson in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1995. The term became popular in the early 2000s and has been accepted by academics and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">politicians as a description of the combination of global and local culture (Giulianotti &</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Robertson 2007). Apart from glocal, other words to describe the mixture of global and local</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture include cultural adaptation, transfer, exchange, accommodation and multicultural.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Almost all countries are adopting glocal culture in order for their products to become more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">appealing in the global market. This contemporary characteristic has much to do with the rapid</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development of ICT. Japan, India and South Korea have been successful in marrying their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">local and global culture in the entertainment products that they market to wider audiences,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">although generally their local culture is more prominent than the global culture. As a result,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">local actors, actresses and musicians are also embraced by the international market. This has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">contributed significantly to their content industry sectors.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><strong>3.3 Conclusion: Positioning Malaysia in Creative Economy</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">While Malaysia has significant potential for developing their creative economy through the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">enhancement of their cultural strength, this potential has only been recognised in the last five</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">years. The government and private agencies are working together to speed up development</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">relating to ICT sectors and creativity (Vicziany & Puteh 2004). Together with other related</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policies and continuous support from all organisations, the future of Malaysia’s creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy is significantly bright (UNCTAD 2008). Currently, steps are being taken by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian government to amend the Patents Act 1983, so that the country can join the Patent</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cooperation Treaty (PCT) administered by WIPO. This amendment will allow greater flexibility</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and efficiency for an applicant seeking patent protection in a number of jurisdictions,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">compared to the existing framework (MICC 2009). Also, the government is in the process of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">drafting legislation on Personal Data Protection, and considering an Electronic Transactions</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Act, and an Electronic Government Activities Act to regulate the collection, possession,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">processing and use of personal data according to certain prescribed principles.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Normally, the major challenge for Malaysia to monitor and maintain has been the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">implementation and enforcement processes—weaknesses that have been the subject of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">constant debate among the public and the government. To solve the problem, and to take into</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">account the rapid growth of ICT, the government had implemented ICT in their everyday</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">operation and encourages the public to interact with them directly through this medium. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Internet and other media channels are the new methods for the government and public to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">communicate in the country. For example, the majority of the cabinet ministers have their own</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Facebook account and personal email to allow communication with the public. However, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">effectiveness of these processes has not been determined, because only half of the Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">population own a personal computer, and the Internet connection in some regions is unstable.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In positioning herself as a creative economy, Malaysia is using resources such as multi-ethnic</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and religious cultures, political stability, cheap human capital and safety. These are among the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">significant advantages for Malaysia compared to other countries. By doing this, the country is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">offering something unique to the market that will be distinctive from other products, building a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">strong image to remain competitive, and providing memorable experiences to their customers.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Multi-ethnic and religious cultures have long been part of Malaysia’s local identity, particularly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in the tourism industry. Now the creative economy sector is using these elements to introduce</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia in the global market.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">This country has substantial potential to become one of the powerful countries in the global</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative economy. However, Malaysia is expected to encounter many obstacles and fierce</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">competition, particularly from neighbours such as Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam, which</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are already established in creative sectors. The progress of the creative economy in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">currently is in a slow phase compared to other matured sectors like manufacturing and tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industry. This research has found that many of the policies relating to creative economy have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">been formulated by Malaysian government (refer to MSC website). However, their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">implementation and enforcement are not efficiently applied within the various bureaucracies.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Also, the wider public in Malaysia are still not familiar with the concept of creative economy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">since it is using a top-down approach. Only limited numbers of people—specifically policy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">makers and those directly involved in creative activities—recognise the term, which implies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that not enough information about these policies have been disseminated to the public.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">While the creative economy is producing new opportunities for both developed and developing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries, future challenges should not be underestimated (UNCTAD 2008, iv). This new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">concept needs further investigation, particularly on the key issues surrounding the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development of creative economies in developing nations. Finally, it is important to address</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the lack of a strong theory and models to support the concept of a creative economy,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">especially in the context of developing nations.</span></p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (5.3)tag:iconada.tv,2016-02-08:3600580:BlogPost:3735052016-02-08T10:45:55.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">5.4 RQ2: What is the development path for Malaysian creative economy enterprises?</span></strong><br></br> <br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Animation History in Malaysia</span><br></br> <br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Animation started in Malaysia mainly for documentaries and public service filmlets by the</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Malayan Film Unit. However, the significant impact of the first cartoon Malay magazine, Gilagila…</span><br></br></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">5.4 RQ2: What is the development path for Malaysian creative economy enterprises?</span></strong><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Animation History in Malaysia</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Animation started in Malaysia mainly for documentaries and public service filmlets by the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malayan Film Unit. However, the significant impact of the first cartoon Malay magazine, Gilagila</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">made the local market realise the potential of a cartoon sector in the country. The early</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development of Malaysian cartoon and animation products were inspired mostly by western</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">influence. For example, Gila-gila copied the concepts of Mad and Crazy magazines, before</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">they gained their own identities that reflected local culture. The earliest local animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products (Kluang Man, Silat Lagenda and Yokies) have some influences from the west and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Japan (Sang Wira) (Mahamood 2001, 142-143). Nonetheless, Malaysian culture was still the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">primary element adopted by these early local products. Since then, animated products for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">local television and film have grown to embrace Malaysian culture. The future direction of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">76</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian animated products is to have significant global features with local culture influence</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(3D World Magazine 2010).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">With government support and encouragement, more private companies started to enter the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation market in the mid-1990s. The Malaysian government has always been at the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">forefront in developing and promoting local animated cartoons by providing moral, material</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and financial support. Malaysian culture has been one of the most important aspects that the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government stressed upon in local animation products. This is based on their realisation that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">foreign cartoons—especially from the west—are not suitable for local viewers, for they show</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">negative values that do not conform to the local culture (Mahamood 2001, 135). Hence, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animated television series such as, Anak-anak Sidek, Kacang, Lat the Kampong Boy, Tuah,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Upin & Ipin, and Usop Santorian feature Malaysian culture. However, these series did not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">have such a substantial impact as LCP’s Upin and Ipin. Also, these television series were only</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">popular among a small group of Malaysian viewers, except for Lat the Kampong Boy, which</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">managed to break through outside the Malaysian market. This success came because the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">television series was co-produced with international companies from the Philippines, the US</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and the UK. The series is adapted from the cartoon book by Lat, who is famous locally and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">internationally. Unfortunately, not all Malaysians were able to watch Lat the Kampong Boy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">because it was aired on a pre-paid television channel. Further, none of these television series</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">were turned into films (unlike LCP’s treatment of Upin dan Ipin), and after one to two years</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">they stopped their production due to internal problems and lack of response from the audience</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Filemkita.com 2010).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Data gathered from the Filemkita.com website (2010), reveals that in 1998 the first animated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">film was produced in Malaysia. Silat Lagenda—adapted from the Malay legend of Hang Tuah</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and his four friends who lived in fifteenth-century Malacca—had a total production cost of RM</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">6 million. Unfortunately, the audience response was not favourable, and the box office takings</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">amounted to less than RM 150,000.00. In 2001, a second animated film, Cheritera was</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produced by Matahari Animation and Production Sdn Bhd, and their Indonesian partner Red</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Rocket Animation. Once again this film did not manage to attract significant Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">audiences. The box office takings amounted to less than RM 3,000.00. Not long after that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">another animation film was produced and managed to collect almost RM 400,000.00. Putih</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">adapted the classic Malay folk-tale, Bawang Putih Bawang Merah, a Malay version of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cinderella. The film did not use computer animation, instead using traditional drawing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation methods. Table 5.4 shows more details about Malaysian animated films.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">77</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Table 5.4: RQ3 - Animated films produced in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Title and Year Producer Total</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cost (RM)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Story line</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Silat Lagenda</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(1998)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Peninsula Pictures Sdn</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Bhd</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">RM 6</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malay self-defence called</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Silat performed by five</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">youngsters</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cheritera (2001) Matahari Animation and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Production Sdn Bhd, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Red Rocket Animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Indonesian)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Not stated Penan Kid (native ethnic in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sarawak)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Putih (2001) Eurofine Production Sdn</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Bhd</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">RM 1.1 Malay story version of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cinderella</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Geng:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pengembaraan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Bermula 3D (2009)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Les’Copaque Production</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sdn. Bhd.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">RM 4</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">million</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Action adventure about how</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">twin and their friends solving</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">problem</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Filemkita.com 2010)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">3D Animation Movie in Malaysia by LCP</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP is the first animation company in Malaysia to become successful with their animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and merchandise locally and in the rest of the region. Their television series, Upin</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan Ipin started to make a substantial impact in Malaysian animation scene in 2008, followed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">by their successful 3D animated film, Gang: The Adventure Begins in 2009. The total cost to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produce the film was RM 4 million, making it one of the most expensive local films produced in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia, but the cheapest 3D animation film produced in the world. The film and series were</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not only well-received in Malaysia, but also in other parts of the region, such as Brunei,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Indonesia and Singapore. In Malaysia alone, the film collected RM 6.3 million—a significant</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">collection for the Malaysian market and for local film. Today, other countries such as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Turkey and India have started to buy LCP products. Their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">television series and 3D animation film won multiple awards locally and internationally.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Presently, LCP is collaborating with Asian companies on future animation products. In 2009,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">they decided to market their 3D animated film in India, adapting it for the local market by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">working with popular Indian actors like Kamal Hassan to provide voices for the characters</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(LCP 2010).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP has managed to become an eye opener in Malaysia with their animation television series</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and 3D animated films. Their new ideas to produce animation products with local images and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture that still have a global appeal managed to raise the Malaysian animation sector to a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different level. At present, the Malaysian public is aware of the potential of a Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animated industry that features Malaysian culture. Additionally, the process of developing the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">78</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation products involved three years of R&D, brainstorming, meetings, and discussions</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that resulted in LCP’s products entering the market with more preparation, the right timing,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and meeting market demands. Further, their products were released at a time when animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sector was experiencing significant growth due to the advancement of innovation in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology sector happening all over the world. Today, the facilities to develop animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products are better and cheaper compared to a decade ago. All of these factors combine with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP’s new, unique ideas to make their products well received in the local and international</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market. This proves to other Malaysian companies that Malaysian culture has significant</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">potential in animation market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">79</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">5.5 RQ3: How do Malaysian creative economy enterprises utilise</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">traditional Malaysian cultural assets?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The findings in this section are answered holistically, based on the comparative analysis from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the literature of similar cases studies, mainly in developing nations, as well as the key</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">informant interviews and desk research.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">I argue that there is a significant and close relationship between the animation sector and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia culture. During the interviews, the LCP staff often talked about creative industries,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creativity and Malaysian culture. Their top management also stress this particular point when</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">they had interviews with the local media (Raja Azaham 2009; Patrick 2008). They categorised</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their products as belonging to creative industries, but they also agreed that culture is an</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">important aspect of their products and making their products unique. This is in line with what</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian government wants from the animation sector in Malaysia: to have the country’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">national identity in their products (Muthalib 2007). An UNCTAD Report (2008) stated that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing countries have rich cultural resources and these should be used to generate their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy. As a result, the animation sector in Malaysia has a strong Malaysian traditional</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture when it comes to shaping the themes, subjects, plots, forms and content (Mahamood</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2001, 149; Muthalib 2007). In addition, many authors in the literature have highlighted the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">close link between culture and creative industries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">There is clear evidence that the creative industries and cultural sector need each other to be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">become more competitive and to sustain their products in the market (UNCTAD 2004; 2008).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In the case of Malaysia, their multiethnic characteristic is the unique image of the country</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Musa 2000; Tourism Malaysia 2009), therefore culture has been used in many sectors,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly when the country is marketing their products and services to the world. The close</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">relationship between creative industries and cultural experience that exists in Malaysia is also</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">taking place in other countries in Asia such as China (Keane 2007, 77), Indonesia (Indonesia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Department of Trade 2008), Singapore (Yue 2006), and South Korea (Kim, Agrusa, Lee and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Chon 2007). In these countries, the creative industries are being developed together and side</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">by side with their cultural sector. Sometimes this happens indirectly rather than directly. For</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">example, in Taiwan the term, creative cultural industries is part of the government’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">commitment to protect their local cultural identity (Keane 2004). Thus, in Malaysia and the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">80</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Asian and European regions (Bayliss 2006; Nielsen 2004), it is clearly shown that their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative industries, culture and tourism are significantly related. 1</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although their products are primarily based on technological creativity, LCP realised the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">importance of adding Malaysian culture to their product and services in order to make them</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">unique in the market. In their animation series, Upin and Ipin and 3D film, Gang: the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Adventure Begins, the three major Malaysian ethnic lifestyles were portrayed. This feature has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">made them different, unique, and well received in comparison to the other animation series</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and films on the market. Malaysia has the advantage of being a multiethnic country, and this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture is being identified as a distinctive feature to be introduced to the world. Other earlier</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation films and television series in Malaysia have also implemented Malaysian culture in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their products, but majority of them failed to gain significant attention from local and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">international markets. Most local animated films failed in the market, while the television series</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">only managed to capture children’s or small market attention. Learning from the failure of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">those earlier products, LCP managed to devise a better version of the animation and 3D</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products according to what the government and public wanted. LCP products showcased the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">multiethnic culture of the country in a manner that is suitable not only for children but also</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">adults.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1 For the past decade, many research studies have acknowledged the growth of niche tourism activities</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">called film tourism (Hudson and Ritchie 2006). Many places in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and US</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(refer to appendix 9) have reported significant tourist arrivals due to film tourism. However, the majority</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the studies on this topic focus on developed countries in the west, although Asian and African</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries (such as China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, South Korea, and South Africa) have also</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">gained substantially from film tourism. For example, the number of Japanese tourists to South Korea</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">increased significantly due to the success of their films and television series in Japan. Further, a South</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Korean television soap drama received positive responses in Asia, and the number of tourists from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Asian countries to Korea increased tremendously, but data is not easily available on this topic. It is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">beyond the scope of this study to discuss this topic further. For further reading relating to film tourism</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">refer to Beeton (2005); Busby, Brunt, and Lund (2003); Cousins and Anderek 1993; Singh and Best</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(2004); Urry (1990).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">81</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">5.6 RQ4: How can Malaysia position itself in the creative economy in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the region?</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">For the past two years Malaysia has moved aggressively to position itself in ICT and creativity</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">related sectors not only in the region but also in the world. The development of the creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">economy, which is the umbrella for creative industries, has become a top priority for the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian government, and is always being discussed by the country’s top political leaders.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">To speed up the development of these sectors, the government and private companies are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">working together closely. The government is offering a range of incentives and support in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">terms of budget allocation, friendly policies, and world-class facilities for local and international</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">companies to ensure the smooth growth of ICT and creative sectors in the country.