KUCHING: Sarawak is seeking to strengthen its creative economy by creating more opportunities for local talent to compete in regional and international markets.
Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) chief executive officer Datuk Sudarnoto Osman said the corporation aims to nurture more home-grown creators while equipping them with the skills needed to compete globally.
He said building industry would also require an environment that provides local creators with greater access to opportunities within Sarawak.
“We want Sarawak to be more daring in this industry and showcase their skills so that they can compete worldwide.
“Normally, our people have to go out. Now, it’s time for others to come in.
“We are trying to bring the buyers, publishers and investors into Sarawak, so it is a different concept in terms of the overall environment,” he said this after the Borneo Animation & Games Festival (BAGFEST) 2026 Fireside Chat with Media at Pullman Hotel here today (Aug 11).
BAGFEST 2026 will provide Sarawak creators with opportunities to connect with regional and international markets through direct engagement with industry players.
The programme will include business matching, pitching sessions, workshops and portfolio reviews involving local creators as well as buyers, publishers, studios and industry mentors from Malaysia and abroad.
Sudarnoto said Sarawak’s wider digitalisation efforts provided a foundation for the state to further develop its digital media and creative sectors.
He said the state also wants to create more commercial opportunities for local creators, with business generated through collaborations with production houses among the outcomes it hopes to see.
He said this would help identify gaps in the industry and determine what further support was needed to strengthen the local ecosystem.
“We also need to work with universities and academia to develop talent that can meet global industry standards.
“These are among the areas we will continue to focus on as we move forward in developing Sarawak’s creative industry,” he added.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) chief executive officer Anuar Fariz Fadzil said stronger public-private partnerships were needed to further develop Malaysia’s creative industry.
He said industry expertise was important in areas including production, scriptwriting, animation, talent development, funding and infrastructure.
“The government cannot say that it knows everything. We need subject matter experts who understand how the industry works, how to build talent and how to gain access to funding, infrastructure and opportunities,” he said.
Anuar said opportunities should also be decentralised so creative talent did not have to leave for established markets elsewhere.
“We don’t want people to run off to Japan or Singapore just because there are opportunities there.
“We have to decentralise and create opportunities in the places that we want.
“In this case, we want to create something in Sarawak and be able to grow from there,” he said.
