KUALA LUMPUR: The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) has confirmed it is looking into claims of fund misuse by a local film production company, following posts that recently went viral on social media.
Finas Chief Executive Officer Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib said the agency has opened an investigation and called in both the company's management and the complainant to hear their side of the story.
"The Finas enforcement division has set the investigation in motion by calling upon both parties. So far, only one party has come forward to explain.
"We are still waiting for the other party, who may have been unable to attend due to location and scheduling constraints," he told Berita Harian yesterday.
Azmir clarified that the project in question did not receive film development or production grants from Finas. Instead, it was given marketing support, which is worth significantly less than a full production grant.
He also explained that the company helps distribute non-commercial films, which play a crucial role in growing the local film industry.
"The company distributes several films, especially those categorised as non-commercial.
"We are aware that some question why funds should be allocated to non-commercial films. But we view both categories of films as equally important.
"Commercial films are evaluated based on box-office returns, whereas non-commercial films hold national significance by helping independent producers showcase their work and profiles on the international stage," he said.
Azmir added that Finas has not yet seen any solid evidence to back up the claims, but the team will continue examining all information provided.
"At present, no elements of misappropriation have been identified. The funded films have been completed, and no complaints have been received from production crew members regarding delays or failures in wage payments.
"But Finas will still wait for the other party to come forward with an explanation and—if available—additional evidence, so that a transparent investigation can be conducted to determine whether there is any basis to the allegations," he said.
The issue first came to light after a user on Threads accused the company of misusing funds and shared a screenshot of an official report allegedly submitted to Finas.
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