By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Jan 30 — The Selangor government is actively supporting creative entrepreneurs to develop innovative products and services for export, said state executive councillor for entrepreneurship Mohd Najwan Halimi.
He said at present, the creative sector remains largely an untapped market that young Malaysians should explore, particularly when it comes to capitalising on and promoting the country’s unique culture.
Drawing inspiration from the monumental success of South Korea’s cultural exports, including its entertainment contents, Najwan expressed the state’s interest in learning from best practices.
“We are looking towards creative contents such as animation, perhaps products involving batik or other creative arts. We must look beyond conventional products like food and beverages, or other physical products, to help export.
“The state is looking at helping the sector to establish profitable and sustainable businesses. Of course, creative products are not solely focused on entertainment purposes but should bring benefits to society,” he told reporters after officiating at the (SAY) Aspire programme at the Raja Tun Uda Library, here, today.
Najwan also reiterated the state government’s commitment to organise a Creative Industry Symposium to formulate a direction plan for the sector this year.
“This way, we get to see what are the challenges faced by industry players and where we can help them best.”
The plan will be developed based on three main scopes, namely multimedia, cultural arts, and cultural heritage.
Previously, when tabling the 2024 Selangor Budget on November 10 last year, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari had announced a RM1 million allocation to strengthen the state’s creative economy industry.
Earlier in his officiating speech, Najwan applauded those who seek to engage in entrepreneurial pursuits but said they should give back to the community after achieving successes.
“Of course, the objective of a business should focus on profitability and sustainability, but they should also give back to the community and create better opportunities for up-and-comers.”
SAY Aspire is an entrepreneurial development programme for export-ready companies to penetrate their products and services abroad, with a primary focus on helping the youth.
The fifth edition of the programme this year will begin in earnest next month.
The programme initiation involves a pitching process where 50 entrepreneurs are given the opportunity to present their business in hopes of receiving a RM10,000 grant and a return flight ticket to a selected country of their choosing as a business trip.