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Importantly, by the year 2020, the government wants Malaysia to reach developed country</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">status.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Budget Allocation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In the 2010 budget, the Malaysian government allocated RM 400 million to the development of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative industries in the country (MSC 2010). With help from the Malaysian private sector,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">which is working closely with the government, there is potential for the creative industries to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">become a major income source for the country. Unfortunately, government allocation is not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">easily accessible due to the tight rules and regulation imposed on the application. MDeC</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">noted there have been problems in getting the allocation approved by government for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creativity sector, which is managed by MOSTI, because not many production companies have</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">been helped with this fund (Leong 2009). To gain MOSTI funding for research and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development grants is also difficult, particularly for the creative industries. Therefore, funding</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">allocation alone is not enough if its accessibility is too strict and not transparent for the market</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">players and researchers. This is an important issue that needs immediate attention in order for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia to have a better position in the creative industries in the region and in the world.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Policy‐makers in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Positioning Malaysia in the creative industries in the region and in the world needs the right</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policies. Clear policies from the government can provide a good guideline for Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative economy players. This study found that the policy-makers in Malaysia demonstrated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">they are actively promoting creativity, innovation and technology for the country’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development. Thus, they are working closely with each other and with other organisations</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">internationally and domestically to develop the creative sectors in Malaysia. Among the major</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">82</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">policy-makers involved directly with creative industries development in Malaysia are MICC,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">MoTour, MOSTI, MOHE and MITI. A substantial impact can be seen in the animation sector,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly after the establishment of MDeC. The number of local animation television series</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">shown in Malaysia and outside the country has increased significantly. Friendly policies</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">relating to creative activities in Malaysia are encouraging more local and foreign companies to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">invest in the country. However, there is no clear national creative economy policy being</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">introduced in Malaysia, although the term creativity is used extensively by many policy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">makers. 2010 was announced as Year of Creativity and Innovation, but the impact was</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">insignificant. With no clear definition of creativity and innovation in Malaysia, this designation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">remained nothing more than a slogan to the public.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">More than five ministries play a major role in the growth of creative industries in Malaysia, with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">three ministries—MOSTI, MoTOUR and MITI—assisting LCP with their 3D animated film and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">television series. MITI and MDeC play a significant role in the marketing of LCP’s products</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">outside Malaysia. Sometimes the roles of these ministries overlap, creating conflict during the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">implementation and enforcement stage. As well, debates take a long time to resolve, and this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is not productive for the development a young and growing sector like creative industries.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Preparing for the Global Market</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Importantly, can LCP products compete with the animation products from developed countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that have advanced technology and funding in the global market? With the significant gap that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">exists between the developed and developing countries in this sector, the chances of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developing countries like Malaysia being competitive are slim. Animation products from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries such as Australia, Japan, the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">recognised as market leaders in this sector (Rosnan et al. 2010). With rapid global changes in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology, the animation sector is considerably competitive. A small company like LCP may</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not be able to compete with large and established studios like Pixar and Disney. While LCP</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">has expanded their market into most South East Asian countries and other parts of Asia, their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products still cannot break into other regions such as the American and European markets.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Animated products from Japan (such as Bleech, Doremon, and Thundercats), have been wellreceived</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">all over the world due to their global characters, features and scripts. However, LCP</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">can use their strength of natural resources and cheaper labour to come up with new ideas and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">services that target different markets. The animation products from LCP perhaps are more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">suitable for Middle East and Muslim markets than animation products from Japan. Hence,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP should take this chance to network with companies from these markets. To date, with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">new networking and close ties with other animation companies from China, India and South</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">83</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Korea, LCP can improve their products by sharing their technologies with each other, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">enter these new markets. From this networking, LCP products can explore fresh ideas. Also,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from their joint effort they may create a better chance to enter the global animation market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Local Malaysian animation companies such as Handy Pro are reportedly entering the Saudi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Arabia market (Abu Bakar 2009), and MDeC has focused on the whole of the Muslim market</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">through their joint effort with Al-Jazeera television channel.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">To prepare the company to become competitive in the global animation sector, LCP</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">introduced a slightly different formula for their second 3D film. For a start, their second 3D</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animated film, which is scheduled to be launched in 2011 and titled Gang: Outer Space has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">more global features. Also, the company is ready to venture into other types of films and not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">limit themselves to animation (Raja Azaham 2009). Also, LCP has started to collaborate with</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">international partners from China, India and South Korea to exchange ideas about their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animated products, and plan to co-produce animated television series and films in the future</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(LCP official website 2010). All of these steps are part of a plan to make an impact on the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation global market.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">However, with the fast changes in technology happening every day, the immensity of this task</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">should not be underestimated. To successfully position the country in the region, careful R&D</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and innovative planning is needed. This is a competitive market, and LCP faces fierce</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">competition locally and globally. Also, governments around the world and Asian region such</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as those of China, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand are investing billions of dollars to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">develop their creative industries. For example, Singapore has attracted not only many foreign</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">investors, but also creative talents to work there by using high salaries as an incentive. By</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">contrast, Malaysia has a different strategy and no interest in playing the “money game” to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">attract local and foreign markets. Their main intention is to develop a strong base to foster</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative talent in Malaysia, as stated by MDeC Manager for Creative Industry Strategy and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Policy (3D World Magazine, 73). Competing with animation products from developed countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is a difficult task for a small company like LCP, as animation companies from developed</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries have more advanced technology and stronger financial backgrounds than their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian counterparts. Thus, LCP and other Malaysian creative industries need to use their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">unique culture and access to cheaper labour to their advantage. With rapid expansion of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Muslim market, the government is actively promoting Malaysia as a halal hub not only in food,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">but also content industry.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The halal market for Muslim is identified as significant, and many non-Muslim countries such</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as Australia, China, Denmark, New Zealand and the UK are also starting to capture this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">84</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market (Fisher 2008), mostly on offering more halal food outlets, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and hygiene products. Although the halal term is not directly suitable to be used for animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">or content industry products, the current Malaysian products are suitable for Muslim viewers.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This is because the Malaysian culture that these products are portraying has significant</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">influences from Malay (Muslim) and traditional Asia. Recently, a 3D animated television series</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">called Boboiboy by Animonsta Studio featured a main character wearing a hijab, and one of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP’s main characters in their series and 3D film is the grandmother of Upin and Ipin, who</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">wears a hijab. According to Shafie and Othman (2006), the potential of the halal sector is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">substantial because by the year 2025 it is expected that, thirty per cent of the world population</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">will be Muslim. This is another potential market that Malaysian animation products can</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">consider to penetrate in the future.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">According to Jarman and Chopra (2007), developing nations like Malaysia tend to face two</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">major problems in developing their ICT and innovation relating sectors. Firstly, developing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">nations are currently more successful in attracting the lower order activities of multinationals</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that are being outsourced and off-shored to reduce costs; while a physical infrastructure can</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">be built over a period of few years, human capital takes much longer to develop, perhaps up</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to twenty years for one child; this is due to the multifaceted nature of the knowledge economy,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">which presents in a complex scope of activities. Secondly, the Malaysian government has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">been criticised for not being open enough to new ideas, particularly when it comes to sensitive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">issues such as culture, politics, and religion. Hence, those who have innovative ideas choose</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to work outside Malaysia where they feel they are freer to implement their ideas. As a result,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the Malaysian human talent pool has migrated to countries like Australia, Hong Kong,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Singapore (Low 2001; Sidhu 2009), the UK and US. These countries not only encourage</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creatives to express themselves freely, but they also receive a higher salary than if they work</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in Malaysia. Renowned names in creative sectors, including Chef Wan (chef), Kamahl</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(composer/singer), Jimmy Choo (fashion), Maha Sinnathamby (engineer/developer), Michelle</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Yeoh (actress), Shahril Ibrahim (software developer), and Zang Toi (fashion), are Malaysians</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">who have built successful careers abroad.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Recently successful creative Malaysians abroad have started to show interest in working</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">closely with the Malaysian government and local companies. They are willing to train new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">young talent from Malaysia to penetrate the global market. Also, the Malaysian government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">has managed to attract many larger companies to open up local branches. These positive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">changes can assist more creative talents from Malaysia in finding a global audience, introduce</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the country as a good place to invest for foreign companies, and bring Malaysia a more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">favourable position in the creative economy in the region and globally.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">85</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">5.7 Conclusion</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This chapter examined LCP as a leading animation television production company in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and Southeast Asia. Their television series and 3D film managed to create a significant impact</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in the market by portraying Malaysian culture (refer Appendix 9). Animation is one of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">important sectors given top priority under Malaysian government MSC project. Beforehand,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cyberjaya—the capital city for the Malaysian MSC—and Hong Kong’s Cyberport were</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">discussed. Both places aim to become their region’s ICT capital. The differences and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">similarities between the two places were discussed extensively. RQ1 was addressed through</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">seven themes identified by this study based on the interview with LCP. Following that, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">second and third research questions were answered through the discussion on how Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">developed their creative economy focusing on animation sector, and using traditional their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cultural assets. There is a close relationship between the animation and cultural sectors in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia. To date, the majority of Malaysian animation products are marrying both elements.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This is their unique feature follows the government’s direction to feature Malaysia’s culture in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation products. However, the Malaysian animation sector is still new, and lacks advanced</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">facilities and funding. They also face fierce competition from developed countries and large</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">studios or productions with large budgets and established infrastructure. Thus, the future of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">this </span>sector is volatile and requires continuous support from the government. The last research question (RQ4) raised key issues (for example, budget, policy making, and global market challenges) faced by the country currently in positioning Malaysian creative economy in the region.</p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (5.2)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-31:3600580:BlogPost:3735042016-01-31T04:00:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Respondent Profile</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Out of the nine respondents only one female staff was interviewed (refer to Table 5.3). Seven</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">of the respondents were younger than 25-years-old, and two were aged younger than 30. Five</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">respondents had worked more than two years with the company, and the rest worked with the</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">company for…</span></p>
<p><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Respondent Profile</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Out of the nine respondents only one female staff was interviewed (refer to Table 5.3). Seven</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the respondents were younger than 25-years-old, and two were aged younger than 30. Five</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">respondents had worked more than two years with the company, and the rest worked with the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">company for between one to two years. Each respondent represented a different department</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of the company, from Marketing and Sales, Modelling, Layout and Script Writing, to Animating,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Music, Rendering, and Compositing.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">All respondents obtained training and education from local or international universities in a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creative Industries discipline, and their highest education level was a Bachelor’s degree. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">majority of the respondents attended a local tertiary institution. Two respondents earned their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">degrees from Malaysia Multimedia University (MMU), Cyberjaya, while the remaining staff</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">studied at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), and Universiti</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Teknikal Malaysia (UTEM). Three of the staff (Kevin, Azfarin and Safizan) completed their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">diploma at private local higher institutions (two at Lim Kok Wing University College, and one at</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">One Academy). Later, the respondents went abroad to earn their degrees, two (Asfarin and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Safizan) went to RMIT, Melbourne, while Kevin went to University of Hampshire, UK.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Table 5.3: Respondents Profile for Les’Copaque Production Sdn. Bhd.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Respondent Post and Department Age Sex Years of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">working</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Education background</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Ehsan Head of Marketing & Sales 24 M 3 Bachelor Degree (MMU)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Syed Head of Modelling 22 M 2&1/2 Bachelor Degree (UniKL)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Fuad Head of Layout 24 M 3 Bachelor Degree (MMU)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Ida Script Writer 24 F 1&1/2 Bachelor Degree (UiTM)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Faiz Head of Modelling 22 M 2&1/2 Bachelor Degree (UniKL)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kevin Animator 25 M 8-months Bachelor Degree (Uni of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Hampshire, UK)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Azfaren Music Composer 26 M 2 Bachelor Degree (RMIT)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Raffe Lead and Rendering Artist 24 M 1&1/2 Bachelor Degree (UTEM)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Safarizan Head of Compositing 29 M 2&1/2 Bachelor Degree (RMIT)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This data suggests that to obtain a higher level of education, overseas higher institutions are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">still major choices among Malaysian creative industries workers particularly in English</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">speaking countries like Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK) and United States</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(US). These countries remain the major countries for Malaysian students to get their education</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">due to the practical expertise of teachers, and the high quality of education in general.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">66</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">According to Verbik and Lansanowski (2007) from 1996-2006, Malaysia remained one of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ten countries most likely to send students to Australia, New Zealand, the UK and US. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">same report stated that Malaysia is becoming one of the emerging contenders—apart from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">China and Singapore—in attracting international students.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">To prepare itself as a global player in the education market, the Malaysian government has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">been sending Malaysian academics abroad for more than two decades. Through its Ministry of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Higher Education (MOHE), the government has been sending tutors and lecturers from public</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">universities overseas to obtain their postgraduate education, particularly in new areas such as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation and tourism. On completion of their study, these tutors and lecturers return to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia as industry experts. Also, other government and semi government agencies send</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their staff abroad to obtain higher education to prepare Malaysia to become a key player in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Asian region. In five to ten years, there will be more expertise in animation and tourism in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia. However, at the moment there are not enough professionals in these two sectors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Working Environment</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">When asked about the working environment at LCP, all respondents gave similar answers.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Generally, they are satisfied with the working environment at LCP due to the open concept of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the company. All respondents stress how they work as a team, like a big family, and support</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">each other. In television, newspaper and magazine interviews, the CEO and other directors of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the company also stress the openness adopted in their company. The company’s</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">management have created a relaxing environment for their staff by organising events such as</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">monthly themed dress-ups (see Figure 5.3.1), and company field trips around Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">67</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Figure 5.3b: Dress theme day “Headwear”</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Les’Copaque 2010).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In addition, the company allows their staff to work in other departments and be involved in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their film and television series. At least one senior respondent, (Fuad), has worked at two</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">departments in the company. Before working with the layout department, he worked with the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">merchandising department. The company blog shows their staff members were also involved</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in production activities like working as voice actors.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">To generate creative ideas with their staff, LCP meet weekly and monthly. Also, they use other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">methods—including discussion, brain storming, and in-house training—to encourage</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">contribution of ideas to strengthen their products. All staff members are encouraged through</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">many communication mediums to give ideas and comments at any time and on any aspects of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the company. Occasionally for staff development, LCP sends their staff within Malaysia and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">abroad for training, and to attend conferences, expos, festivals, fairs, seminars, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">workshops. With the help of government organisations—particularly Multimedia Development</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Corporation (MDeC)—the staff can upgrade their knowledge of the latest software in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market, and sometimes are invited to speak at local and international seminars relating to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative industries and multimedia. LCP’s official blog shows that the company is working</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">closely with MDeC to give their staff local and international training and exposure by attending</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">big events such as the Cannes Film Festival, and the IPCCA creative contest. MDeC also</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">provided a rendering machine to the company when they were in the process of producing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their first 3D film, and offered advice, particularly on marketing their products. MDeC has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">played a significant role in providing a platform for LCP staff development, particularly at</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">international level.