JAKARTA, Oct 21 — Malaysia has proposed establishing a cross-ministerial High-Level Committee (HLC) with Indonesia to accelerate bilateral cooperation in the creative industries and creative economy.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said that the committee would facilitate discussions on collaborative initiatives, including those that could be formalised through memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with relevant Indonesian ministries.
He said that the proposed mechanism would also help coordinate cooperation across different ministerial portfolios, as areas overseen by Malaysia’s Communications Ministry fell under several ministries in Indonesia, including those responsible for culture, communications and the creative economy.
“The intention is to expedite discussions on matters that would be covered in memoranda of understanding, which will be refined further. As I mentioned earlier, some areas fall under the purview of the Communications Ministry, while others come under several other ministries, as the portfolios are not all the same,” he said.
Fahmi spoke to Bernama after a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya here on Wednesday, during which both ministers witnessed the signing of two MoUs between Malaysia's MyCreative Ventures and two Indonesian entities, the Jakarta Creative Economy Committee and EnMasse.
The MoUs were signed by MyCreative Ventures Group chief executive officer Zainol Haqim Zainol Rashid, Jakarta Creative Economy Committee Advisory Board Member Joshua Simandjuntak and EnMasse representative Andi Surya Wirawan Sadha.
Fahmi said the agreements were expected to facilitate closer collaboration and the exchange of creative industry activities between the two countries, particularly in music and related sectors.
On his meeting with Teuku Riefky, Fahmi said he was briefed on the roles and responsibilities of Indonesia’s newly established Creative Economy Ministry under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, and that they had explored potential areas of cooperation.
“We see many similarities and synergies with the Orange Economy Council that we have established. What is interesting is how they view the various sectors and sub-sectors within the creative economy.
“This will certainly help us examine and assess policy aspects and the implementation of programmes for the creative economy,” he said.
Earlier, Fahmi, who is on a working visit to Jakarta until Thursday, held a separate bilateral meeting with Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon, following discussions with Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid on Tuesday.
Fahmi said his discussions with Fadli focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the film industry.
“We discussed how we could strengthen cooperation, including through an MoU, particularly in the film sector, which we see as having the potential for greater collaboration, including the development of a Nusantara film festival,” he said.
Fahmi said Fadli had also proposed closer cooperation with Malaysia to seek international recognition for Malay cultural heritage, including Jawi script.
“This may not fall under the purview of the Communications Ministry, but we will convey the proposal to the relevant ministries, including the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac), regarding the Indonesian Culture Ministry’s intention to nominate Malay heritage, such as Jawi script, for international recognition,” he said.
Fahmi said the proposal could follow the example of the kebaya, which was inscribed on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024 following a joint nomination by Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore and Thailand. — Bernama