KKMM & FINAS PROVIDES RM46.99MIL DIGITAL CONTENT GRANT (DKD) TO 81 PRODUCTION COMPANIES

According to National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), a total of 81 production companies have received allocations from the Digital Content Grant (DKD) totalling to RM46.99mil. This time, the DKD will commence through four categories – Film Grant, Documentary Film Grant, Marketing Grant, as well as the TV/OTT Programme Grant (in collaboration with Astro). 

The Summary of grants are as follows: 

1. Feature Film Grant, 60 Companies – RM 40,550,000

2. Documentary Grant, 7 Companies – RM 1,840,000

3. Marketing Grant, 6 Companies – RM 900,000

4. TV/OTT Programs in Cooperation with ASTRO, 8 Companies – RM 3,700,000

Total: 81 Companies, RM 46,990,000

The  DKD initiative is implemented with the aim of facilitating and encouraging industry players in developing creative content as well as optimizing the potential of the creative content industry in the domestic and global markets. The implementation of DKD also strives to develop content that is competitive as a source of national income in achieving high-income economic status, thus increase the production of competitive Malaysian creative content intellectual property.

Finas stated that this initiative is also an ongoing effort by the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia (KKMM) in ensuring the sustainability of the publishers, production workers, and creative industry activists that were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

KKMM is directly involved in the implementation of two out of three main focuses of PEMULIH, which is to continue with the people caring agenda and to support businesses while focusing on internet connectivity, digital entrepreneurship, creative industry sustainability, and mental health. As such, major telecommunications service providers – Celcom, Digi, Maxis, Telekom Malaysia, and UMobile, have agreed to extend the daily 1GB free data service from 1 August to 31 December 2021, which costs an estimated RM500mil, will be of benefit to 44mil registered users. 

Through the Small Entrepreneur Digitization Empowerment Program (PUPUK), the Government is targeting at least 800 thousand entrepreneurs to adopt digitization and subsequently become actively involved in the digital economy. Also through Shop Malaysia Online and Go-eCommerce Onboarding campaigns as well as industry players and e-Commerce platforms, KKMM is targeting that about 300,000 micro traders and SMEs from various groups will benefit from the allocation of RM200mil. 

KKMM will also be providing training to 250 farmers from rural areas to switch to a digital economy platform in order to increase business revenue and online sales to generate more lucrative sources of income. This is in line with the development of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (4IR) in agriculture, the AgTech Agriculture Sector Digitalization and Transformation Program in collaboration with the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and the Area Farmers Organization.

PEMULIH will impact the country’s creative industry activists with an allocation of RM100 million through departments and agencies under KKMM to implement 13 key initiatives in the form of financing facilities, capacity building, market access and promotion, as well as production on television and radio. With that, the initiative targets more than 8,000 beneficiaries and is estimated to create 35,000 jobs within the industry. 

Some 11,460 employees from production companies that are receiving  the FINAS Digital Content Fund will receive protection contributions under the Scheme  SOCSO Self-Employment Social Security (SKSPS) through the Production Manpower Contribution Initiative. Additionally, with understanding of the need of psychosocial support during this pandemic, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will host a special mental health slot that will be broadcasted on Selamat Pagi Malaysia every day. An allocation of RM15mil will be provided to NGOs and strategic partners of the Government to address social issues such as mental health, homelessness, and other social problems for the well-being of the people.  

“I am confident that the National Recovery Plan supported by PEMULIH will protect the survival of the people and the sustainability of the various industries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, we also need to take advantage of the opportunities and facilities provided especially in digitization, e-commerce and the creative industries to further improve the skills of the digital economy, as well as enrich the production of local works,” said Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Communications and Multimedia. 

Below are the list of companies that were offered the DKD: 

Film Grant

Documentary Film Grant

Marketing Grant

TV/OTT Programme Grant (in collaboration with Astro)