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">68</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Evolving an animation sector that offers entertainment elements to viewers requires a more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">relaxed and open working environment. As Florida (2005, 9-14) states in his book, people</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">working in the entertainment industry do not like rules and regulations that might prevent them</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">from coming up with creative ideas in their work. In order to generate high quality imaginative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ideas, people involved in the entertainment industry should be given more freedom with their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">working style and environment. The working environment at LCP is designed to encourage</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">staff to offer their best performance in order to create products that meet the desires of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market. Companies involved in ICT and entertainment sectors globally are known for having a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different style of management. Normally they do not have strict working hours and dress</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">codes. Since LCP is a private company in the entertainment industry’s animation sector, their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">management style is different from the traditional modes of operation. With more than ninety</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">per cent of the staff under thirty-years-old, LCP has created a management style that is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">suitable to their nature of work. Most staff members have an ICT background and understand</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">what they need and want from their workplace in order to deliver the best ideas for their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation products. Their operation is run in accordance with the global practises of most</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">other animation studios. This type of management is also being implemented by other key</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">players of ICT companies in the world, such as Google. This is what LCP is implementing in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their daily operation and management.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Location</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">When I asked the management and staff about why their office was located in Shah Alam and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">not in the capital city of MSC (Cyberjaya), they said that to them Cyberjaya is not the only</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">place to be creative in their work; they can become creative where ever they are. Syed who</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">represented the company’s management, responded that:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">...the opportunity here is good... Shah Alam is actually a growing capital for business, so</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">it’s better than Cyber, because... The lifestyle... The life in Cyber is a bit, a bit secluded</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and very... limited... Shah Alam is a bit in the middle of everywhere, so it’s easier...</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Another reason for the company to have their operation in Shah Alam and not in Cyberjaya is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">its proximity with Kuala Lumpur. While Cyberjaya is in the middle of nowhere, Shah Alam has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">lively communities and societies, which is good for LCP’s products and services particularly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">for its merchandising products and services. There is nothing visible and interesting in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Cyberjaya to attract people to live there. There are no trees, shopping malls, hybrid</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">communities, or reasons to go there, except for work.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">69</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Figure 5.3c: Les’Copaque Production Operation Building in Shah Alam</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Les’Copaque 2010).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Many staff members have been to Cyberjaya or studied in the city before. On the evidence of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their experience, they prefer their current location rather than Cyberjaya. They enjoyed the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">organic environment of Shah Alam rather than the cluster-style of Cyberjaya because their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services are family-focused. Shah Alam, which is a mature, developed city,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">offers greater advantages, particularly in selling their merchandise. Although Cyberjaya</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">provides a faster Internet connection, LCP are not outsourcing their products and services,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">therefore a high-speed Internet connection is not their main priority. At the moment, LCP has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">no plan to move their operation to Cyberjaya because they can do their work at their present</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">location or anywhere they want to. However, staff members noted that despite some changes</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">to the city for the past five years there has not been as much change as they expected.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Importantly, although Cyberjaya has all the right facilities for ICT or animation companies to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">allow effective operation, it does not have other facilities to attract people to stay there. This</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">needs more attention from the government.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Sector or Industry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">During the interviews, management and staff talked often about creative industries and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation while describing their field. Also, the majority discussed Malaysian culture,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">particularly in differentiating their products from others. Document analysis reveals that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creativity and culture have also often been mentioned by top management, such as their CEO.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">All agreed that they are primarily involved in the creative industries, with a strong element of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian culture being incorporated in their products and services. Their animation series</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and 3D animated film applied Malaysian culture basically on three major ethnic groups in the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country (Malay, Chinese and Indian).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">70</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">When asked to what extent Malaysian culture is being adapted in their products, Ida stated</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">that:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">For me, I can see that if you watched Cartoon Networks there are so many kinds of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">cartoons you know: cartoons like Ben 10; and then they have cartoon like Samurai</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Jack, which is from Japan. People want to see different things. I really believe that.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">When you reached one level, people will get bored with all those same ideas and they</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">want something new, something fresh. For me, I think Malaysia is still new, is still</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">young and very fresh in ideas. But I really think that our content can go global because</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">people want to see what Malaysia wants to bring to global; they really want to see our</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">culture and we have Malays, we have Chinese, we have Indians. We live happily, we</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">live together.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Figure 5.3d: Les’Copaque main characters consisted of three major ethnic in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Les’Copaque 2010).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">After the launch of the MSC in the 1990s, the government spent billions of dollars training</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysians ICT by sending them abroad, mostly to the US. One pioneer of this project, Hasnul</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Hadi, who works for MDeC, reported that because the country was starting from ground zero,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">building a multimedia hub took a substantial effort both in design and implementation (Plantec</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2009). The government had to train a sophisticated workforce from scratch, and the country</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">had to start an entire university (Malaysia Multimedia University) in 1996, to ensure they could</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">train the people properly to handle incoming investment opportunities. To date, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">government still trains their work force with the help from local and international experts.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Further, Hadi notes that the government acknowledges China and India are more advanced</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">than Malaysia in many aspects, but Malaysia also wants to play a part in this competitive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sector (Plantec 2009).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">71</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Although multiethnic culture is probably LCP’s main advantage in bringing their animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products to the world, Malaysia should not depend on this advantage too much. At present,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">many countries in the world are also claiming that they are multiethnic and religious. Soon this</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">aspect will not be exclusive to just Malaysia. In addition, bringing this local culture to a global</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market is challenging, particularly when competing with more advanced animation products in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Europe, Japan, and the US. Perhaps the global market will not understand Malaysian culture</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">in the same way as the local or regional market. This could be a great challenge for LCP in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">marketing market their animation products outside the region. With the strong global presence</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of Japanese animation and anime for more than a decade in the market, LCP animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products could be under threat. However, perhaps after all these years the market wants new</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and fresh ideas, and LCP animation products can meet those requirements. With the positive</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">reaction they received from countries in India, Southeast Asia, and Turkey, there is arguably a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">strong future waiting for them in this sector, although it is not without challenge.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Expectation and Future Plan for the Company</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP has many future plans, but some cannot be disclosed during the interview because they</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are still in the discussion stage. Among others, their future plans are to open a Upin dan Ipin</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">theme park, or franchise this concept to others. Unfortunately, LCP respondents were not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">authorised to elaborate on the plan. From the document analysis gathered by this study, the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LCP CEO, Hj Burhanuddin Md Razi (Raja Azaham 2009) revealed that the company is not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">going to run the operation of the theme park; rather, they will market their licence and idea to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">establish the park. The CEO later commented (after translation):</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Upin and Ipin theme park is what we really hope to build and we are in the process of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">looking for those who are interested to make this into reality. I think it is about time for</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia to have theme park with Malaysian identity, and not following Western ideas</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">because we have to be proud of our own product</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Raja Azaham 2009)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In the same interview, the CEO (Raja Azaham 2009) announced future plans such as Hindi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">language voiceovers for certain films, their second 3D animation film, Upin dan Ipin: Angkasa</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Upin and Ipin: Outer Space), which will target the international market by focussing on global</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">issues, and a film called Zaitun, a biopic about Malay singer, Zaitun Sameon.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Respondents also were asked about their expectations and hopes for LCP, and all had</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">different answers, but with the same basic themes. Some hoped to make their company a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian World Disney (Ehsan); to become Malaysia’s key player in multimedia productions</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">72</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and special effects (Syed); to show the Malaysian multiethnic culture to the world (Ida); to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">expand into the global market (Fuad); to venture into different products like action films,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">magazines, and comics in the same way as Pixar and Disney (Faiz); to become a Malaysian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">icon that binds all Malaysians together despite their differences (Azfaren); to become more</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">competitive with other international companies, and to become well-known like Pixar (Rafee);</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and to create more job opportunities for Malaysian multimedia graduates (Saff).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Musical composer, Azfaren gave a slightly different answer:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">We have Malays, Chinese and Indians, so it is so complex and there’s nothing that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">binds everyone together. There’s nothing like one Malaysian icon, so we want to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">create something for this, you know. So it’s a big mission, lah. So it’s not just cartoon.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">I’m so proud to be part of this company because we are creating something that</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">contributes towards this. Everybody contributes. We don’t have to be doctor or</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">engineer. Creative people also can contribute something, so at least it shows that we</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">are, we Malaysians are balanced; we have the creative side and other side, so we</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">have that balance. We want to show that creative people also can contribute</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">something to the country.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">These expectations coincide with those of most people in the animation sector. No</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">respondents gave answers that differed that greatly from one another. This showed that the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">staff expected the company to focus on expanding their products and services around the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation sector, including expansion into other animation-related sectors. While their scope</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">of interest is mostly limited to animation, this is good since they are focussed on their sector</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and playing to their strengths. Their expectations are realistic and achievable for their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">company.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">There has been positive progress in much of LCP’s plan at the time of writing this thesis.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Some of their future plans are connected closely to animation sector, and some are not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">directly connected to the sector. Special caution must be given to their plan to diversify their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and services because as a young company they should concentrate on building up a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">solid foundation rather than expanding in the areas that they have no expertise in. Since the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation sector is a highly competitive sector—particularly when considering mature and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">advanced countries in the region such as China, Japan and South Korea—LCP’s plan for their</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">future should be different from what these countries are offering in the market. Working</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">together with companies from these countries means building strong connections with the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sector in those countries. This is discussed in detail later in this chapter.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Company’s Mission</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">73</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Generally, all respondents were found to be working towards the company’s mission and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">objectives. Among the objectives mentioned are, showing the Malaysian public about the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">potential of creative industries; creating a platform for young creative talents to practise and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">show their creativity; acting as a stepping stone for their staff to start their own business in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creative industries; and introducing Malaysian multiethnic culture to the world.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">All the staff stressed the company’s mission to showcase Malaysian culture through globally</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">released feature films. Azfaren associates himself closely with the company’s logo which is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the frog under the coconut shell:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">I do... because, especially with our logo... frog...”katak bawah tempurung” (Malay</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">phrase to describe frog under the coconut shell), I always thought about that you</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">know... Especially for Malays, they have to be more open minded. I feel like, I’m</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">comfortable with this, so that’s why I’m here and work here rather than working abroad,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">because I don’t see myself just as a music composer, but as Malaysian... And to keep</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">our culture alive, like recording our culture, so we have this, this recording how these</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kids growing up in kampong... This visual makes me feel arrr... being part of it...</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">In the many newspaper interviews done with LCP’s top management staff, this point has</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">always been stressed—Malaysia’s culture is the important element they wanted to express in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">their creative and animation products.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">On the company’s portfolio from their website, and in an interview with InTECH, a local</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">technology magazine, the Creative and Marketing Director of LCP, Mohd Nizam Abdul Razak,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Patrick 2008) was reported as saying he believes international markets will be interested in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian culture. Further, LCP wishes to produce more IPs, and assist more companies in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia to get involved in animation and multimedia products.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creative Industries Development in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">When asked their opinion on the development and progress of the creative industries in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysia, all respondents gave positive answers. At the same time, they also realised how</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">competitive this sector is, and that there is more work to be done in order for their products to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">compete on the international market. Ehsan who represented the management of the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">company observed:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creative Industries is actually exhilarating because the work and the development you</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">see right now right, it’s up significantly for the past three years. We have a lot of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">animation works to be looking forward to actually. All of it is not being mentioned yet</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">because it is not finalised yet, but it has a greater future in animation as well in other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">aspects in Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">74</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">When asked what makes their products more successful than other animated films and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">television series produced in Malaysia, the staff argued that their company’s products are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">what the public wanted, that they had quality products due to three years of market research,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the right timing and luck, and unique characters.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">As Saff responded:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">I think perhaps because Upin and Ipin are cute (laugh) Maybe, lah, because if you ask</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the school children, right, we had several research on our film, it is not like... It is not</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">one year project. We started in 2005, after three years, after we had tested the market</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and all, after feedback, now only we managed to reach this level, lah. Because the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">important thing is the pre-production, lah. Our management also played their role.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">The LCP staff seemed to have high confidence in the growth of animation sector in Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and the rest of the region, especially with their products, which they said are different from</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">what the market currently offers. However, because their products are different and include a</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">strong element of Malaysian culture, it might be harder for them to enter a bigger market. The</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries around the region are bombarded with western films, TV series, books, comics,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">magazines, and merchandising that are aggressively being marketed. Malaysian cultural</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">elements that LCP embed in their products could be problematic for audiences from other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">countries to understand (Muthalib 2007). Nevertheless, LCP animation series and 3D films</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">have received significant positive responses from South East Asian audiences and other</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Asian countries. This is a good sign that their products could be marketed further, at the very</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">least in the Asian region.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Today, LCP is still depending heavily on the government and other Malaysian private</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">companies for funding and support, without which, their growth and expansion could be</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">affected. They have identified this issue and are starting to find their own financial resources</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">with international companies from China and South Korea (3D World Magazine 2010, 70). By</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">working together with the companies from these countries, LCP can study the market and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">learn about animation sector development in these countries. This can ensure that LCP</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">remains competitive in the region, and becomes more productive with their products and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">services. However, competing with established animation products from developed countries</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">is not a particularly easy task. Even with continuous support from the Malaysian government</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">and private companies, LCP faces a significant struggle to compete with other animation</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">companies in the region and world.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">75</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Another market that the government is approaching and promoting is the global Muslim</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">market. Recently, the Malaysian government has moved in promoting and developing the</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">country to become a world “halal hub”—a smart move considering its steady growth. Halal is</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">one of the most important concepts in Islam and it means “permissible” with a market</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">estimated worth US$150 billion (Fischer 2008). The concept covers food as well as non-food</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">products and aspects such as slaughtering, storage, display, preparation, hygiene and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sanitation (Shafie & Othman 2006). The Malaysian government has initiated many projects to</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">become the market leader for halal products and services, including Islamic finance and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">insurance. MDeC has worked together with Al-Jazeera to produce the animated television</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">series, Saladdin (the story of a famous Muslim war hero and his clash with the Crusaders in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Jerusalem). While the Malaysian private sector is also playing an active role in projects such</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">as The Islamic Fashion Festival (Pak 2009), the adaptation of Islamic finance practices by</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Malaysian commercial banks (Rosly & Abu Bakar 2003), and halal cosmetics for Muslim (Abd</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Aziz, Amin & Isa 2010). Malaysian content products are suitable for the Muslim market. With</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">low levels of violence and almost no obscenity—particularly in their animation, film and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">television products—Malaysia can enter this niche market with little difficulty. In fact, one of</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">the main creations from LCP has Muslim characters, and their scripts are influenced</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">substantially by Malaysian Muslim lifestyles. However, not all market players in Malaysia are</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">keen to be associated with its culture. Some refuse to be recognised as Malaysian and avoid</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">associations with its cultural image.</span></p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (5.1)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-31:3600580:BlogPost:3735032016-01-31T04:00:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2">5. CASE STUDY ONE: LES’COPAQUE PRODUCTION SDN. BHD.<br></br> <br></br> We have something the West doesn’t. We have a range of cultures, of religions, the<br></br> way we see art is totally different. We can adapt to any kind of design.