THE Malaysian Artists' Association (Karyawan) has now officially introduced its rebranding in English as the Malaysian Artistes' Association to strengthen the profile of local artists on the international stage.
The decision was unanimous at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Malaysian Artists Association held at Panggung 1, National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), Petaling Jaya, here today.
Karyawan President, Datuk Freddie Fernandez, said that the name change aims to facilitate the recruitment of local actors for international projects and to strengthen the association's credibility in the eyes of the world.
"We use the name in English because we want to get job opportunities from abroad for our actors.
"When external parties want to make payments or collaborations, they had better understand the branding 'Malaysian Artistes' Association'.
"It is better for the international market." They (the outsiders) are also willing to provide training to our actors. So, with this brand, outsiders will be clearer about who they are collaborating with," he said when met during the Malaysian Artists Association Extraordinary General Meeting today.
In addition to the rebranding, the meeting also approved free membership registration for the first year to attract more artists to join the association without financial burden.
"We want to give a free one-year membership to new members." Previously, many people asked what the benefits were of joining the association if they had to pay. So, this time there is no burden, you just need to register," he said to Harian Metro.
Meanwhile, Karyawan also announced the establishment of the Acting Bureau to specifically focus on the development of actors' careers, as previously, more emphasis was placed on singers and musicians.
According to Freddie, the move is important to ensure that local actors are more skilled and able to adapt to the changing landscape of the current digital industry.
"The acting industry has changed." Now there are TikTok, micro-dramas, and vertical dramas that are the future of the film industry.
"We cannot predict what will happen, and maybe one day the cinema will also close because people prefer watching on their phones."
"So far, about 60 actors have registered in this group. Through this bureau, we want them to express their feelings, give suggestions, and take action to help their careers become more competitive," he said.
The General Meeting, attended by around 40 Karyawan members, showcased the spirit of uniting artists under one banner for the continuity of the country's creative industry.
