Malaysia, Indonesia to establish creative industry cooperation committee

Malaysia has put forward a proposal to establish a High-Level Committee (HLC) with Indonesia, focusing on deepening cooperation in the creative industries sector. The cross-ministerial body would bring together senior officials from both countries to coordinate policies and initiatives in areas such as film, music, digital content, and design.

The proposed committee represents an effort to capitalise on the creative economy's expanding role in Southeast Asia. Both Malaysia and Indonesia have invested significantly in developing their creative sectors, which have become important contributors to their respective national economies and cultural influence across the region.

Through the HLC framework, the two nations plan to identify synergies and collaborative opportunities that could benefit creators, producers, and businesses operating in the creative space. Potential areas of cooperation include joint production ventures, intellectual property protection, talent development, and the promotion of Malaysian and Indonesian content in international markets.

The initiative underscores the broader push by Malaysia and Indonesia to strengthen economic partnerships beyond traditional sectors. Regional creative industries have demonstrated resilience and growth potential, particularly with rising demand for Asian content globally and expanding digital platforms providing new distribution channels.

Official discussions on the proposal are expected to progress through existing bilateral diplomatic channels, with both governments committed to advancing substantive cooperation that benefits their creative communities.