KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) is ready to provide advance payments of up to 20 per cent to creative arts production companies under the ministry that will start filming soon.

Its minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the advance payment could assist production companies that created content with television stations to bear their operating costs and complete their creative works which were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We decided to give them advance payments as they have been stuck and struggling for a long time. Although they now have projects to work on, their capital is insufficient.

“They have used a lot of their savings to survive (during the pandemic), so we take the initiative to give them advance payments of 20 per cent so that those involved in producing content for broadcast can do so immediately.”

He said this to reporters after holding a meeting with MyCreative Ventures and the Cultural Economic Development Agency (CENDANA) here today.

Besides that, Annuar said the ministry would also provide assistance of up to RM10,000 to affected creative industry players to purchase or replace their art equipment.

He said he had received reports that there were industry players, including buskers, who had to sell their musical instruments to cover their cost of living during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

“Therefore, now is a good time to help them purchase or replace the items needed to be active again.

“I do not want us to reopen the creative industry and then let them survive on their own because KKMM is responsible to bring back the cheerful atmosphere of the Malaysian Family as we have been in a stressful situation for a long time,” he said.

Commenting on filming sessions, he said industry players needed to practice self-discipline by ensuring all involved have been fully vaccinated and adhere to the set standard operating procedures to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

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