<br></br> (AunHoe 2010, 82)<br></br> <br></br> <b>5.1 Introduction</b><br></br> <br></br> This chapter presents extensive data gathered in the case study on Les’copaque Production<br></br> Sdn. Bhd. The chapter begins with a comparison of the MSC capital city, Malaysia…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">5. CASE STUDY ONE: LES’COPAQUE PRODUCTION SDN. BHD.<br/> <br/> We have something the West doesn’t. We have a range of cultures, of religions, the<br/> way we see art is totally different. We can adapt to any kind of design.<br/> (AunHoe 2010, 82)<br/> <br/> <b>5.1 Introduction</b><br/> <br/> This chapter presents extensive data gathered in the case study on Les’copaque Production<br/> Sdn. Bhd. The chapter begins with a comparison of the MSC capital city, Malaysia Cyberjaya,<br/> and Cyberport, Hong Kong. The aim is to give a better understanding of the development of<br/> ICT sectors in the region, along with differences and similarities. Then, data will be presented<br/> according to the four research questions of this thesis. The first research question will address<br/> the seven themes identified in the answers obtained from the respondents during the<br/> interviews. Responses to RQ2, 3 and 4 follow, based on the findings of the interviews and<br/> desk research. Whenever required, this study will use subtitles in order ensure the key<br/> findings are more easily identified.<br/> 5.2 Comparison of Cyberjaya, Malaysia and Cyberport, Hong Kong<br/> This section compares Cyberjaya, Malaysia and Cyberport, Hong Kong. The history of both<br/> Cyberjaya and Cyberport will be examined as the main national vehicle to move from the<br/> industrial to post-industrial era amplified by Malaysia (Tyndall 2002, 178) and Hong Kong<br/> (Jessop & Sum 2000). Cyberjaya is the capital city for Malaysia MSC project, while Cyberport<br/> fulfils a similar function in Hong Kong. Spurred by the hi-tech boom in developed countries<br/> such as Australia, Germany, the US, and UK, other major cities in East Asia have joined the<br/> technology race. Despite strong government support on both projects, Cyberjaya and<br/> Cyberport have encountered resistance. This section presents the issues and strength of both<br/> projects, based on data gathered from interviews and secondary data.<br/> 57<br/> 5.2.1 The development of Cyberjaya, Malaysia<br/> The idea of Cyberjaya originated in 1999, at almost the same time as the Malaysian<br/> government decided to create a new administrative and smart city (Putrajaya) for the country.<br/> The city was planned with an emphasis on enterprise and office development that would act<br/> as the catalyst for the growth of ICT enterprises and the multimedia industry in Malaysia.<br/> Under the MSC plan, the 7,000 acres of freehold land that makes up Putrajaya is divided into<br/> four clusters: a housing area; a retail district; universities (with a focus on creative industries,<br/> multimedia and technology programs); and the business park. The establishment of the<br/> Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) in Putrajaya administrates the billion-dollar<br/> MSC project, adhering to an annual budget of 30 million ringgit (Vicziany & Puteh 2004).<br/> MDeC is incorporated under the Companies Act of Malaysia, and owned and funded by the<br/> Malaysian government. This combines entrepreneurial efficiency and the effectiveness of a<br/> private company, and the authority of a high-powered government agency, and fosters an<br/> environment highly conducive to the creation of a successful MSC Malaysia. MDeC’s primary<br/> role is to advise the Malaysian government on legislation and policies, develop MSC Malaysiaspecific<br/> practises, and set breakthrough standards for multimedia operations.<br/> Many incentives and benefits have been offered by the government to draw high-tech<br/> transnational investors, including unrestricted employment of local and foreign “knowledge<br/> workers”, exemption from local ownership requirements, and the freedom to source capital<br/> globally (MDeC 1996). The private developer, Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd, has been appointed<br/> by the Malaysian government to design and prepare the primary infrastructure for the<br/> Cyberjaya Flagship Zone (CFZ) (Setia Haruman 2010). Each zone is fully equipped with a<br/> host of intelligent network services and interactive broadband services. Setia Haruman Sdn<br/> Bhd is involved with the whole development of the city, from planning and designing to the<br/> provision of basic infrastructure, and the marketing and selling of land parcels and other real<br/> estate developments to investors. They also offer assistance to MSC-status companies in<br/> obtaining the right land and approvals for sub-division and building plans. Setia Haruman are<br/> developing a residential area to cater to their target population of 210,000 in the next ten to<br/> fifteen years, as well as business developments providing for up to 120,000 employees and<br/> institutional establishments for 30,000 students (Sarif 2010, Setia Haruman 2010).<br/> Unfortunately, the development of Cyberjaya has been slow when compared with other similar<br/> ICT cities in countries such as China and Singapore. In addition, the city failed to attract long<br/> term residents, in particular local people. Housing prices are generally too expensive for<br/> Malaysian locals to afford, and public transportation is limited. Many of the houses around<br/> 58<br/> Cyberjaya were purchased as investment properties by foreigners. These factors keep the<br/> active population of Cyberjaya relatively small and not capable of supporting a growing<br/> business sector. Those who open businesses in Cyberjaya are either foreign or already<br/> established local companies. The development of Cyberjaya has taken place for more than<br/> ten years, but no significant changes to the city can be seen. There is little improvement on<br/> the facilities and basic infrastructure of the city, although the Internet speed is reported as the<br/> fastest in Malaysia. Overall the internet speed in Malaysia is ranked internationally at 32ndplace,<br/> although it is one of the fastest in South East Asia. The image of the city is still largely<br/> unfavourable among the ICT key players in Malaysia, including the LCP staff.<br/> Over past five years however, the image of the city is slowly improving. The active role played<br/> by MDeC in developing ICT-related sectors, locally and globally, has contributed indirectly to a<br/> positive image of Cyberjaya. Also, with the latest technology facilities—including the<br/> Multimedia Content Initiative Centre [MAC 3]) and the incentives provided by the Malaysian<br/> government and employers (Ramasamy et al. 2004)—more Malaysian creative talents who<br/> reside abroad have chosen to work with the Malaysian government and various market<br/> players to assist in the development of creative sectors in Malaysia (3D World Magazine;<br/> MDeC 2010). Some expressed interest in opening branches of their company in Cyberjaya,<br/> for example, Rhythm and Hues Studio. Their presence in Cyberjaya helps to promote the city<br/> to non-locals, and gives incentive to local companies to open businesses there. Further, many<br/> of the successful Malaysian creatives abroad have been appointed by the Malaysian<br/> government to sit on the advisory board (similar to MDeC) (MDeC 2010). The presence of<br/> MDeC in Cyberjaya brings a positive image to the city on account of the substantial<br/> improvements in the progress of Malaysia’s ICT and animation sector over the last decade.<br/> The market players in animation and other content sectors in Malaysia agree that MDeC has<br/> contributing hugely to a positive image of cartooning and animation in the country and region<br/> (3D World Magazine 2009). Their multipurpose role and collaboration with high profile<br/> international companies like Al-Jazeera, will help to boost the perception of the city as a hub<br/> for creative sectors companies.<br/> Cyberjaya is located near major transportation systems, including the highway express from<br/> the city of Kuala Lumpur (26 kilometres) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (15<br/> kilometres), and commuter and fast trains (Refer Appendix 7). Cyberjaya was built to function<br/> as the regional and glocal ICT hub to rival the best in the world. The developer of the city,<br/> Setia Harum, claimed the city’s competitiveness as a global ICT hub has marked Cyberjaya as<br/> one of the top three global destinations for business support services and outsourcing.<br/> Cyberjaya is a self-contained intelligent city with world-class IT infrastructure, and low density<br/> urban enterprise, as well as state of the art commercial, residential, enterprise and institutional<br/> developments. This city is designed to be an ideal place to live, work and play, with<br/> convenient amenities and facilities. Importantly, Cyberjaya is the MSC capital city for the<br/> country, and home to knowledge workers, enterprising businesses, students and families. To<br/> date, Cyberjaya is home to many multinational companies such as Shell, EDS, Ericsson,<br/> BMW, HSBC, Motorola and DHL. There are several higher institutions and smart schools<br/> operating in Cyberjaya, from the Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology<br/> (LUCCT) and the Multimedia University (MMU), to the Cyberjaya University College of Medical<br/> Sciences (CUCMS). The major programs of these institutions centre on ICT sectors. These<br/> private institutions are among the leaders in providing higher education in creative industries<br/> and ICT in Malaysia and the Asian region. Cyberjaya’s residential areas offer a wide array of<br/> homes, catering the middle to high income bracket. The township also provides other<br/> convenient amenities such as a hotel, boutique malls, recreation centres, a community<br/> clubhouse and schools. To make the city a world intelligent city, broadband services using<br/> fibre optic network enabling high speed Internet access and network solutions are provided.<br/> Cyberjaya was designed to be an ideal city for creative companies and workers to work and<br/> stay. Despite this, the city needs more improvement particularly to strengthen their basic<br/> infrastructure and facilities in order to attract more people especially local residents to stay in<br/> the city permanently. At present, those who work and study in Cyberjaya prefer to stay<br/> elsewhere and commute to the city. In addition, the former Malaysian PM, Mahathir, says he<br/> was not happy with the development of Cyberjaya due to its slow growth (Setia Haruman<br/> 2010). The slow progress of the city is partly due to the recession in Malaysia in 2008. With<br/> the year 2020 approaching, the Malaysian government is speeding up the development of the<br/> city by pumping in more funding with the help from private companies to achieve the desired<br/> status of “world intelligent city”.<br/> 5.2.2 The development of Cyberport, Hong Kong<br/> The idea for the Hong Kong Cyberport was conceived by “Hong Kong’s Bill Gates”, Richard Li.<br/> The area is being developed by both Li and a Singapore-based corporation, Pacific Century<br/> CyberWorks (PCCW) to foster the development of Hong Kong’s information services sector,<br/> and to enhance Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s premier information and telecommunications<br/> hub. The government will provide support to this development by investing US$2 billion<br/> (HK$15.8 billion) to promote the Cyberport as a place to commercialise creative ideas and<br/> incubate start-ups. The joint partnership between Hong Kong SAR Government and private<br/> corporations in Hong Kong is part of the state’s attempt to increase its capacity in economic<br/> 60<br/> development and now is commonly adopted (Lee & Haque 2006). As well as the Hong Kong<br/> creative digital community, Cyberport has an energetic cluster of creative ICT and digital<br/> content tenants, and comprises a mixture of four intelligent office buildings, a five-star hotel, a<br/> retail entertainment complex, and about 2,800 deluxe residences. The Cyberport was<br/> established with the aim of being the leading information technology hub and digital city for the<br/> Asia-Pacific region (Refer Appendix 8). Cyberport has won numerous awards locally and<br/> internationally (Hong Kong, Cyberport 2010).<br/> Since its launch, Hong Kong Cyberport has encountered political problems, particularly a<br/> public discontent over their lack of accountability. Some claims allege the Cyberport project<br/> was assigned to PCCW (chaired by Richard Li) without a competitive tender, due to Richard<br/> Li’s close friendship to Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa (Grammaticus 2000;<br/> Lee & Haque 2006). The government has been heavily criticised and accused of practising<br/> cronyism (Lombardo 1999). To date, Cyberport has failed to create a significant impact upon<br/> the sectors it was designed to support. The number of larger companies is not as high as<br/> expected by the Hong Kong government. In 2008, less than one hundred IT companies and<br/> two university programs in four office buildings, one five-star hotel, a retail arcade, and a<br/> deluxe residential development were operating at Cyberport (Fong 2008).<br/> Nicholas Yang, CEO of Cyberport in 2003, claimed that the slow progress Cyberport was due<br/> to the SARS epidemic that hit Hong Kong in the middle of 2003, and that Cyberport<br/> subsequently has refocused on digital community and commercialisation (Fong 2008). Before<br/> that only one third of Cyberport was allocated as residential, since the main focus of the<br/> project was information infrastructure for Hong Kong (Lombardo 1999). With the refocussing<br/> of Cyberport, there are hopes to sustain the project, which has had financial losses.<br/> Unfortunately, because of the limited facilities, the tenants at Cyberport have claimed it is not<br/> a good place to live (Fong 2008). Further, the constant changing of top management at<br/> Cyberport has distorted the original plan. The present CEO, Herman Lam, stated that the only<br/> focus of Cyberport today is on ICT development (Hammond 2010). With this narrowed focus,<br/> and the establishment of a competitor, Hong Kong’s Science Park, the attractiveness of<br/> Cyberport has lessened. With the rapid development of other competitors in Hong Kong and<br/> China, the future of Cyberport is uncertain. At present, Richard Li is far less involved in the<br/> project, a factor contributing to investors diverting their attention from Cyberport to other<br/> similar projects close by. The next section will discuss the similarities in development issues<br/> faced by Cyberjaya and Cyberport.<br/> 61<br/> 5.2.3 The similarities between Cyberjaya and Cyberport<br/> The similarities between Cyberjaya and Cyberport lay in their development at the end of the<br/> 1990s after a significant growth of globalisation and the revolution in ICT. A mixed model was<br/> used in both projects, adopting earlier successful ICT-related projects such as Silicon Valley<br/> and Taiwan’s Hsinchu Science Park, with the incorporation of some additional local culture to<br/> suit the local environment. Both places announced their intention to become Asia’s world city<br/> (MSC 2010, Jessop & Sum 2000). Both projects received considerable support from their<br/> governments, and promoted close cooperation between the government and private agencies.<br/> Their major focus was to be the primary city for the development of ICT growth for their<br/> country and in the region.<br/> However, both cities have had difficulties attracting businesses. Infrastructure is still<br/> insufficient, and particularly fails to attract more local companies. For example, as a new and<br/> small company, LCP prefer to have their operation in a more established city like Shah Alam<br/> rather than Cyberjaya. Cyberjaya is struggling to attract ICT companies to operate there<br/> despite offering many incentives. Similarly, in 2008 Cyberport had less than one hundred<br/> companies establish branches of their business there (Fong 2008). To make things worse the<br/> first ten years of the twenty-first century saw Asia and other parts of the world hit by economic<br/> recession, epidemics (bird and swine flu), and natural disasters. These factors saw the<br/> development of both projects affected by a lack of foreign investment. Nonetheless, these two<br/> cities are not isolated in facing this scenario (Fong 2008). This issue is common among the<br/> new development areas globally. Ordinarily, new areas like Cyberjaya and Cyberport take<br/> time to be developed, and for people to move in permanently and feel comfortable to live and<br/> work there.<br/> 5.2.4 The differences between Cyberjaya and Cyberport<br/> While Cyberjaya was created to move Malaysia forward as a developing nation, the Hong<br/> Kong (HK) Cyberport idea was initiated by Richard Li. While the main force behind the<br/> Cyberport project is an individual, Cyberjaya is a government initiative that develops<br/> Malaysia’s ICT sector. The development of Cyberjaya is based on three phases. The third<br/> phase will span from 2011 to 2020, the date the Malaysian government has set as a target for<br/> Malaysia to reach developed country status. To make it more appealing, Cyberjaya is<br/> developed close to Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which is located more<br/> than thirty kilometres from Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, Cyberport is located near other<br/> government and private ICT projects, such as the HK Science Park, the HK Industrial<br/> 62<br/> Technology Centre Corporation, and the HK Industrial Estates Corporation. Further, a CEO is<br/> appointed by the government to run the Cyberport project (Ostrov 2002). As such, the role of<br/> Cyberport keeps on changing according to the CEO’s vision. For example, Jessop and Sum<br/> (2000) report that some market analysts such as Webb claimed that Cyberport “is no ‘Silicon<br/> Valley”, and has been developed as a real estate project rather than a high-tech project.<br/> However, Nicholas Yang, the former CEO of Cyberport, points out that their focus is not on<br/> R&D, but rather on creating a space where technology people and businesses can connect<br/> because it is a high-tech science park (Fong 2008). The newly appointed CEO as of 2010,<br/> Herman Lam, has announced that Cyberport is now dedicated to helping local industries to<br/> upgrade their skills and resources in order to prepare them or sharpen their competitiveness in<br/> the digital era. The development of Cyberjaya is focussed on the federal government’s<br/> mission for Malaysia to reach developed country status.<br/> Another striking difference is that although Cyberport follows the Silicon Valley model, they<br/> also looked to Singapore, Malaysia, the US, Australia and Europe for insight. Further, their<br/> policies are strongly influenced by Israel’s high technology approach (Ostrov 2002). In<br/> contrast, Cyberjaya’s primary model is based on Silicon Valley, with significant local culture<br/> influence. According to Fong (2008), the focus of Cyberport has narrowed since the new<br/> development of Science Park in Hong Kong. However, the growth of Cyberjaya is still<br/> expected to contribute significantly to the goal of reaching developed nation status by 2020.<br/> 5.2.5 Conclusion on Cyberjaya and Cyberport<br/> Both Cyberjaya and Cyberport are facing almost identical development issues. The<br/> governments of Hong Kong and Malaysia are actively playing their role in the development of<br/> the cities, and at the same time marketing their respective cities to global investors via various<br/> incentives. As a result, both cities managed to attract major names in technology sectors such<br/> as IBM, Microsoft and Apple to operate in the cities. However, with the fierce competition from<br/> other countries in the region and the world, Cyberjaya and Cyberport are still not having great<br/> success in becoming a world city, even in the Asian region. Their competitors in this sector—<br/> including India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan—are more advanced, are at the<br/> forefront of the creative economy sector in the region, and act as sources of professional<br/> advice and human resources the global market seeks. China and Indonesia have been the<br/> latest threat for both Cyberjaya and Cyberport; both are aggressively developing the creative<br/> economy in their countries on a larger scale. Regardless, both Cyberjaya and Cyberport have<br/> strengths that other places lack. They provide a fast speed Internet connection (faster than<br/> Indonesia), and English is widely spoken in Malaysia (more widely than in Japan, South Korea<br/> 63<br/> and Taiwan). Also, both have a stable political environment (compared to India and<br/> Indonesia). With these strengths, both Cyberjaya and Cyberport can become important cities<br/> for the creative economy in their region. However, they have to speed up their development,<br/> focus on their mission and objectives, and stay abreast of industry developments.<br/> Beyond Cyberjaya and Cyberport, there are other similar mega projects around Asia being<br/> developed to become world-class ICT places. For instance, the Singaporean government has<br/> taken pro-active steps to make the island a global technopolis and biopolis (Khondker 2003,<br/> 151). According to Khondker (2003, 151-152), the objectives of the political, economic and<br/> academic leaders are to transform Singapore from being disadvantaged because of their lack<br/> of natural resources, to becoming more competitive with their human resources, R&D, and<br/> technology. Singapore has limited resources compared to neighbouring countries such as<br/> Malaysia and Indonesia, but due to its government’s creativity has become a developed<br/> country. Thus, natural resources alone are not enough for a place to become successful with<br/> their economy. Creative imagination is also needed to maximise or create the resources. This<br/> is when creative economy activities play a major role for a place to sustain and become<br/> competitive. Since the UNCTAD (2008) report on the potential of creative economies, the<br/> Malaysian government has been actively promoting and supporting activities relating to<br/> creative sectors. With this in mind the rest of this chapter report findings for LCP in relation to<br/> each of the research questions.<br/> 64<br/> 5.3 RQ1: What Are the Main Operational Issues for Malaysian<br/> Creative Economy Enterprises?<br/> Figure 5.3a: Les’Copaque Production 3D Animation Movie Poster<br/> (Les’Copaque 2010)<br/> In December 2009, interviews were conducted with LCP managerial staff, before resuming in<br/> January 2010 with their other staff from all departments and rankings. All interviews were<br/> undertaken in their meeting room at their office at No 1, Jalan Boling Padang G13/G, Seksyen<br/> 13, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor. A total of nine interviews were conducted with LCP. A tape<br/> recorder was used during the interviews with the staff. The names and positions of the<br/> respondents are presented in Table 5.3.<br/> Research Question One is answered in the form of seven themes arising from the interviews<br/> with key informants in each case. Tables and exhibits are also used from this section onwards<br/> whenever necessary.</span></p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (2)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-31:3600580:BlogPost:3733762016-01-31T03:30:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">THE LITERATURE ON CREATIVE SECTORS</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">1.1 Introduction to the Creative Economy</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">We are now embarking on a new quest to position Kuala Lumpur as one of the creative hubs of the world, to be parallel with the mega cities of London, Milan, Los Angeles, Tokyo and even our next-door neighbours Bangkok and Singapore. As we enter the creative economy spotlight, we…</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">THE LITERATURE ON CREATIVE SECTORS</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">1.1 Introduction to the Creative Economy</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">We are now embarking on a new quest to position Kuala Lumpur as one of the creative hubs of the world, to be parallel with the mega cities of London, Milan, Los Angeles, Tokyo and even our next-door neighbours Bangkok and Singapore. As we enter the creative economy spotlight, we can show ourselves as not only emerging as the new creative hub within the region but even more importantly, helps to sustain the economic growth and development of the city. <span class="font-size-1"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;" class="font-size-1">(KL Design Week 2010)</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">This chapter separates the issues surrounding the concepts of creative economy and creative sectors into four subheadings. The first section presents domains of creative activity model, and introduces the concept of economic creativity. The chapter finishes by addressing the concepts of technological creativity and cultural creativity.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The rapid evolution of information, communication and technology (ICT) has brought profound changes in lifestyles worldwide. Not all countries have equal ICT facilities and growth. Subsequently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD 2008, iii) has recognised that it is time for the world to go beyond economics, and look for a more holistic development approach that considers different cultural identities, economic aspirations, social disparities, and technological disadvantages. As a result, the concept of a creative economy was identified by the UN in 2008. UNCTAD, along with other international agencies such as the World Bank, promote the need to bring issues relating to culture and technology into the mainstream of economic development thinking.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In this study, the term content and experience industry or cultural tourism is used to describe the development of the creative economy concept in Malaysia, which has adapted a model based on the experiences of many countries, including Japan, the US, and UK. Further, these two sectors reflect the case studies investigated by this research: products from content (animation) and experience (museum) industries.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Until recently, there has been lack of understanding about creative economies. In Malaysia the government has yet to implement a creative economy policy. Additionally, the government has no official definition of the concept. The first section of this chapter discusses the problematic</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">concept of creative economy and creative industries with a focus on developing countries. A domain of creative activity model from Mitchell, Inouye and Blumenthal (2003, 1) is introduced as the primary guideline for this thesis.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2"><br/> 1.2 Domains of Creative Activity</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In defining the term creative economy John Howkins (2001, 15) says that while creativity and economics are not new, the nature and extent of the relationship between them, and how they combine to create extraordinary value and wealth is. Kong (2000) states that the important nexus between culture and economy is neither a recent development nor a novel inclusion in the social science agenda; for instance, the term, cultural industry has been established for more than two decades. As UNCTAD (2008, 5) reports, whether it is an old concept being recycled or totally a new concept, the creative economy contributes significantly to economic growth.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The definition of creative economy according to UNCTAD is applicable to all countries. In their special report focusing on developing countries, UNCTAD (2008, 15) identified five major contributions of the creative economy:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">i) it can foster income-generation, job creation and export earnings while promoting social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development;</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">ii) it embraces economic, cultural and social aspects interacting with technology, intellectual property (IP), and tourism objectives;</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">iii) it is a set of knowledge-based economic activities with a development dimension and cross-cutting linkages at macro and micro levels to the overall economy;</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">iv) it is a feasible development option calling for innovative, multidisciplinary responses and inter-ministerial action; and</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">v) at the heart of the creative economy are the creative industries.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Based on their report, UNCTAD concluded that developing nations can compete with developed countries. Further, there is no one-size-fits-all approach sector. For some developing countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kenya and Somalia it would be more beneficial to concentrate on making the legal system, particularly copyright law, function more effectively (Schultz & van Gelder 2008).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Although there are widespread variations in the literature, many governments and policy makers have quickly adopted the concept in their policy development. Policy makers believe that the creative economy has significant potential as a means for their economies to grow</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">(Fleming 2007), as well as providing new employment opportunities. Kong et al (2006) point out that much of the economic transformation in the USA and West Europe over the last three decades is due to cultural economy (another term used for creative economy). Many developing countries in Asia wish to follow this model, but the Western discourses of creative economy may not be workable in Asian countries. For example in China, the ‘Western’ democratic model of creative industries needs to be modified to accommodate a top down authoritarian structure. Although Chinese authors such as Li Wuwei (2011), believes China is experiencing the same creative development phases as what other Western developed countries experienced, Keane (2011, p xiv) argues that different regions in China interpret the idea of creative industries according to their needs and resources with traditional culture being the core element. In developed countries the emphasis is more concentrated on new media, user-created content and consumer productivity.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In Beyond Productivity, Mitchell, Inouye and Bluementhal (2003, 1) provide an alternative way of examining the issues, by advancing four primary creative domains: scientific; economic; technological; and cultural creativity. These domains—shown in figure 2.1—are tightly coupled; activity in one direction depends on parallel activities in other sectors and disciplines (ibid. 22). The main characteristics of creative activity identified are shown in interacting domains that are important for the growth of strong creative sectors.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126704?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126704?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a><span class="font-size-1">Figure 2.2: Domains of creative activity</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-1">(Mitchell, Inouye & Blumenthal 2003, 22).</span></p>
