Malaysian producers seek Budget 2027 support and review of TV rates

Malaysian creative industry representatives have urged the government to preserve and expand funding in Budget 2027 and reassess television production payments as costs rise. The budget is due to be presented to Parliament on October 9.

Speaking on Bernama TV in Kuala Lumpur on October 3, Malaysian Film Producers Association deputy president Datuk Dr Yusof Haslam called for existing assistance to continue without reductions. He said producers also needed to manage public funding responsibly and finish films within their budgets.

Yusof singled out Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) for a review of production rates. He said a television drama cost within RM40,000 when he began producing dramas in 1985, while RTM payments had risen by only about RM10,000 after 40 years. He proposed reviews every 10 years, saying higher RTM rates would prompt private companies to follow.

He also credited the Film in Malaysia Incentive (FIMI) with drawing international production companies and supporting large-scale patriotic films, including MALBATT: Misi Bakara.

Film producer Nazira Ibrahim called for sustained help with marketing and distribution, particularly for smaller productions. She said better mechanisms could help Malaysian films reach domestic and overseas audiences. For the RM10 million allocated to TVET Madani Creative Multimedia programmes, she urged greater emphasis on training with production companies and working on film sets rather than theory.

Budget 2026 provided RM110 million in incentives for Malaysian and international filmmakers to produce in the country. That initiative included RM10 million specifically for nation-building content, as part of government efforts to strengthen the orange economy ecosystem.