Financial Support for Cultural Events in Malaysia
Qistina Donna Lee Abdullah (PhD)
Department of Liberal Arts
Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Kota Samarahan Sarawak
Malaysia
[email protected]
In Malaysia, cultural development is determined according to the leaders at the helm of the country. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, previous Prime Minister of Malaysia stated the importance of arts and culture in developing the tourism sector. The Eight Malaysian Plan (www.epu.jpm.my, 2009) reports:
'Malaysia is a developing country, which will have to take towards becoming a united and fully developed nation in our own mould by the year 2020'. In conjunction with the industrial and economic development, arts and culture is one of the major components to be developing in the tourism sector as stated in the Seventh Malaysia Plan Report' (www.epu.jpm.my, 2009)
In order to develop product, program and activity for arts and cultural heritage, the government has increased the budget allocation for arts and cultural organization. This allocation also applies for 'small and medium industry' in arts and cultural businesses such as handicraft, textile, traditional dance, traditional music, drama and theatre, film, food, and other types of arts and cultural products. The budget allocation has been increased for the 'cultural product' from RM120.6 million during the 6th Malaysia Plan (1990-1995) to RM181.2 million in the 7th Malaysia Plan (1995-2000). Meanwhile for 'preservation of National and Historical Heritage' has slightly extended from RM41.1 million (6th Malaysia Plan) to RM45.5 million (7th Malaysia Plan) (www.epu.jpm.my, 2009). There are slight changes in the 8th and 9th Malaysia Plan whereby, the allocation for culture, Arts and Heritage has been grouped together for a 10 year period from 2001 to 2010. In this document under the expenditure and allocation for culture, arts and heritage is declared as RM454 million in the 8th Malaysia Plan's expenditure, and allocation of RM442.4 million in the 9th Malaysia Plan. This explained almost ten times more than in 7th Malaysia Plan budget. As in the 10th Malaysia Plan for a 5 year period from 2011 to 2015, the report was again slightly different from the rest of the previous Malaysia Plan. The Malaysia Economic Planning Unit has grouped the allocation by sector. In this 10th Malaysia Plan, the allocation for culture, arts and heritage, which falls under the social sector, indicate as 30% from the overall allocation of 230 billion. Therefore the total is approximately accumulated of 69 billion. Therefore, the allocation of budget generally has increased from year to year. It has been approved that allocating more budget will generate stimulus growth in the culture, arts and heritage sector and at the same time establish its significant existence as a main contributor to the social and economic growth.
Recently, the minister of information, communication and culture, Datuk Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim mentioned that the Malaysian government will set up a joint collaboration with the domestic and international private sector for establishing a balanced education system intensifying the arts subject. In order to develop this purpose, the MICC through its agencies will be working simultaneously with all arts faculties in the country. To accomplish this purpose, the 2011 budget has allocated RM119 million into the national creative industry which is expected to generate a return of RM6 billion in terms of capital and arts collections. This allocation is consigned under the MICC for few major projects under Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM), and National Film Malaysia (FINAS) (www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp, Nov 2010).
Besides budget allocation, the government encourages foreign investors to invest and establish their businesses in Malaysia, particularly in arts and culture, specifically investments in handicraft, textile, films production, and other art sectors. To establish this mission, incentives have been offered by the Malaysian government to attract the foreign investors in the form of tax exemptions, tax allowances, and double deductions. For the foreign companies who are currently engaged in promoting Malaysian arts, culture and tourism at the international level, the government has furnished them with double tax deductions (www.epu.jpm.my).
By establishing good networking with foreign countries, Malaysia will gain benefits in the form of generating more income to the country, developing global networking, and at the same time obtaining more opportunities in the arts and cultural sectors.
Bibliography:
www.epu.jpm.my, retrieved Sept 2014
6th Malaysia Plan (1990-1995), www.epu.jpm.my, retrieved Oct 2014
7th Malaysia Plan (1995-2000), www.epu.jpm.my, retrieved Oct 2014
8th Malaysia Plan (2000-2005), www.epu.jpm.my, retrieved Oct 2014
9th Malaysia Plan (2005-2010), www.epu.jpm.my, retrieved Oct 2014
10th Malaysia Plan (2010-2015), www.epu.jpm.my, retrieved Oct 2014
www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp, Nov 2010
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