<p><br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">2.2.1 Scientific, Economic, Technological, & Cultural Creativity</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Discussions of scientific creativity can be traced to the 1960s (Lehman 1960; Barron and Taylor 1963) in terms of its relationship with mathematics and medicine. Scientific inquiry begins with a combination of imagination and observation (Hu & Adey 2002). Mitchell et al. (2003, 18) mention that in science and mathematics, the primary fundamental outcome of creative intellectual effort is in contributing “new knowledge”. In general, they believe scientists and mathematicians are clear on the difference between “new knowledge” and that which results from incremental advances within established intellectual frameworks. The success of scientific creativity may lead to technological innovation and economic growth, and can inform cultural values. While scientific creativity is not within the scope of this study, the importance of scientific creativity is acknowledged, and there is a close alliance between it and the other three domains: economic, technological and cultural. Technological creativity has taken an important global role through the growth of information and communication technologies (ICT). Cultural creativity—through works of arts, design and heritage—is based on traditions and values, and provides rich experiences to communities.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In Malaysia, the creativity domain is regarded as a key issue. In the education sector, courses relating to culture, technology, economics and sciences, are a central part of the educational system. However, courses on animation, creative writing, and sound engineering have been offered only since the late-1990s. The number of public and private academic institutions featuring such programs has been growing substantially. There are more than ten Malaysian universities—including Aswara, UiTM, University of Malaya [UM], UTAR, LUCT, Malaysia Multimedia University [MMU], and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak [UNIMAS])—with faculties, centres, and departments that include the word “creative” in their names.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">1.3 Economic Creativity</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">UNCTAD’s (2008) definition of creative economy notes a close link to economic creativity as defined by Mitchell et al (2003). Fresh ideas are needed in the twenty-first century in order for countries to sustain their economy and become competitive. Countries lacking in natural resources can compete in other ways. For instance, Singapore is a small country with few natural resources, but the country has managed to reach a developed status within a short period of time through technological development (Teo & Huang 2005, 593). The next step for Singapore is to enhance the creativity of its population. Traditional economic development that</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">highly depends on commodities and manufacturing may no longer be the only way to generate income.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Creativity is recognised in assisting the growth of a nation. Entrepreneurship brings ideas, talent and capital together in innovative ways, and creates and markets products and services that are the core foundation for the growth of economic creativity (Mitchell et al. 2003, 18). In information technology and biotechnology fields, close alliances emerge between the institutions of technological innovation (such as research universities) and entrepreneurial activity, where each one requires and motivates the other. This is particularly evident in fast moving, high technology economic clusters, such as the information technology cluster in Silicon Valley or the biotechnology cluster of Cambridge, Massachusetts (ibid.). Thus, economic creative is closely linked to technological and cultural aspects. Although the development of economy may not depend on technology and culture, both play a major role.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">2.3.1 The Differing Creative Economies in Developing Nations</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Realising the problematic definition of creative economy, UNCTAD (2008, 12) has formulated a wider definition that covers all aspects of creativity and economic forms. UNCTAD argues that developing nations have capabilities and substantial potential for developing their creative economy, and should use all available resources to realise social and economic benefits. UNCTAD (ibid.) identified developing countries—such as China Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia and Turkey—that are key producers of creative commodities. This report is now a guide for many developing countries formulating creative economy policies.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Among developing nations, Indonesia is among the few nations that have developed and detailed creative economy plans. In 2008, the Creative Economy Development 2025 strategy was unveiled, with the vision to make Indonesia a nation with a quality of life and creative image favourably comparable to the rest of the world (Indonesia Department of Trade 2008). The government’s mission aims to empower Indonesia’s citizens to become a main source in their nation’s development, and to:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">increase the contribution of the creative industries to Indonesia’s GDP;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">increase export of products/services based on creativity, which is enriched from local value and contemporary spirit;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">increase competitive companies of creative industries;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">focus on the sustainability of resources;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">creation of economic value from creative innovation, including from local value and cultural heritage;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">development of creative zones/clusters in potential areas;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">strengthen creative images on products/services to attain “National Branding”.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span class="font-size-2">For some western countries, Asia’s economic expansion is a threat. The positive development of the economy in the Asian region has provided a stimulus for cultural development (Mahbubani 2008, 26). As Rohwer (1995, 17-18) has pointed out, many Asian countries have been good at putting together the elements that contribute to economic growth, particularly in relation to manufacturing.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Developing nations have a potential to develop their creative economy. Most developing countries depend heavily on their natural resources. Consequently, their definition and understanding of creative economy emphasise arts, handicrafts, heritage, museums and traditional performances. Some developing countries such as China, Indonesia and Malaysia are starting to implement new technologies to enhance their creative sectors, but their substantial strength is still on their natural resources.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">2.3.2 Creative Industries: New and Untested Ideas</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Today, more developing countries are starting to develop their creative economy with local elements added. The UNCTAD Report (2008) has guided the growth of their creative economy sectors. However, some scholars argue that creative economies exhibit more of a top down approach from the government to the public. This can be seen in many countries, in particular, Singapore (Lee 2010) and China (Keane 2007).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The implementation of policies has raised concerns from Oakley (2004), who argues that the use of creative industries as a single weapon to turn around economically-depressed regions risks creating polarised and unsustainable economic development. Further, the sustainability and success of creative industries cannot be disconnected from cultural policies. Mitchell et al. (2003, 19) argue that many subsectors of creative industries could hardly be called creative in any sense.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In 2001, a report by the United Kingdom’s Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) claimed that creative industries contributed over 112-billion-pounds revenue and offer 1.3- million job opportunities in the UK. However, since subsectors of creative industries are</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">multifaceted, the figures reported by DCMS are sometimes disputed. In his analysis of the effectiveness of creative industries policy-making in the UK, Garnham (2005) criticises the DCMS strategy as making statistics look impressive to the Treasury by turning public cultural goods into commodities.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">To some extent there are similarities between Asian and European nations. De Berranger and Meldrum (2000) state that at a European level (except for the UK), creative industries include heritage, literature, the press, music, the performing arts, visual and audio-visual media and socio-cultural activities. A similar scenario occurs in developing countries, where the majority of creative industries emanate from deeply-rooted cultural traditions (Cunningham, Ryan, Keane & Ordonez 2004). Due to the newness and diversity of this sector, many policymakers are still looking for the right formula to best develop their creative industries. With growth so important in advancing the cause of the creative economy to governments, there are now many overlapping subsectors; for instance, culture and heritage sectors are considered as part of the tourism industry in some countries like China, Malaysia and Thailand.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Growth depends heavily on political environments. Each country has different cultural barriers, financial strengths and political environments which may act as barriers to development (Cunningham et al. 2004). With a majority of creative companies being small and medium enterprises (SMEs), these companies face a tough road to success. However, with the assistance from world organisations such as UNCTAD (for creative economy and creative industries), UNESCO (for culture) and the World Bank, these companies at least have some direction. The next section will discuss further about SMEs relating to creative industries.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">There are many definitions of SMEs, generally based on the number of employees, total net assets, sales, and investment level. The most common definition, according to Ayyagari, Beck and Demirguc-Kunt (2003), involves staff numbers; many sources define SMEs as having a cut-off range of up to 250 employees. De Berranger and Meldrum (2000, 1828) state that SMEs have wide variations in factors such as size, location and industrial sector. Since most creative industries companies employ less than 250 staff, they are predominantly SMEs. Nonetheless, the data on SMEs is limited (Ayyagari et al 2003, 3) and most research focuses on manufacturing companies and on developed countries. More research is needed on SMEs, particularly on creative industries in developing countries, where the industries are poorly</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">documented. This study addresses this issue by focusing on the establishment of SMEs in the animation sector in developing countries, specifically in Malaysia.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">According to the DCMS Report (2001), the majority of creative industries key players are freelance, and SMEs. Leadbeater (1999, 49) states that:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Creative industries, such as music, entertainment and fashion, are driven.....not by trained professionals, but cultural entrepreneurs who make the most of other people’s talent and creativity. In creative industries, large organisations provide access to the market, through retailing and distribution, but the creativity comes from a pool of independent content producers.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Freelancers, small, and micro-businesses provide an extremely substantial part of the overall employment in creative industries sectors (O’Connor 2007). McGray (2002) points out that in Japan, the recent recession may have stimulated Japan’s young entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and experiment particularly in art, music, and other risky endeavours. Many small businesses have emerged in fashion, magazines, music labels and music clubs. Larger companies are starting to support these small businesses because of their substantial presence (ibid.).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The Malaysian government has stressed the crucial role of SMEs in achieving their vision for 2020 (Foong 1999, 81). Consequently, they are promoting and upgrading Malaysian SMEs to provide a strong and competitive industrial foundation. As a result of the poor understanding about SMEs in Malaysia, particularly in creative sectors, not much data is available. This study is therefore timely.</span><br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2">2.4 Technological Creativity</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Many authors have identified that creativity, innovation and technology are closely linked (see Florida 2005; Richard & Wilson 2006; Roodhouse 2006; Smith 2007). Mitchell et al. (2003) establish that in engineering, and in technology-based industries, creativity is the core element for technological inventions. These inventions can create commercially successful products, improve quality of life, and encourage the generation of income streams through intellectual property licensing. In addition, technology has been implemented in all sectors and aspects of human life, from culture, entertainment, education and finance, to health, hospitality, and transportation (see Allenby 2006). But advances in technology have made consumers more demanding.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">There has been considerable debate among scholars about the original meaning of creativity, which traditionally relates to art and artisans (Banks et al. 2002). Yet many discussions of creative industries consistently mention technology. Sectors such as animation, digital content, and entertainment (music and films) are dependent on technological innovations (Yusuf & Nabeshima 2005). As pop music groups from Japan and South Korea hit the Asian market, many made innovative use of technology. McGray (2002) mentions a Japanese band called Lipless X Sister, whose members wore stylish western fashion and hair styles, and were popular for their dance routine called “Para Para”, which has a resemblance to “the Macarena”. The band featured few traditional elements. Technology can assist the growth of sectors, especially as the infrastructure is now cheaper than ever before, thus providing catch- up advantages for developing countries.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Many economists agree that the Asian region has a significant potential to become a world economy power in the twenty-first century, particularly with the rapid development of China, India and Indonesia (Mahbubani 2008, 2). Countries like Japan and South Korea have been the economic leaders in Asia for the past two decades, and their influence in the world economy today relied on their technological infrastructure. Realising the importance of technology as leapfrog to economy transformation has made many governments in Asian region focus their attention on developing their technology. The establishment of mega- projects relating to technology transformation—including World Media Capital (China), Multimedia Super Corridor (Malaysia), Intelligent Island (Singapore), and Modern City (United Arab Emirates)—have been rolling out since the 1990s.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The influence of technology advancement from Japan and South Korean, in particular, is experienced globally. Brand names like Canon, Honda, Kia, Kodak and Samsung are household names. McGray (2002) pointed out that from the 1980s, Japan represented a new kind of superpower through their economic strength without using their army, and not needing to prop up puppet regimes, or fight proxy wars. Japan’s success has engendered confidence in other non-western countries to make Japan as their role model, and develop their own economies. Many Asian countries have followed Japan’s lead and launched closer networking with the Japanese government and companies. In Malaysia, locally produced cars, the Proton and Perodua, are both based on Mitsubishi and Daihatsu technology. Although there are differences in culture between Japan and other Asian countries, they shared significant similarities compared to other western countries (Milne 1986; New Straits Times 2009).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In Japan, it is reported by Yoshimoto (2003) that, their content industry has been identified by their government to have the potential to keep their economy sustained in the international market. Due to the success of Japan and South Korean content industry followed by Singapore (although more of outside sources rather than their original products and services), more countries in Asia are upgrading their content industries facilities and infrastructure. The term content industry is used widely in Japan to describe creative industries. The power of the content industry is never to be underestimated, as it serves like a “soft power” for countries to promote their culture and countries to the world like Hollywood films do for the United States. China, in particular, is aggressively developing and promoting their content industry as their “soft power”.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">2.4.1 Content Industry</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">One of the most prominent subsectors of the creative industries is the content industry; in some countries, this is a more familiar term. The content industry is discussed here in the context of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and this grouping includes films, music, game software, and animation (Yoshimoto 2003). By the early 1970s, Japan had emerged as the new power in content industry. Their products have been embraced internationally, and became a threat to the traditional content industry producers from western countries (McGray 2002). Asian countries, including Hong Kong, Japan and India, became pioneers in the region and broke into the global market with their content products. Previously, in the 1950s, children grew up with Mickey Mouse and Superman cartoons. However, the 1970s saw Japan introduce Ultraman (first created in 1966), followed by Doraemon (produced as a cartoon version in 1979), Mask Rider and many others. These appeared and competed with products from the developed countries (Kong et al. 2006; Yoshimoto 2003).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Japanese animation series and manga have been influential as “pop” culture since the 1980s, while Indian films and songs became one of the country’s most important exports to the world (Kong et al. 2006). Doraemon, Easy Rider, Pokemon, Narutto, and Ultraman are among the popular characters of Japanese anime or animation, which have been turned into other mediums like video games, and VCDs. For more than a decade, Japanese anime and manga have been translated into more than thirty languages and broadcasted in sixty-five countries (McGray 2002). Indian films and songs have been winning international recognition since the 1970s, and the country produces the highest number of films in the world. A.R. Rahman’s 2008 Academy Award for his original music, “Jai Ho” from the film Slumdog Millionaire encouraged more success. The South Korea content industry has provided significant impact in the global market, but more so in the Asian region. Middle Eastern films—from Afghanistan</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Iran, and Turkey—have been well received in the European countries and won substantial major awards in Europe. The success of content industry products from these Asian countries has motivated other countries in the region to develop their own content industry. China, Kuwait, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are working hard to become key players in their region’s content industry, and their governments offer support and incentives to their local and international companies in order to open up their businesses to the content industries.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">But the development of content industries in these countries does not proceed without criticism and some failures. In Singapore and Kuwait, for example, their content industries are focusing more on inviting international companies to establish their operations on the ground, rather than producing their own content products. As a result, Singapore managed to attract Hollywood film maker George Lucas to open his studio in the country, and many international publishing companies have opened branches. Singapore earnings from IPs generated a total of US$30.5-billion in output, and value-added US$8.7-billion to the economy in 2001 (Yue 2006). This has raised the issues of producing the output (processing) rather than the creative input, and the economic leakage that results from outsourcing.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">By harnessing creative industries development through value-adding, content creation, interactivity, convergence, and new methods of storage and distribution, Singapore has achieved success (ibid.). Other countries in this region, including China, Malaysia, the Philippines and the UAE, have managed to attract many international content industry producers to establish offices in their countries. The region has become significantly competitive in attracting international investors in content industry with many attractive incentives. However, the substantial global competition of content industry means that products from Asia might need to shed their local “identity” in order to meet the global market appeal. This can be seen in many contemporary Asian films, music, television programmes and video games which are becoming more westernised. Western culture is spreading fast all over the world and the Asian region is also experiencing this phenomenon.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">2.4.2 Cultural Creativity</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Mitchell et al. (2003, 20-29) argue that cultural creativity manifests in the production of works of art, design, and scholarship. Like contributions to scientific and mathematical knowledge, such works are highly valued in themselves. Nations and cities take immense pride in their major cultural figures, their cultural institutions, and their cultural heritage. Thus, stakeholders are investing substantially in cultural sector. Many value the experience of producing as well as consuming art, design, and scholarship. Not only high cultural practices, such as opera at the Metropolitan in New York City, but also popular practices, such as amateur photography, may be valued for the experiences they provide to the participant (ibid., 19). The important role of culture is obvious, but cultural creativity is necessary to ensure the longer lifespan of culture. Although traditional culture is appreciated, some customers look for a blend between modern and traditional culture particularly the younger generation (Allenby 2006). This is when creativity and technology play their major part to create a mixture of modern and traditional culture.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Contemporary cultural producers realise the importance of adopting modern technology in their products and services in order for them to remain competitive and sustainable. By implementing technology, they can attract more guests and visitors to experience their products and services. One cultural institution that has been forced to evolve is the museum sector. Traditional museums have experienced difficulty in attracting visitors compared to modern museums (including science parks), which adopt modern technology in their products and services (Awoniyi 2001). This action caters to the visitors’ demands for more engaging and hands-on experience. With rapid technological changes taking place globally, it is crucial for cultural producers to follow the latest innovations. Today, cultural operators and producers like museum curators need to provide products and services beyond the imaginations of visitors in order to offer new and different experiences (Goulding 2000). In recognising and responding to this new challenge, the museum sector role now can be considered part of the experience industries.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">As the second case study of this research focuses on a local traditional museum corporation that is shifting its role to become a modern museum to provide better experience to their visitors, the concept of experience industries will be applied throughout this thesis. This offers a better understanding of the many dimensions of creativity. Banks et al. (2002) argue that it is best to move away from a fixation with the product of the individual “creative”, and to concentrate on organisational processes and relationships within designated creative firms. They believe if the term creative industries is to be used in any meaningful sense, then closer attention should be applied to the meaning of creative, and how creativity is defined and managed within organisations. More explanation about experience industries relating to cultural tourism products will be presented below.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">2.4.3 Cultural Tourism</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) (2004) reported that cultural tourism is one of the top three reasons people travel domestically or internationally, especially in developing nations in the Asian region. As a result, many countries promote cultural tourism to local and international tourists (Smith 2007, 2). In Cultural Reconversion, Cancilini (1992, 32) highlights the necessity for modern elements to be added to traditional culture to make it more appealing, and to sustain its place in the market. Some traditional cultural fundamentalists, however, have criticised these additions as an exploitation of culture, and that there is even a need for such cultural reconversion.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Cultural tourism products are a combination of traditional and heritage products. This often requires repackaging in order to attract the market. Imagination and modern technology combine to attract more visitors in areas including design, media and advertising, merchandising of celebrities, and souvenirs items. Some authors (see Chhabra, Healy, Sills 2003; MacCannell 1976; Cohen 1979) argue these modern elements in tourism lead to “staged authenticity”, particularly in products that involve performances such as cultural dances.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">However, Murphy (2003, 262) argues that this can add value and create broad opportunities for cultural investment, and attract different markets. The outcomes include opportunities for local communities such as employment, new businesses, entrepreneurs and investors, and better support policy (UNCTAD 2008). Moreover, Baerenholdt et al. (2008, 197) argue that all cultures are constructions to some extent, and consequently are in a sense contrived or inauthentic; they are fabrications in the sense of something that has already been made, which is subsequently re-presented and re-performed.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In cultural tourism sector, developed countries seem to be more advanced in adapting innovation and modern technology to their products and services. Most important museums in Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, US, and UK have adopted interactive and technology- friendly innovation. By expanding their roles since the 1970s, these museums have roles that involve more than just preserving and displaying a cultural collection. American museum director, John Dana rejected the concept of museum as just a storehouse of collection as early as 1909, believing that a good museum attracts, entertains, arouses curiosity, and leads to questioning and thus promotes learning (see Alexander 1979, 13; Cleary 2006, 1). Also, museums need to blend well with their surroundings, and be accessible to the community (Dana 1917, 25). Dana’s assertion has substantial echoes with the aims of contemporary museums. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) (2010) defines a museum as,</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">...a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researchers, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Museums in the US took almost fifty years to implement changes to their functions and roles in order to become more than just display collectable institutions (see Dana 1909). Today, the role of the museum is different from the function of a traditional museum, and many developing countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, are shifting their direction towards the ICOM definition. Nevertheless, this shift is a slow process, and many developing countries are significantly lagging behind the west. The experience of the US in the early twentieth-century is now taking place in the developing countries. Some museums in developing countries are still operating using the traditional method, and some have difficulties adopting change. In Malaysia, these difficulties involve financial constraints; political problems (Kasiman 2010); and little or no access to networks of resources and expertise (UNESCO 2011). Although, these changes will not guarantee that the museum will have a larger number of visitors, they will move the museum to become more competitive in the market. However, it is not the intention of this study to investigate the function of modern museum, but rather to understand the global phenomenon taking place over of the role of museum in today’s world.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">2.5 Conclusion</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">This chapter has examined the key literature informing this study. In the first section, I argued that the global creative economy is dependent on ICT. The concept of a creative economy was made popular by the UN in 2008, and increasing numbers of policymakers have adopted it for their countries, including Malaysia.