Malaysia seeks bankable status for intellectual property
Malaysia also proposed developing creative and digital skills together and establishing rules for responsible AI use in creative work.
Malaysia has proposed recognising intellectual property as an asset that can support financing, alongside skills development and rules on artificial intelligence (AI), Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil told an international ministerial meeting in Jakarta on Oct 22.
Addressing the Fifth World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE), Fahmi said creative skills should be developed together with digital capabilities. He also called for frameworks that put human creators at the centre of responsible AI use in creative work.
Fahmi said creative businesses face financing difficulties because their main assets are intangible. Creators often supply production services without retaining intellectual property ownership or its commercial value, he said, while generative AI presents questions over copyright, fair payment and cultural authenticity.
He proposed closer international cooperation through co-productions, talent exchanges and shared approaches to measuring the sector. Joint training and residencies could help professionals build networks, while better data could inform policy and support the case for investment, he said.
In Malaysia, Fahmi said the Communications Ministry and its agencies had introduced matching grants and co-production funds, expanded talent development and were preparing a National Film Policy and a National Music Policy. He described a shift towards owning and commercialising intellectual property rather than only producing content.
Fahmi said the 13th Malaysia Plan (2026–2030) identifies the orange economy as a new growth source. He put the cultural and creative industries’ contribution at 6.8% of gross domestic product in 2024, with exports of RM63 billion and more than 760,000 jobs supported.
Malaysia has also established the Orange Economy Council, or Majlis Ekonomi Jingga, Fahmi said. The body will guide the creative sector and advise the government on its planning, implementation and monitoring, with industry participation.
