Communications Ministry to study drafting music act

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Communications is looking into enacting a Music Act to ensure that the field of art has its own act to safeguard the welfare of musicians.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said that since singers make up most of the content providers in broadcasting involving radio and television, the relevant act needs to be examined to ensure the industry's sustainability.

"I see that there are some basic things that need to be strengthened. First, there is the literacy aspect, which is the understanding of the law. Many new artists do not understand what the contract means when they sign it.

"When I talk to singer Kaka Azraf, for example, the effect of his removal from the label is quite big, including the songs he has sung, royalties, and so on.

"So I see if we have the act itself for music. At least this aspect can be highlighted and can be more sustainable," he told reporters after visiting veteran singer Zaiton Sameon at the Finas 2024 Madani Art Visit Programme in Ampang on Thursday (March 4).

Earlier, Fahmi also visited actor and director Salehudin Ridzwan, better known as Din Glamor, at his residence in Bukit Antarabangsa under the same programme.

Fahmi said the ministry had started an engagement session with MyCreative Ventures as the lead agency to get suggestions on the act's draft. A programme committee had also been formed to speed up the study process.

"Previously, I have received a number of suggestions, but these suggestions may be improved with the involvement of the industry and academicians at various levels to make the ministry understand the aspects that need to be in the act later," he said.

Commenting on the distribution of royalties to musicians, Fahmi said his ministry had held a series of meetings with stakeholders, and one of the measures taken was to ensure that every ministry that benefits from local works made royalty payments to the musicians involved.

"On the part of the ministry, we collected the amount to be paid to all involved from all our television and radio channels last year.

"But I have also conveyed to other ministries that if they use local artists, songs, and works in any campaign and for certain events, celebrations of certain days, then they have to make the payment, and we will coordinate, and then the amount will be bigger, ” he said.

In the meantime, when asked about the actions of Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, who is still playing up the issue of socks with the word 'Allah' on them, Fahmi said the order of the His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, The King Of Malaysia is clear, and all parties need to stop the polemic.

"For those who are Muslim and Malay, the King's position is very high level, at the top, for me to disobey the order and deliberately interpret (His Majesty's order) in another way is not appropriate for me," he said. – Bernama