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The following section discussed the multifaceted nature of this concept and the difficulties researchers have had in establishing a definition. Creativity and culture are acknowledged as the two most important elements in a creative economy. The UNCTAD Special Report (2008) brought new hope for developing nations to compete equally with developed countries by drawing on their rich cultural resources; but the Report’s definition of a creative economy has been criticised for being too broad, and for diluting the actual meaning of creativity. Recognising the lack of reliable theory about this concept, I chose Mitchell et al. (2003) the</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Domains of Creative Activity Model as a primary guideline for this topic. The four domains are scientific, economy, technological and cultural creativity.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Finally, I conducted a detailed discussion on the domains of creative activity. For this study context only three activities were discussed due to their close alliance to this topic. Issues of each domain were presented accordingly. Economic creativity covers the difference between the understanding of creative economy in developing nations and developed countries, and the problem of unpredictable futures for some of the sectors. In terms of technological creativity, I focused on the content industry. The last section examined cultural creativity, specifically the influences and implications of cultural tourism.</span></p>Siti Suriawati Isa:The Creative Economy in Malaysia (1)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-31:3600580:BlogPost:3735352016-01-31T02:30:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-size: 10pt;">1.1 Introduction to Creative Economy</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The Multimedia Super Corridor is envisaged as the leading edge of a new national strategy for Malaysia to achieve the goals described in our country's vision 2020.</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">(Mahathir, 1996a)</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">This chapter outlines the key themes of this study, and introduces the research problem and…</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;" class="font-size-3">1.1 Introduction to Creative Economy</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The Multimedia Super Corridor is envisaged as the leading edge of a new national strategy for Malaysia to achieve the goals described in our country's vision 2020.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Mahathir, 1996a)</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">This chapter outlines the key themes of this study, and introduces the research problem and the research methodology. This is followed by background information on the development of creative economy in Malaysia, along with a brief introduction to cultural tourism and creative content industries. The final section provides a chapter outline.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">According to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (2004; 2008), creativity and innovation have reshaped the overall pattern of cultural production and trade worldwide (UNCTAD 2008, iii). In fact, all sectors of the economy now need to address these elements to stay competitive and sustainable. Countries such as the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) are at the forefront in these sectors, while developing nations in Asia and Africa regions are significantly behind.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">With the intervention of the United Nations (UN), however, more focus has been given to developing regions. Nevertheless, data on developing nations is still problematic and considerably limited. Many countries differ in their understanding of the creative economy (UNCTAD 2008, 4) which at times has led to the use of different terms, including cultural economy, and experience economy. UNCTAD (2008) has noted the problems in defining this concept lay in its multi-disciplinary nature, situated amid economics, culture and technology.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Due to the infancy of this concept as a policy idea rather than an academic field, research on this topic has concentrated on certain countries and on a limited scope. UNCTAD (2008, 16) reported that the development of policy has been active in developed countries for the past ten years; for developing countries, however, development and recognition has been more recent. Gibson and Kong (2005) identified the uneven geographies of academic work, and the need for future study to move beyond an American or European focus. Work by Barrowclough and Kozul-Wright (2008) (Africa), Keane (2007) (China), and UNCTAD (2004; 2008) (developing nations in general), has sought to redress this imbalance by focusing on developing nations. Further research is much needed.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">This study adopts the broad definition coined by UNCTAD (2008, 4) on creative economy:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">...an evolving concept based on creative assets potentially generating economic growth and development; it can encourage income generation, job creation and export earnings while promoting social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development; it embraces economic, cultural and social aspects interacting with technology, intellectual property and tourism objectives; it is a set of knowledge-based economic activities with a development dimension and cross-cutting linkages at macro and micro levels to the overall economy; it is a feasible development option calling for innovative multidisciplinary policy responses and interministerial action; and at the heart of the creative economy are the creative industries.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Although a consensus on the definition of creative economy is still subject to an ongoing debate, there seems to be a common ground on the two most important/significant elements of the concept; namely, creativity and industries. In other words, creative economy is the umbrella for creative and cultural activities. Hence, this study examines the term creative economy as it is used and applied within the Malaysian context, and is illustrated by two case studies. Additionally, this study uncovers issues pertaining to the development of a creative economy. Whilst other terms used to describe aspects of the creative economy such as, content, cultural and experience industries may be used where appropriate, this research focuses on creative economy as an inclusive term with a wide international mandate.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3"><br/> 1.4 The Development of Creative Economy in Malaysia</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">UNCTAD (2008) has identified Malaysia as one of the top cultural producers among developing countries such as Indonesia, Nigeria and Vietnam. The former Malaysian Information Minister, Ahmad Shabery Cheek was perhaps among the first person to mention the term creative economy in a television interview for the inaugural Creative Industries Conference in 2009 organised by the ministry:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">We hope the word C-Economy (creative economy) will become a household word in the society. We will monitor the progress of the C-Economy in the country and this is a platform that we have built.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(Bernama 2009)</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In Malaysia, the development of creative industries revolves around the knowledge-based economy, with special focus given on multimedia, innovation and technology areas initiated by the government. The Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) mega-project launched in 1995 is identified as one of the core elements for the growth of technology sectors in the country. The government had invested billions of Malaysian ringgit in several projects, including: MSC, Cyberjaya City; Technology Park Malaysia; Smart Schools; and Borderless Marketing. A part of the MSC mega-project, Cyberjaya City will act as a creative activities zone, and an export processing zone for foreign multinationals and export oriented domestic firms. This development is in line with the vision set by the fourth Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad to make Malaysia a developed country by the year 2020. However, compared to her neighbours in the Asian region for example; Singapore and Indonesia, Malaysia is far behind in the development of their creative industries (Vicziany & Puteh 2004).</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">1.5 Cultural Tourism</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Cultural tourism activities are a combination of cultural and tourism sectors. The phrase cultural tourism, however, was not used until 1992 (Stebbins 1996). The White House Conference on Travel and Tourism defined cultural tourism as “travel directed toward experiencing the arts, heritage and special character of a place” (as cited by Heritage Tourism National Trust 2002). From this definition, the key idea about cultural tourism is about “experiencing” the products.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) (1985) defined cultural tourism as the movement of persons for essentially cultural motivations (study tours, performing arts, and cultural tours), travel to festivals and other related events. Due to the rapid changes taking place around the world, more authors seem to include experience in their definition of cultural tourism. For example, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (2005) defines cultural tourism as the mosaic of places, traditions, art forms, celebrations and experiences that portray a nation and its people. The element of experience plays a primary role in cultural tourism, and demonstrates a close connection between cultural tourism and experience industries. In countries such as Sweden and Switzerland, cultural tourism is categorised under experience industries (Nielsen 2004, 20). In-depth discussion about this close connection will be presented below.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Cultural tourism has been a major contributor to the tourism industry for more than twenty years, and plays an important role in the economies of many developing nations (WTO 2004). Rich cultural resources in developing countries are creative assets, and their use can enable developing countries to create their own unique cultural identities and products, which can be exported globally to reap economic and social benefits and increased participation in the global economy (UNCTAD 2008, 16). Therefore, many governments worldwide are now promoting their cultural tourism assets for the immense potential contribution to their economy (Heritage Tourism National Trust 2002).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Currently, cultural tourism products like arts, handicrafts, and traditional music are becoming more innovative. A substantial gap exists in the academic literature on this topic in relation to developing nations. Some research has attempted to marry aspects of cultural tourism and creative industries, which consequently led to the conceptualization of the term creative tourism, first introduced by Richards and Raymond (2000). However, further clarification is</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">needed to better understand this new concept, and the relationship between the two core elements that contribute to it.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><br/> <strong>1.5.1 Creative Tourism</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In a global environment where tourists demand and expect first hand delightful and memorable experiences, the tourism sector needs to improve products and ensure that they inject some creative elements in order to remain competitive and sustainable (Richards & Wilson 2006). Smith (2007, 8) also notes that many countries have limited heritage attractions to develop or promote, therefore the focus on contemporary, experiential and creative tourism becomes of pivotal importance. Richards and Raymond (2000, 18) defines creative tourism as:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">...tourism which offers visitors the opportunity to develop their creative potential through active participation in courses and learning experiences which are characteristic of the holiday destination where they are undertaken.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The term creative tourism demonstrates the relationship between cultural and creative forms of tourism, and is seen as a means to sustain the competitiveness of cultural tourism products. See Table 1.5.1<br/> <br/></span></p>
<div class="WordSection1"><p class="berschrift3">Table 1.5.1: The relationship between cultural and creative forms of tourism</p>
<p class="Standard"><b> </b></p>
<p class="Standard"><b> </b></p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="594">
<tbody><tr><td width="140" valign="top"><p class="Standard"> </p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph"><b>Primary</b><b> </b> <b>time</b> <b>focus</b></p>
</td>
<td width="130" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph"><b>Primary</b><b> </b> <b>cultural</b> <b>focus</b></p>
</td>
<td width="110" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph"><b>Primary</b> <b>consumption</b> <b>focus</b></p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph"><b>Primary</b> <b>learning</b> <b>focus</b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="140" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Cultural tourism</p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Past & present</p>
</td>
<td width="130" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">High culture, popular culture</p>
</td>
<td width="110" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Product, process</p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Passive</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="140" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Creative spectacles</p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Present</p>
</td>
<td width="130" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Arts, performance</p>
</td>
<td width="110" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Performance</p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Passive</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="140" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Creative spaces</p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Present & future</p>
</td>
<td width="130" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Arts, architecture, design</p>
</td>
<td width="110" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Atmosphere</p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph">Interactive</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="140" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph"><b>Creative tourism</b></p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph"><b>Past,</b> <b>present,</b> <b>future</b></p>
</td>
<td width="130" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph"><b>Creative process</b></p>
</td>
<td width="110" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph"><b>Experience,</b> <b>co-makership</b></p>
</td>
<td width="107" valign="top"><p class="TableParagraph"><b>Active</b><b> </b> <b>skill</b> <b>development</b></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="Textkrper" align="right">(Richards & Wilson 2006)</p>
</div>
<p><span class="font-size-2"> </span></p>
<p><br/> <strong><span class="font-size-3">1.6 Creative Industries: A Discussion</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The most cited definition of creative industries is that offered by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), UK (2001), which defines creative industries as “those industries that are based on individual creativity, skill and talent. They are also those that have the potential to create wealth and jobs through developing intellectual property.” The creative industries include advertising, architecture, art and antiques markets, designer fashion, film and video, music, and software (DCMS 2001). Similarly, the Sweden Knowledge Foundation in Nielsen (2004) defines experience industry as “a collective term used to describe people and businesses in creative professions whose main purpose is to create and/or supply experiences in various forms”. This term has 13 sub-categories, including architecture, design, film/photography, visual arts, literature, advertising, media, fashion, music, culinary arts and meals, performing arts, tourism and experiential learning.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">UNCTAD (2004; 2008 12-13) broadly classifies creative industries into four areas:</span></p>
<p><br/> <span class="font-size-2">i) Heritage – traditional cultural expressions and cultural sites</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ii) Arts – visual arts and performing arts</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">iii) Media (not including new media) – publishing and printed media and audiovisuals, and</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">iv) Functional Creations – design, new media and creative services.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span class="font-size-2">This classification shows the intersections between culture, tourism and creative industries sectors that guide this study’s exploration of creative sectors in developing countries, particularly in Malaysia. The creative industries comprise a whole range of often overlapping organisations, products, and disciplines (Cunningham 2004), such as art, culture, and entertainment. Cunningham shows the close connection between these three sectors, particularly in developing nations, which tend to include culture and heritage when formulation their definition of the creative industries. While it seems self-evident that culture, tourism and creative industries are inter-connected, research examining their relationship is rare in developing countries.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Most research based on developed countries has omitted cultural tourism (such as heritage tourism) from being part of their creative industry (Cunningham 2002). Developing nations may not have the creativity, innovation and technology resources offered by the developed countries; nevertheless, this lack is compensated by the abundance of rich cultural resources</span> <span class="font-size-2">that can be used as a platform to develop their creative industries, and to compete with the developed countries (UNCTAD 2008). Furthermore, significant findings demonstrate that some developing countries, mainly in Asia, have started benefiting from the dynamism of the global creative economy, and are establishing tailored, cross-cutting policies that enhance their creative industries (ibid. 2008, 5). However, many authors have challenged the UNCTAD report, mainly for its very broad definition of creative industries.</span></p>
<p><br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2">1.6.1 Creative Industries and the Cultural Industries</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Heated arguments persist between cultural and creative industries theorists. Some argue that creative industries are exploiting cultural products for commercialisation purposes (see O’Connor 2007); others claim that cultural products simply are part of the creative industries (Hartley 2005). Yudice (2003, 1) cautioned that even though culture is a resource, it should be treated as more than just a commodity, and offered the example of Brazil, where culture has reduced social conflicts and can lead to economic development for the community in slum areas. This research uses an anthropological definition of culture, which sees the concept as that is more value-neutral and analytic, and can be found everywhere and not just in the high arts or in western “civilisation” (Smith 2001, 2). As the central focus of this study is on the developing nations, particularly in Malaysia, this broad idea of culture is suitable for this research.</span></p>
<p><br/> <strong><span class="font-size-2">1.6.2 Creative Industries and the Experience Industries</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The creative industries are also known by other terms, including: experience industries (Sweden), cultural industries (UNESCO), cultural sector and cultural industries (The European Commission), cultural industries (China), content industries (Japan), and entertainment and media industries or copyright industries in the US (Nielsen 2004, 6).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The two definitions of creative and experience industries have close similarities, but differ in their sub-categories. In creative industries, only certain cultural products are considered as core products, while the rest, including tourism, are categorised as related areas. In the experience industries, culture and tourism are considered to be core areas. To some extent, perhaps, experience industries are more appropriate for consideration by the developing countries, which normally categorised their culture and tourism activities as part of their creative industries.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">The concept of experience industries is a relatively new phenomenon (Darmer & Sundbo 2008, 1). Activities such as leisure, tourism, culture, marketing, and the Internet are part of the experience industry because they demand a fee from customers for a real service, good or commodity (Pine & Gilmore 1998). According to, an experience is created when a company deliberately uses services as the stage, and goods as props, to connect individual customers in a way that creates a memorable event, and subsequently charges fees (Pine & Gilmore 1998). The bigger picture of experience industries stems from the concept of the experience economy. In simplified terms, experience economy refers to society in general, while experience industries cover a limited number of industries such as the media, advertising and computer games (Nielsen 2004, 8). O’Dell (2005, 19) argues that tourism and the experience economy are within the same formula: as a commodity of tourism, culture is constantly being packaged and sold to us in terms of such things as difference, otherness, heritage, cultural identity, song, dance, music and art (see also Bryman 2004; Baerenholdt, Haldrup & Larsen 2008). This study examines the cultural product used by the tourism industry to attract tourists to visit attractions with creativity as an added value to the attractions or also known as cultural reconversion introduced by Cancilini (1992, 32). Disney Land and Disney World in the US are examples of how tourism uses culture and creativity to attract a significant number of tourists to visit a place, and to providing a unique and distinct experience.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-1"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(Editor's Note: This is part of the content abstracted from Siti Suriawati Isa's PhD Thesis submitted to Creative Industry Faculty, Queensland University of Technology in 2012 )</span></strong></span></p>DASAR INDUSTRI KREATIF NEGARA (7)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-30:3600580:BlogPost:3609942016-01-30T02:10:37.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2">Strategi 7:</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Memperkukuh industri sokongan/ hiliran.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126422?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126422?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575"></img></a></span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">Strategi 8:</span></strong><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Pengurusan, pelaksanaan dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang, akta,</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">peraturan,…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Strategi 7:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Memperkukuh industri sokongan/ hiliran.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126422?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126422?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">Strategi 8:</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pengurusan, pelaksanaan dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang, akta,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">peraturan, dan hak cipta untuk memantapkan proses kawal selia bagi setiap</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produk dan karya industri kreatif.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126570?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126570?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126548?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126548?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127910?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127910?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233128168?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233128168?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233128266?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233128266?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></p>DASAR INDUSTRI KREATIF NEGARA (6)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-27:3600580:BlogPost:3610412016-01-27T12:35:11.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2">Strategi 3: Memastikan produk jenama Malaysia diterima dalam pasaran tempatan dan mampu bersaing di pasaran serantau dan antarabangsa melalui promosi secara berterusan.…<br></br> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127006?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127006?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575"></img></a></span> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127512?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127512?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575"></img></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Strategi 3: Memastikan produk jenama Malaysia diterima dalam pasaran tempatan dan mampu bersaing di pasaran serantau dan antarabangsa melalui promosi secara berterusan.<br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127006?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127006?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127512?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127512?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127662?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127662?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127697?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127697?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-2">Strategi 4: </span></strong><span class="font-size-2">Meningkatkan usaha-usaha penyelidikan dan pembangunan berterusan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dalam memajukan industri kreatif.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127992?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233127992?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><strong>Strategi 5:</strong> Menggalakkan inovasi dan penggunaan teknologi serta meningkatkan kepakaran tempatan ke arah kemajuan dalam penciptaan produk dan karya industri kreatif.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233128220?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233128220?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><strong>Strategi 6:</strong> Menggalakkan penglibatan syarikat-syarikat swasta, syarikat-syarikat berkaitan Kerajaan (GLC) dan syarikat-syarikat multinasional (MNC) untuk memberi sokongan berterusan dalam memajukan industri kreatif negara.<br/> <br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233152991?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233152991?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>DASAR INDUSTRI KREATIF NEGARA (5)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-21:3600580:BlogPost:3608932016-01-21T01:53:48.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>PERNYATAAN DASAR</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Memperkasa industri kreatif negara secara menyeluruh berasaskan</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">kreativiti dan inovasi bagi menyumbang kepada ekonomi berpendapatan</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">tinggi melalui penghasilan produk berkualiti serta memartabatkan</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">warisan seni budaya.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Strategi…</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>PERNYATAAN DASAR</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Memperkasa industri kreatif negara secara menyeluruh berasaskan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kreativiti dan inovasi bagi menyumbang kepada ekonomi berpendapatan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tinggi melalui penghasilan produk berkualiti serta memartabatkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">warisan seni budaya.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Strategi 1:</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Memantapkan keupayaan modal insan dalam industri kreatif melalui latihan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kepakaran, pembelajaran dan peluang berkreatif.<br/> <br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233139583?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233139583?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233145720?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233145720?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233145834?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233145834?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3">Strategi 2:</span></strong><br/> <span class="font-size-2"><br/> Mewujudkan persekitaran yang kondusif dengan membangunkan institusi,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">prasarana dan sokongan kewangan (insentif/dana/pelaburan).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233212187?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233212187?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233223514?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233223514?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233223932?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233223932?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233224236?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233224236?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-center"/></a></p>DASAR INDUSTRI KREATIF NEGARA (4)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-10:3600580:BlogPost:3608822016-01-10T14:15:45.