KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, will look into the committee overseeing the Sarawak Youth Creative Industry Fund following concerns from applicants who claimed they had not received feedback on their applications.
He said he has full confidence in the committee, which reviews applications processed by the ministry through three meetings chaired by him each year.
“That part, I will have to look at. I have full confidence in that committee that oversees this part,” he told a press conference at Baitulmakmur Building II here today.
Abdul Karim said he would check whether applicants had received responses after their applications were submitted.
“I will check back on that, whether those who applied also got an answer. I will check with the committee,” he said.
He said the fund is among several funding mechanisms available to support the creative industry, including the event fund and ‘Dana Mudah Cara’.
Abdul Karim said the Youth Creative Industry Fund was introduced specifically to help young people develop their creative pursuits, including in the arts and culture sector.
He said the fund was initially established with RM5 million and was intended to receive a similar allocation annually.
Previously, he said about RM8 million remained available under the fund due to the relatively low number of applications from young creative practitioners.
Abdul Karim said the fund had also been opened to university students, particularly those involved in arts and culture, as well as those in the media with interests or talent in the creative industry.
“Those who are serious about seeking this funding have to come to us. We have made the information available on our website,” he said.
He stressed that the assistance is not a loan but an outright grant for eligible applicants.
Abdul Karim said applications must meet the fund’s eligibility criteria, including the requirement that applicants be youths, whether applying as individuals or associations.
He said the low number of applications could partly be due to creative practitioners being occupied with their respective activities and not being aware that funding is available to help them further develop their work.
Abdul Karim contrasted this with the response from entrepreneurs, who he said had been more proactive in seeking available funding.
He recalled that when the fund was first announced, many enquiries and applications came from entrepreneurs, reflecting their greater awareness of funding opportunities.
Meanwhile, Abdul Karim said the response to the ministry’s event fund had been much stronger, with 355 events supported throughout last year.
He said this amounted to almost one event being supported every day, adding that the ministry expected a similar level of support this year.
