how about we scratch our (k)otak a bit and come up with nicer malay-malay versions? Here’s me using rusty malay at 1 am :P

Dalam memacu negara ke kemuncak kemajuan, daya penciptaan pakar rekacipta dan senibudaya kita perlu dipupuk dengan lebih mendalam, manakala mereka yang memaparkan cara pemikiran yang menonjol patut diberi lebih dorongan lagi.

Hmm..the above must sound totally off to a Malay-Malay but its veli super sad/ironic/pomo/poco when the the local translation for ‘creativity’ can’t be found or is not used for a national speech.

Oh how bout ‘ayat-mayat’ to describe tired phrases like ‘think out of the box’:P

I think you meant to say: “A few questions we have. Yours they may be too, young Padawans.”

May the Force be with you.

Some quick observations on my part while I busy myself with trying to get whole of someone from the Ministry who is willing to explain it all to us! A ministry official I spoke to did tell me they are on the look out for young people interested in applying for funding. How this is achieved? ARTERI will try to find out ASAP :)

1. What does ‘Creative Industry’ mean? What is the significance of the glaring omission of the visual arts from this ‘Industry’?

Psychologically speaking, it is indeed a glaring omission for those working in the visual arts that we’ve been left out of what the government has termed ‘Creative Industry’, after all, how dare they?? ;P But I think this is just short sighted-ness and perhaps a misunderstanding on our part. I am quite sure that the visual arts is included in the definition of ‘creative industry’. It’s just that it plays such an insignificant role that it sometimes gets left out! I’ll work on trying to get more detailed confirmation from the Kementerian.

2. How will the 200million Creative Industry Fund be disbursed?

I think the term funding here is used differently by the Government, as compared to how most of us understand funding as a form of grant to realise projects that does not have any immediate or direct commercial returns. The budget report did state that the funding will be managed by the bank in the form of soft loans. I think this means that the money will be used to inject capital for start-ups with a business model, not for Non-Profit Organisations.

3. What does ‘local content development’ mean? E.g. does ARTERI qualify as ‘local content’?

Are we gonna make money out of this local content?? :D

4. How will the 3million Tabung Kebajikan Penggiat Seni be disbursed? What are the guidelines for application? Who can apply? Will the grant be managed directly by the Ministry of Culture or be sub-ed out to various institutions such as Balai Seni Lukis Negara and Istana Budaya, etc?

Let’s find out soon! I’m gonna start doing a bit of sleuthing :D

From my knowledge, they consist of things that are already widely accessible to the public, displayed to their full potential through mass media. Their choice of examples sure does fit the bill.

I know for a fact that the government through MDEC already spent millions for the development of comics, animation and games through its IPCC challenges, while MOSTI has some kind of grant for the content and creative businesses as well.

I can’t say I am well versed in how the government spends it’s “creative industry” budget but I don’t usually see that much budget for the visual fine arts scene. I’d expect the Rm200 million to be given out in similar ways as well.

3. Yes, I think it would. As a matter of fact, the MOSTI grant helps activities that are either commercially viable or societally significant, which if it was up to me I’d put Arteri as a serious contender.

I do bet they didn’t have visual and fine arts in mind when they made the budget, but doesn’t mean it’s too late to get a piece of the pie if someone would remind them that there’s a active art scene here in Malaysia. =D