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2">POTENSI</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Industri kreatif mampu menjana ekonomi melalui pulangan kewangan yang</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">dihasilkan daripada aktiviti industri berkenaan. Industri kreatif yang berkembang</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">mampu meningkatkan pelaburan dalam aspek-aspek yang berkaitan dan</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">industri sokongan. Antaranya melalui penubuhan syarikat-syarikat baru dalam…</span><br></br></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">POTENSI</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Industri kreatif mampu menjana ekonomi melalui pulangan kewangan yang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dihasilkan daripada aktiviti industri berkenaan. Industri kreatif yang berkembang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mampu meningkatkan pelaburan dalam aspek-aspek yang berkaitan dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri sokongan. Antaranya melalui penubuhan syarikat-syarikat baru dalam</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bidang perfileman, rakaman, percetakan, dan sebagainya. Manakala industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sokongannya pula adalah seperti syarikat pengurusan acara, penyewaan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">peralatan, sajian, dan sebagainya.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pembangunan industri kreatif juga mampu meningkatkan dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">memantapkan syarikat-syarikat sedia ada sekaligus membuka ruang dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">peluang kerjaya dan seterusnya dapat mengurangkan kadar pengangguran</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">di Malaysia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Penekanan terhadap industri kreatif dapat membantu meningkatkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bilangan dan tahap kepakaran penggiat industri ini. Sokongan padu Kerajaan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan swasta serta persekitaran yang kondusif mampu menarik pakar kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dari luar untuk menyumbang kemahiran mereka di negara ini. Industri kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">membuka lebih banyak peluang dan pilihan pekerjaan tanpa mengira latar</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">belakang dan taraf pendidikan.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Penyelidikan dan pembangunan sama ada fizikal atau bukan fizikal</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">amat penting dalam memajukan industri kreatif. Antara lain penyelidikan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">fizikal meliputi prasarana, peralatan, teknologi, sumber manusia, sementara</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">penyelidikan bukan fizikal pula merangkumi pengisian dan teknik</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">penyampaian.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Penyelidikan berterusan boleh meningkatkan kreativiti dan membuka</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ruang inovasi serta eksploitasi teknologi ke arah penghasilan produk-produk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">baru, sebagai contoh bidang animasi yang menggabungkan seni filem, seni</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">lukis dan perisian komputer melalui platform multimedia.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Penyelidikan berterusan juga mampu meningkatkan mutu sesuatu produk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">seterusnya membantu penjenamaan produk tempatan bagi tujuan pasaran</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">antarabangsa. Amat penting bagi Malaysia untuk memastikan produkproduk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif tempatan dapat menyaingi produk-produk di pasaran</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">rantau ini.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Langkah mempaten produk industri kreatif boleh membantu usahausaha</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pemasaran produk tersebut. Langkah ini juga boleh dianggap sebagai</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">usaha mengekalkan warisan seni budaya kerana industri kreatif yang mantap</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mampu mengangkat seni budaya negara.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Budaya menghargai harta intelek juga dapat diwujudkan dalam kalangan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">masyarakat Malaysia selaras dengan pembangunan industri kreatif. Usahausaha</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">meningkatkan kesedaran mengenai harta intelek akan membantu</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mengekalkan warisan negara sebagai hak milik negara, di samping menjamin</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pulangan royalti kepada karyawan berkenaan.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Industri kreatif juga dapat mengukuhkan hubungan antarabangsa sama</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ada dua hala mahupun pelbagai hala melalui perjanjian persefahaman dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">jaringan kerjasama modal insan, prasarana dan produk industri ini. Lawatan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">budaya dan pertukaran modal insan mampu meningkatkan kemahiran</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan kepakaran dan pemindahan teknologi. Penghasilan produk usaha</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sama mampu meningkatkan hubungan antara negara dan memastikan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">perkongsian pengalaman dan pengetahuan bagi menghasilkan produk yang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">lebih bermutu.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">PERNYATAAN DASAR</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Memperkasa industri kreatif negara secara menyeluruh berasaskan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kreativiti dan inovasi bagi menyumbang kepada ekonomi berpendapatan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tinggi melalui penghasilan produk berkualiti serta memartabatkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">warisan seni budaya.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">STRATEGI</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 1:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Memantapkan keupayaan modal insan dalam industri kreatif melalui latihan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kepakaran, pembelajaran dan peluang berkreatif.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 2:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Mewujudkan persekitaran yang kondusif dengan membangunkan institusi,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">prasarana dan sokongan kewangan (insentif/dana/pelaburan).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 3:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Memastikan produk jenama Malaysia diterima dalam pasaran tempatan dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mampu bersaing di pasaran serantau dan antarabangsa melalui promosi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">secara berterusan.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 4:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Meningkatkan usaha-usaha penyelidikan dan pembangunan berterusan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dalam memajukan industri kreatif.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 5:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Menggalakkan inovasi dan penggunaan teknologi serta meningkatkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kepakaran tempatan ke arah kemajuan dalam penciptaan produk dan karya</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 6:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Menggalakkan penglibatan syarikat-syarikat swasta, syarikat-syarikat</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) dan syarikat-syarikat multinasional (MNC) untuk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">memberi sokongan berterusan dalam memajukan industri kreatif negara.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 7:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Memperkukuh industri sokongan/ hiliran.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 8:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pengurusan, pelaksanaan dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang, akta,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">peraturan, dan hak cipta untuk memantapkan proses kawal selia bagi setiap</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produk dan karya industri kreatif.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 9:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Membangunkan harta intelek sebagai aset baru perniagaan.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 10:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Menyemai apresiasi dan persepsi positif dalam kalangan masyarakat</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mengenai imej, potensi dan masa depan industri kreatif agar setaraf dengan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bidang profesional yang lain.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Strategi 11:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Memanfaatkan institusi-institusi kreatif Kerajaan, bukan Kerajaan dan NGO</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sebagai rakan kongsi dalam membangunkan industri kreatif.</span></p>DASAR INDUSTRI KREATIF NEGARA (3)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-08:3600580:BlogPost:3609622016-01-08T11:12:16.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-2">STATUS SEMASA INDUSTRI KREATIF NEGARA</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Sumbangan Industri Kreatif Kepada KDNK</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Secara purata industri kreatif di negara-negara maju menyumbang antara</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">1 sehingga 5% kepada KDNK. Dalam konteks Malaysia, industri kreatif</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">dianggarkan menyumbang 1.27% kepada KDNK (sumber: Creative Industry…</span><br></br></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">STATUS SEMASA INDUSTRI KREATIF NEGARA</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sumbangan Industri Kreatif Kepada KDNK</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Secara purata industri kreatif di negara-negara maju menyumbang antara</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">1 sehingga 5% kepada KDNK. Dalam konteks Malaysia, industri kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dianggarkan menyumbang 1.27% kepada KDNK (sumber: Creative Industry</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Baseline Study, MDEC 2008) dan sektor pengiklanan merupakan antara</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">penyumbang terbesar bagi jumlah ini. Perkembangan ini menunjukkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bahawa industri kreatif berpotensi menyumbang dan menjadikan ekonomi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">negara lebih dinamik.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Industri kreatif juga telah mewujudkan peluang pekerjaan yang luas,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">berdasarkan statistik guna tenaga di negara-negara maju seperti United</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kingdom 4.5%, Hong Kong 5.3%, Amerika Syarikat 5.9%, Taiwan 3.6%,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Australia 3.8% dan Singapura 3.4% (sumber: Centre for Cultural Policy</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Research HD Hong Kong University, Baseline Study on Hong Kong Creative</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Industries, 2003). Di Malaysia, guna tenaga dalam industri kreatif dianggarkan</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">sebanyak 0.4% atau 45,301 pekerjaan (sumber: Creative Industry Baseline</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Study, MDEC 2008). Guna tenaga di Malaysia 2009 ialah 10.89 juta atau</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">38.5% daripada 28.31 juta penduduk Malaysia (Sumber: Jabatan Statistik,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">2009).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kadar pertumbuhan peluang pekerjaan ini dapat ditingkatkan lagi melalui</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Dasar Industri Kreatif Negara yang terarah sekali gus boleh menyumbang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">untuk mengurangkan kadar pengangguran. Kadar pengangguran di Malaysia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pada tahun 2009 ialah 3.6%. (Sumber: Jabatan Statistik, 2009).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ISU DAN CABARAN</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Secara umumnya, isu dan cabaran industri kreatif di dalam negara yang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dikenal pasti adalah berkaitan aspek-aspek seperti berikut:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(i) Kerangka Institusi perundangan, penguatkuasaan,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pemantauan dan penyelarasan bagi memartabatkan industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kreatif.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Ketiadaan kerangka institusi perundangan merupakan antara cabaran</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">utama dalam membangunkan industri kreatif tempatan. Sebagai</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">contoh industri seni reka fesyen di negara ini tidak dikawal selia oleh</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mana-mana institusi menyebabkan ketiadaan perancangan yang teliti</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">untuk membangunkannya. Manakala isu penguatkuasaan, pemantauan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan penyelarasan antara agensi juga menjadi salah satu isu yang sering</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">diperkatakan. Sebagai contoh, industri kandungan mempunyai beberapa</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">agensi yang bertanggungjawab seperti Lembaga Penapisan Filem di</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bawah Kementerian Dalam Negeri dan Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Multimedia (SKMM) di bawah Kementerian Penerangan, Komunikasi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan Kebudayaan. Perkara ini tidak berlaku di Singapura yang industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kandungannya berada di bawah tanggungjawab Media Development</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Authority (MDA) dan di Korea pula peranan ini dilaksanakan oleh Korea</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(ii) Kesedaran Terhadap Industri Kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kurangnya kesedaran terhadap kepentingan dan potensi industri kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dalam kalangan masyarakat merupakan antara isu yang dihadapi oleh industri kreatif di negara ini. Masyarakat Malaysia sering memandang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">rendah kepada mereka yang terlibat dalam industri ini. Malah, masyarakat</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">beranggapan bahawa bidang ini tidak mempunyai nilai ekonomi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan komersial yang tinggi. Imej karyawan di negara ini jauh lebih rendah</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">berbanding dengan bidang-bidang profesional yang lain.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Selain itu, apresiasi masyarakat terhadap nilai estetika kesenian dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kebudayaan juga masih rendah dan sering dipinggirkan. Ini kerana nilai</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">estetika adalah subjektif iaitu pentakrifan terhadap sesuatu karya atau</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produk, berbeza antara seorang individu dengan individu yang lain. Oleh</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">itu, karya kreatif sukar dinilai dalam konteks komersial.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iii) Harta Intelek</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Harta intelek merupakan salah satu aspek penting dalam industri kreatif.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pembudayaan harta intelek, yang meliputi kesedaran mempaten dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">budaya menghormati harta intelek masih belum dihayati sepenuhnya oleh</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">masyarakat di negara ini. Malah, kesedaran dalam kalangan karyawan dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">masyarakat mengenai kepentingan nilai dan manfaat daripada</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pemeliharaan hak cipta masih rendah. Akibatnya, banyak karya tempatan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">hilang hak cipta dan peluang meraih pulangan yang sepatutnya.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">(iv) Pembangunan Modal Insan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pembangunan modal insan juga merupakan antara cabaran</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">yang perlu dihadapi oleh mana-mana bidang yang ingin dimajukan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">oleh sesebuah negara. Industri kreatif merupakan industri yang unik</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kerana memerlukan modal insan yang terdiri daripada mereka yang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mempunyai minat, bakat dan kebolehan tersendiri. Pada masa ini,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">negara masih kekurangan modal insan yang terdiri daripada karyawan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">seni dan pekerja berkemahiran tertentu. Selain itu, kebanyakan karyawan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">memperoleh kemahiran melalui tacit knowledge.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(v) Teknologi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kemajuan teknologi memainkan peranan penting dalam memajukan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif, namun di negara ini perkembangan teknologi tidak</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dapat digunakan sepenuhnya berikutan kekurangan pengetahuan</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan kemahiran. Aplikasi teknologi dalam industri kreatif berada</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">di tahap minimum berbanding dengan keupayaannya yang begitu</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">besar yang memerlukan daya kreativiti dan inovasi yang tinggi. Malah,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">indigenous knowledge (IK) seperti seni tenunan tidak dapat diurus dengan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">baik sehingga mewujudkan risiko kemahiran berkenaan pupus ditelan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">zaman.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(vi) Dana dan Insentif Kewangan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Antara isu lain yang sering diperkatakan oleh penggiat industri kreatif ialah</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ketiadaan penyelarasan dalam penyediaan dana oleh Jabatan/</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Agensi Kerajaan dan institusi kewangan yang mengendalikannya.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Sebagai contoh, terdapat beberapa Jabatan/Agensi Kerajaan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">yang menyediakan bantuan berbentuk dana kepada industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kandungan iaitu MDEC, SKMM dan FINAS. Selain tiada penyelarasan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dalam penyediaan dana oleh Kerajaan, industri ini juga turut</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">berdepan dengan cabaran kekurangan pelaburan berikutan risiko</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">yang tinggi. Ini kerana tiada jaminan bahawa karya yang dihasilkan boleh</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">membawa keuntungan dan kejayaan sesebuah karya banyak bergantung</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kepada faktor-faktor di luar kawal seperti cita rasa penonton yang berbeza</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">antara satu sama lain.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(vii) Pasaran dan Promosi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Bagi memastikan sebuah karya kreatif itu berjaya menembusi pasaran,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sama ada tempatan mahupun luar negara, aspek pemasaran dan promosi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">perlu diberi penekanan. Walau bagaimanapun, industri kreatif di negara ini</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">berhadapan dengan cabaran yang mana peluang keusahawanan oleh</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">karyawan masih tidak jelas dalam konteks pasaran tempatan dan luar</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">negeri. Malah, industri ini berhadapan dengan kekangan kekurangan pakar</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dalam bidang pemasaran yang mampu mempromosikan dan memasarkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">karya-karya kreatif tempatan ke pasaran serantau dan antarabangsa.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(viii) Prasarana</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Penyediaan prasarana merupakan tanggungjawab yang perlu dikongsi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bersama oleh pihak Kerajaan dan swasta. Tanggapan umum bahawa</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">prasarana perlu disediakan oleh Kerajaan perlu diubah. Pihak swasta</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">harus digalakkan untuk terlibat secara aktif dalam membangunkan industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ini. Selain itu, kemajuan prasarana secara terasing, kurang penyelarasan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan tidak digunakan secara optimum merupakan antara cabaran dalam</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">membangunkan industri ini.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(ix) Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kekurangan penyelidikan dan pembangunan dalam bidang kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">juga merupakan salah satu cabaran yang perlu dihadapi oleh industri ini.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Negara pada masa ini lebih memberi tumpuan kepada penyelidikan dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pembangunan dalam bidang-bidang lain seperti kesihatan dan pertanian.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Aspek penyelidikan dan pembangunan yang kurang diberi perhatian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">akan menyebabkan produk yang dihasilkan tidak mencapai kualiti yang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sewajarnya. Pengeluaran melalui kaedah tradisional menyebabkan tiada</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pengkhususan kemahiran pekerja dan kualiti produk tidak dapat</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dikawal.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(x) Persaingan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Memandangkan Malaysia merupakan salah sebuah negara di Kepulauan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Melayu yang mempunyai latar budaya yang hampir sama, aspek persaingan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">adalah antara aspek yang tidak dapat dielakkan. Persamaan produk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dengan negara-negara jiran seperti Indonesia dan Thailand mewujudkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">persaingan dalam merebut pasaran yang terhad. Sebagai contoh, industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">muzik tanah air menghadapi persaingan yang sengit dengan kemasukan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">karya-karya daripada Indonesia. Selain itu, persaingan dengan produkproduk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">luar seperti China dan India yang memanfaatkan teknologi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mengakibatkan produk tempatan tidak kompetitif untuk menandingi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produk luar dari segi kualiti dan harga. Malah, kelemahan penguatkuasaan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan kawal selia yang bersepadu menyebabkan berlaku lambakan produkproduk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">asing yang menjejas pendapatan karyawan tempatan.</span></p>DASAR INDUSTRI KREATIF NEGARA (2)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-06:3600580:BlogPost:3609582016-01-06T04:40:59.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-3">Skop</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Industri kreatif boleh dibahagikan kepada beberapa kategori industri</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">seperti berikut:</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Industri Kreatif Multimedia</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Industri ini terdiri daripada industri-industri yang mengaplikasikan kemajuan</span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">teknologi terkini dalam menghasilkan produk-produk kreatif. Antara…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Skop</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Industri kreatif boleh dibahagikan kepada beberapa kategori industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">seperti berikut:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Industri Kreatif Multimedia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Industri ini terdiri daripada industri-industri yang mengaplikasikan kemajuan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">teknologi terkini dalam menghasilkan produk-produk kreatif. Antara industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">di bawah kategori ini adalah:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(i) Penerbitan Filem dan TV;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(ii) Pengiklanan;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iii) Seni Reka; dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iv) Animasi dan Kandungan Digital.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Industri Kreatif Seni Budaya</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Industri ini ialah industri-industri yang berkaitan dengan penghasilan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">karya-karya seni yang bercirikan budaya Malaysia seperti:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(i) Kraf;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(ii) Seni Visual;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iii) Seni Muzik;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iv) Seni Persembahan;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(v) Penulisan Kreatif; dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(vi) Fesyen dan Tekstil.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">aktiviti muzium, arkib, pemulihan dan pemuliharaan.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Dasar Industri Kreatif Negara merangkumi kesemua bidang industri kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">di atas yang dapat menjana pendapatan termasuk industri sokongan yang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">berkaitan seperti pengedaran dan pemasaran.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">MATLAMAT</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Dasar ini bermatlamat menjadikan industri kreatif negara berdaya saing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan dinamik untuk menyumbang kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi negara dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">memartabatkan budaya bangsa.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">OBJEKTIF</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">DIKN bertujuan untuk menyediakan satu pelan hala tuju pembangunan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif yang komprehensif bagi mencapai matlamat seperti berikut:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(i) Menjadikan industri kreatif sektor dinamik yang dapat meningkatkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sumbangan kepada KDNK negara dan seterusnya menyumbang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kepada ekonomi berpendapatan tinggi (high-income economy);</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">(ii) Menyokong pembangunan industri kreatif yang berdaya saing, berdaya</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">maju dan berdaya tahan di peringkat domestik dan antarabangsa;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iii) Menyediakan kemudahan, prasarana dan meningkatkan persekitaran</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">yang kondusif bagi menggalakkan pertumbuhan industri kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tempatan;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iv) Memacu pertumbuhan dan pengiktirafan harta intelek dalam industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kreatif melalui program latihan dan akreditasi;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(v) Membangunkan dan memanfaatkan teknologi sebagai pemangkin</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif; dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(vi) Mencambah sumber maklumat dan mengetengahkan perlambangan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">budaya tempatan serta identiti kebangsaan ke peringkat global.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">dan sosiobudaya sesebuah negara. Kedua-dua elemen tersebut</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mempunyai potensi untuk:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(i) Menjana kekayaan negara, mewujudkan peluang pekerjaan,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">memanfaatkan sepenuhnya kandungan kreatif dan memelihara harta</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">intelek;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(ii) Mencungkil dan mengetengahkan bakat, meningkatkan kepakaran</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">serta kreativiti dalam industri kreatif;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iii) Mengeksport hasil kreatif tempatan ke peringkat antarabangsa bagi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">promosi negara; dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iv) Meningkatkan kesedaran masyarakat mengenai hasil industri kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bagi memperluaskan pasaran tempatan dan antarabangsa.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kelembapan industri kreatif negara pada masa ini didorong oleh</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">beberapa faktor seperti struktur industri kreatif yang tidak tersusun dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">terancang, ketiadaan integrasi yang menyeluruh dan hala tuju yang jelas.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Selain itu, faktor-faktor yang turut mengekang perkembangan industri ini</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ialah kekurangan tenaga kerja yang mahir, saiz industri yang kecil serta tidak</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kompetitif dan persepsi masyarakat yang beranggapan bahawa industri ini</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tidak dapat menjamin pendapatan yang tetap.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">PERKEMBANGAN INDUSTRI KREATIF DI NEGARANEGARA</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">LUAR</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Negara-negara maju seperti United Kingdom, Jepun, Jerman, Sepanyol,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Singapura dan beberapa negara di rantau Asia lain telah lama menerokai</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bidang industri kreatif. United Kingdom dianggap perintis kepada industri ini</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan definisi mereka turut diguna pakai oleh negara Jepun.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">UK Government Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">mendefinisikan industri kreatif sebagai industri-industri yang melibatkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kreativiti individu, keterampilan, dan bakat yang mempunyai potensi kekayaan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">serta penciptaan peluang pekerjaan melalui janaan dan eksploitasi harta</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">intelek (DCMS 2001, p. 04).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Berdasarkan definisi ini, United Kingdom telah mengklasifikasikan 13</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bidang di bawah industri kreatif iaitu iklan, seni bina, pasaran seni dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">antik, pertukangan, seni reka, seni reka fesyen, filem dan video, muzik, seni</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">persembahan, penerbitan, pembangunan aplikasi komputer, televisyen dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">radio serta permainan komputer.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">London Creative Industry Policy telah menggariskan 5 peringkat dalam</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">menjayakan industri kreatif. Peringkat pertama: Mengenal pasti sektor kreatif,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pihak berkuasa/bertanggungjawab dan struktur dasar sedia ada. Peringkat</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kedua: Proses pengumpulan maklumat, pandangan, model kajian sedia</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ada dan merangka dasar kreatif. Peringkat Ketiga: Mengenal pasti peluang,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kaedah pembiayaan, struktur perundangan dan pasaran. Peringkat Keempat:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Lawatan ke tempat/acara/pameran berkaitan industri kreatif seperti London</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Design Festival dan mempelajari penganjuran acara sedemikian untuk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">menyemarakkan industri kreatif tempatan. Peringkat Kelima: Pelaksanaan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dasar yang menampakkan hasil akan menarik lebih ramai pengusaha baru</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Negara Jepun mengguna pakai definisi United Kingdom tetapi bidang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatifnya adalah berbeza. Bidang industri kreatif yang dikenal pasti</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">oleh Jepun ialah pengiklanan, seni bina dan kejuruteraan, pasaran antik,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">barangan lacquer, seni reka (rekaan industri, seni kraf, rekaan dalaman,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">rekaan pakaian, rekaan tekstil, rekaan fesyen); filem dan video; penerbitan,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">jualan dan sewaan rakaman audio dan video; muzik dan seni persembahan, penerbitan, aplikasi komputer, televisyen dan radio, institusi kebudayaan,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">akademik dan artis (Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto, 2003).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Korea juga telah membangunkan industri kreatif. Sebelum kegawatan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">ekonomi 1997/98 pembangunan industri kreatif tertumpu di Seoul dengan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">penglibatan syarikat-syarikat konglomerat. Selepas kegawatan, syarikatsyarikat</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bersaiz kecil dan sederhana telah mengambil alih peranan memajukan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif di negara berkenaan. Tumpuan pembangunan industri kreatif</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">di Korea adalah kepada permainan video, animasi dan filem. Perkembangan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif di Korea adalah seiring dengan perkembangan ekonomi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">negara berkenaan.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Australia telah menjadikan industri kreatif sebagai salah satu dasar di</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">peringkat nasional. Tumpuan pembangunan industri kreatif adalah kepada</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pembangunan kandungan digital dan perisian komputer sebagai sokongan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kepada pertumbuhan sektor perkhidmatan seperti kesihatan, pendidikan,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">perkhidmatan kerajaan dan perniagaan. Antara dasar utama yang diguna</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pakai oleh Australia pada masa ini ialah Australia’s Broadband Connectivity</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">yang dikendalikan oleh National Office for the Information Economy and Directory of Community, Industry and Tourism Australia. Di peringkat negeri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan perbandaran seperti di Queensland dan Brisbane pula, terdapat juga</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pembangunan industri kreatif yang sedang dibangunkan.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">New Zealand telah mengenal pasti 3 sektor utama yang perlu diberi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">penekanan dalam pembangunan ekonominya iaitu bioteknologi, ICT dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif. Bagi industri kreatif, tumpuan adalah kepada bidang penyiaran,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">perfileman dan seni reka. Memandangkan New Zealand merupakan sebuah</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">negara yang kecil, bidang seni reka tidak dapat dianggap sebagai sektor</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">utama, sebaliknya adalah sektor sokongan kepada perkembangan industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">perkhidmatan seperti kesihatan dan pendidikan. Objektif pembangunan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif New Zealand ialah meningkatkan export dan kekal sebagai</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">anggota Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(OECD).</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Di rantau ASEAN, Singapura mendahului negara-negara lain dalam</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">membangunkan industri kreatif secara terancang. Dasar Kerajaan Singapura</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">memberi penekanan kepada aspek seni, budaya dan kandungan audio</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">visual dalam pembangunan ICT di negaranya. Tumpuan pembangunan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif Singapura adalah dalam bidang IT dan aplikasi komputer,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pengiklanan, penyiaran, penerbitan, seni rekaan dalaman, grafik dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">fesyen; perkhidmatan seni bina, kesenian, perdagangan antik dan kraf; seni</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">persembahan, perkhidmatan pawagam, seni reka industri dan fotografi.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pelaburan dalam bidang ICT telah mengangkat kedudukan Singapura ke</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tahap yang lebih tinggi di rantau ini. Penekanan juga diberikan kepada bidang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pendidikan sebagai pemangkin utama dan pelaburan jangka panjang dalam</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pembangunan industri kreatif di Singapura.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Industri kreatif memberi impak kepada ketiga-tiga sektor ekonomi (primary,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">secondary and tertiary) Singapura. Pada tahun 2000, sumbangan industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kreatif Singapura dianggarkan bernilai S$2.98 bilion (RM6.9 bilion) atau 1.9%</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">daripada KDNK negaranya. Industri pengedaran yang berkait rapat dengan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif, telah meningkat sebanyak S$2.02 bilion (RM4.7 bilion),</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">seterusnya menjadikan sumbangan keseluruhan industri hak cipta kepada</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">S$5 bilion (RM11.6 bilion) iaitu 3.2% daripada KDNK.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Dari segi pekerjaan, industri kreatif di Singapura memberi peluang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pekerjaan kepada 47,000 atau 2.2% daripada keseluruhan jumlah pekerjaan daripada sektor industri kreatif atau 31% daripada peluang pekerjaan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pada tahun 2000.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Produktiviti pekerja dalam industri kreatif dianggarkan bernilai S$63,543</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(RM148,045) seorang, hampir menyamai purata produktiviti sektor</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">perkhidmatan yang dianggarkan berjumlah S$68,850 (RM160,410) seorang</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pada tahun 2000.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kerajaan Jerman dalam laporannya, Culture And Creative Industries in</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Germany 2009 mencadangkan beberapa tindakan strategik bagi tujuan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">memajukan industri kreatif seperti:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(i) Meningkatkan program sokongan yang sedia ada bagi memudahkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">syarikat-syarikat berasaskan inovasi berkembang dalam industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kreatif;</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">(ii) Mewujudkan satu rangkaian sokongan pakar kepada para penggiat</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">utama industri kreatif;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(ii) Mendefinisikan dengan jelas konsep inovasi dalam industri budaya dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kreatif;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iv) Mewujudkan platform yang bersifat nasional untuk industri kreatif;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(v) Membangunkan kriteria penilaian kepada pihak Bank dan institusi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kewangan yang merupakan sokongan utama industri;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(vi) Memastikan bantuan dan sokongan yang berterusan kepada industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">budaya dan kreatif yang sebelum ini tidak begitu menyerlah tetapi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">berpotensi untuk dimajukan;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(vii) Meneruskan sokongan promosi dalam pameran-pameran dagangan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dan industri di peringkat antarabangsa;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(viii) Kerajaan melalui bank yang dilantik akan mewujudkan lebih banyak</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bantuan kewangan dalam bentuk pinjaman mikro untuk membantu</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri-industri kreatif yang berskala kecil;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(ix) Memastikan perkembangan industri budaya dan kreatif ini sentiasa</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">dipantau; dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(x) Memastikan kajian dan analisis berterusan untuk penambahbaikan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kepada struktur industri kreatif sedia ada.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Dalam memajukan industri kreatif di Sepanyol, Kementerian</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Kebudayaannya telah memberi penekanan kepada perkara-perkara berikut:</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(i) Memberi bantuan kredit dengan kadar subsidi kepada industri-industri</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">budaya dan kreatif bagi mewujudkan perniagaan baru serta aktiviti</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">profesional dan juga dalam pembangunan industri kecil dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">sederhana;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(ii) Memberi bantuan dalam bentuk “subsidi jaminan kos” kepada</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">syarikat-syarikat yang memerlukan bantuan kewangan;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iii) Menyalurkan pinjaman kewangan kepada projek perniagaan dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri budaya;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iv) Mewujudkan geran modal untuk mempromosikan inovasi dan teknologi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kepada para penggiat industri kreatif;</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(v) Mengadakan “CreArte Awards” untuk mempromosikan kreativiti di</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">peringkat sekolah; dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">(vi) Mewujudkan biasiswa di bawah Kementerian Kebudayaan untuk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">latihan dan aktiviti yang berkaitan dengan industri kreatif.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Pengalaman negara-negara tersebut menunjukkan bahawa peranan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pihak Kerajaan dan swasta amat penting dalam usaha untuk memajukan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif yang boleh memberi peluang dan ruang kepada rakyat untuk</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">memajukan industri berkenaan.</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Dari segi peruntukan kewangan pula, Jepun menyediakan sejumlah 1.8</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">billion Yen (RM62.3 juta) untuk membangunkan industri kreatif di negaranya,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">manakala di Thailand, sejumlah 178 juta Baht (RM17.7 juta) diperuntukkan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">melalui pakej ransangan ekonomi bagi mempromosikan industri kandungan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">kreatif negara mereka. Singapura pula melalui pelan induknya “Singapore</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Fusion Media 2015” telah memperuntukkan S$500 juta (RM1.2 bilion)</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">untuk membangunkan industri kreatifnya dalam bentuk dana pelaburan,</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">termasuk modal daripada bank dan para pelabur strategik. Pelan induk ini</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">bermatlamat menjadikan Singapura sebagai hab media serantau, menarik</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">lebih ramai bakat dari luar dan dalam masa yang sama membina bakatbakat</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">tempatan.</span></p>Dasar Industri Kreatif Negara (1)tag:iconada.tv,2016-01-05:3600580:BlogPost:3607172016-01-05T04:30:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>PENGENALAN</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Perkembangan semasa ekonomi global menunjukkan industri kreatif </span><span class="font-size-2">adalah salah satu sumber penting pertumbuhan ekonomi dan percambahan </span><span class="font-size-2">budaya di negara-negara maju. Contohnya, industri ini telah menyumbang </span><span class="font-size-2">sebanyak USD$3 trilion kepada Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK)…</span><br></br></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>PENGENALAN</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Perkembangan semasa ekonomi global menunjukkan industri kreatif </span><span class="font-size-2">adalah salah satu sumber penting pertumbuhan ekonomi dan percambahan </span><span class="font-size-2">budaya di negara-negara maju. Contohnya, industri ini telah menyumbang </span><span class="font-size-2">sebanyak USD$3 trilion kepada Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK)</span><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126992?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="275" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126992?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="275" class="align-left"/></a><span class="font-size-2">Amerika Syarikat. Dalam perspektif ekonomi dan sosiobudaya Malaysia, </span><span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif telah memberi sumbangan sebanyak RM9.4 bilion kepada </span><span class="font-size-2">KDNK negara pada tahun 2008 dan berpotensi menjana ekonomi </span><span class="font-size-2">berpendapatan tinggi serta memartabatkan budaya bangsa. Justeru, amat </span><span class="font-size-2">penting industri ini dibangunkan secara bersepadu dan terancang melalui </span><span class="font-size-2">satu dasar dan hala tuju yang komprehensif.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Menyedari hakikat kepentingan industri ini, Kementerian telah mengadakan </span><span class="font-size-2">Persidangan Industri Kreatif pada 17 Mac 2009. Antara perkara yang </span><span class="font-size-2">menyentuh industri ini adalah ketiadaan penyelarasan dan dasar yang jelas </span><span class="font-size-2">tentang pembangunan industri kreatif di negara ini. Oleh yang demikian, </span><span class="font-size-2">satu dasar industri kreatif perlu diwujudkan bagi menjelaskan hala tuju dan</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">pembangunan industri kreatif negara.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Bagi tujuan ini, Dasar Industri Kreatif Negara (DIKN) digubal sebagai dasar </span><span class="font-size-2">induk untuk menetapkan prinsip-prinsip asas pembangunan industri kreatif. </span><span class="font-size-2">Dasar ini akan menjurus dan memacu segala kegiatan kreatif secara lebih</span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">produktif dan ekonomik melalui sinergi sektor awam dan swasta.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Komitmen daripada kepimpinan tertinggi negara ini terkandung dalam </span><span class="font-size-2">pembentangan Bajet 2010 oleh YAB Perdana Menteri:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">“Dalam memacu negara ke kemuncak kemajuan, kreativiti dan daya </span><span class="font-size-2">pemikiran di luar kotak perlu dicambah dan dirangsangkan. Lantaran itu, </span><span class="font-size-2">industri kreatif wajar dimajukan lagi untuk menyumbang kepada pertumbuhan </span><span class="font-size-2">ekonomi negara. Industri ini meliputi seni persembahan dan muzik, </span><span class="font-size-2">reka bentuk, animasi, pengiklanan dan pembangunan kandungan. Bagi </span><span class="font-size-2">menyelaras perkembangan pelbagai segmen dalam industri ini, Kerajaan</span><span class="font-size-2">akan:<br/> <br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233163100?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="575" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233163100?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="575" class="align-left"/></a><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">DIKN berupaya membuka lebih banyak peluang kepada pelbagai </span><span class="font-size-2">kumpulan karyawan sedia ada, generasi akan datang dan industri-industri </span><span class="font-size-2">sampingan untuk mencetus lebih banyak idea, kreativiti dan inovasi yang </span><span class="font-size-2">boleh dikomersilkan. Ini selaras dengan semangat dan cita-cita Gagasan </span><span class="font-size-2">1 Malaysia, ‘Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan’ ke arah </span><span class="font-size-2">pencapaian Wawasan 2020.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Beberapa mesyuarat disusuli dengan siri bengkel telah diadakan bagi </span><span class="font-size-2">membincang pembentukan dasar ini. Beberapa dokumen telah dijadikan </span><span class="font-size-2">sumber rujukan bagi membentuk dasar ini, antaranya adalah:</span><br/></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">(i) Dasar Perfileman Negara;</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">(ii) Dasar dan Strategi Pembangunan Industri Muzik Negara;</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iii) Kajian Separuh Penggal Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan 2006-2010;</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">(iv) Draf Dasar Strategi dan Program Pembangunan Kandungan Negara;</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">(v) Draf Dasar dan Strategi Pembangunan Industri Kreatif Seni Budaya dan Warisan (Kementerian Kebudayaan,Kesenian dan Warisan); dan </span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">(vi) Memorandum Daripada Persatuan Persatuan Pengeluar-Pengeluar Filem Malaysia (PFM) mengenai Pembangunan Industri Perfilemandan Kandungan Negara.</span><br/></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><strong>DEFINISI INDUSTRI KREATIF</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2">Industri kreatif ialah industri-industri yang melibatkan kreativiti individu, </span><span class="font-size-2">keterampilan, dan bakat yang mempunyai potensi menjana kekayaan serta </span><span class="font-size-2">penciptaan peluang pekerjaan melalui penggalakan dan eksploitasi harta </span><span class="font-size-2">intelek.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Hasil penelitian industri kreatif daripada negara-negara maju seperti United </span><span class="font-size-2">Kingdom, Singapura, Korea Selatan, New Zealand, Australia dan UNESCO, </span><span class="font-size-2">definisi industri kreatif dalam konteks Malaysia ialah penggemblengan </span><span class="font-size-2">dan penghasilan kebolehan dan bakat individu atau berkumpulan </span><span class="font-size-2">berasaskan kreativiti, inovasi dan teknologi yang menjurus kepada </span><span class="font-size-2">sumber keberhasilan ekonomi dan pendapatan tinggi kepada negara </span><span class="font-size-2">dengan memberi penekanan kepada aspek karya dan hak cipta intelek </span><span class="font-size-2">selaras dengan budaya dan nilai-nilai murni kepelbagaian kaum di </span><span class="font-size-2">Malaysia.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Dengan kata lain, industri kreatif merujuk kepada seni untuk ekonomi </span><span class="font-size-2">yang melibatkan individu-individu berbakat, pihak korporat dan seterusnya </span><span class="font-size-2">memberi implikasi kepada negara dari segi pendapatan dan imej negara.<br/> <br/> <strong><span class="font-size-1">LINK: <a href="http://www.kkmm.gov.my/pdf/dikn.pdf">http://www.kkmm.gov.my/pdf/dikn.pdf</a></span></strong></span></p>DBP Sasar 13 Juta Rakyat China Pelajari Bahasa Melayu Menerusi Aplikasi MOOCstag:iconada.tv,2015-12-23:3600580:BlogPost:3544092015-12-23T01:00:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) menyasarkan sejumlah 13 juta rakyat China akan mempelajari Bahasa Melayu menerusi aplikasi 'Massive Open Online Courses' (MOOCs) atau pembelajaran dalam talian.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Pengerusi Lembaga Pengelola DBP Prof Datuk Seri Dr. Md Salleh Yaapar berkata sasaran itu sejajar dengan Memorandum Perjanjian (MoA) yang ditandatangani bersama Open University Malaysia (OUM) dua minggu lepas.…</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) menyasarkan sejumlah 13 juta rakyat China akan mempelajari Bahasa Melayu menerusi aplikasi 'Massive Open Online Courses' (MOOCs) atau pembelajaran dalam talian.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Pengerusi Lembaga Pengelola DBP Prof Datuk Seri Dr. Md Salleh Yaapar berkata sasaran itu sejajar dengan Memorandum Perjanjian (MoA) yang ditandatangani bersama Open University Malaysia (OUM) dua minggu lepas.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Katanya, MoA tersebut bertujuan menghalalkan pembelajaran bahasa Melayu ke negara China melalui penggunaan aplikasi MOOCs.<br/><br/><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126798?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2233126798?profile=original" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">"Maka kita menyasarkan seramai 13 juta rakyat China akan mempelajari bahasa kebangsaan kita dalam tempoh lima tahun akan datang," katanya kepada pemberita selepas majlis perasmian Seminar Kebangsaan Memartabatkan Bahasa Melayu di TH Hotel, Bayan Lepas dekat sini, Sabtu.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Seminar itu dirasmikan Naib Canselor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Prof Datuk Dr Omar Osman.Mengulas lanjut, Md Salleh berkata pada masa ini terdapat enam universiti di China yang telah memulakan pengajian bahasa Melayu dan ia merupakan permulaan yang baik dalam menggunakan kemudahan teknologi sebagai medan untuk menuntut ilmu.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Sementara itu, Omar berkata, beliau berharap pihak kementerian khususnya Kementerian Pendidikan menjadikan kaedah pembelajaran menerusi MOOCs ini lebih meluas dan menjadikan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa perantara dalam menimba ilmu melalui kemudahan teknologi itu.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Menurutnya ia bertujuan untuk memperkasakan lagi bahasa Melayu di mata dunia.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">"Kita dapati pembelajaran sepanjang hayat atas talian lebih mudah sekarang ini yang kebiasaannya diakses dalam bahasa Inggeris dan kita harapkan ia diperkasakan kepada bahasa Melayu dalam aplikasi tersebut," katanya.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Omar berkata ia mudah dilakukan kerana tenaga pengajar seperti pensyarah yang terdiri dari pelbagai kaum di negara ini sememangnya pakar dalam menggunakan bahasa Melayu dan mereka mampu menggunakan teknologi sedia ada (aplikasi MOOCs) untuk dialih kepada bahasa Melayu.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Selain itu, Omar berkata USM juga akan terus memartabatkan penggunaan bahasa Melayu dengan melakukan pelbagai usaha termasuk menerbitkan buku-buku dalam bahasa itu dalam bidang ilmu sains, perubatan dan kejuruteraan.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">MOOCs diperkenalkan pada 2012 dan kini banyak universiti di seluruh dunia seperti Harvard, Yale dan Purdue memperkenalkan kursus lengkap mereka dalam bentuk MOOCs.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Seminar yang berlangsung dua hari bermula hari ini itu menghimpunkan 110 peserta termasuk guru dan pensyarah dan sebanyak 20 kertas kerja akan dibentangkan dalam seminar berkenaan.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Ia bertujuan membantu memantapkan kompetensi guru bahasa Melayu dengan memberi fokus kepada kualiti guru bahasa Melayu dalam aspek pedagogi, kecekapan berbahasa dan profesionalisme.-- <span class="font-size-1">Bernama(Diterbitkan: Sabtu, 30 Mei 2015,GEORGE TOWN,Sumber:<a href="http://www.mstar.com.my/berita/berita-semasa/2015/05/30/13-juta-pelajari-bm/" target="_blank">http://www.mstar.com.my</a>)</span></span></p>The Most Dangerous English Language Alphabettag:iconada.tv,2012-07-12:3600580:BlogPost:824782012-07-12T07:00:00.000ZMalaysianCinemahttps://iconada.tv/profile/MalaysianCinema
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"><b>Which is the most Dangerous</b></span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"><b>English Language Alphabet ?</b></span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-5">Answer "<b>W</b>"...</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">It is tension generator...…</span></p>
<p align="center"></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"><b>Which is the most Dangerous</b></span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"><b>English Language Alphabet ?</b></span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-5">Answer "<b>W</b>"...</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">It is tension generator...</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">Because all the worries get initiated with "W"...</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> Who??</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> Why?</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">What?</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">When?</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">Which??</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">Whom??</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">Where??</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">War...</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">Wine...</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> Whisky...</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">Women...</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">Wealth</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">And Finally .......</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4"> ..........</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">..........</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">..........</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">Believe it or not</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">..........</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">..........</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-4">..........</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-6"><b>W</b><b>IFE</b>..</span></p>
<p align="center"><span class="font-size-6"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2061562229?profile=original"><img width="600" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2061562229?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="600"/></a><span class="font-size-2">(Photo Appreciation: The last wife by Olga Shiropaeva, <a href="http://www.shiropaeva.com/">www.shiropaeva.com/</a> )</span><br/></span></p>