ISKANDAR PUTERI: Malaysia is set to secure US$22mil (RM92mil) worth of international film and television productions over the next two years through a new collaboration involving studios from Malaysia, Australia and South Korea.
Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the collaboration, led by OMG Studios with Australia’s Sandpiper Entertainment, South Korea’s Greenfish Studio and other regional studios, would comprise a US$10mil Malaysia-Australia film and television slate and a US$12mil Malaysia-South Korea feature-film slate.
“The collaboration will create opportunities for Malaysian talent, vendors, studios and intellectual property owners to participate in international productions while developing longer-term capabilities.
“Malaysia’s next chapter of growth will increasingly be shaped by ideas, talent and our ability to turn both into value,” he said in his speech at the KL20@Johor 2026: The Orange Economy Chapter, “Creativity Reimagined”, held at Iskandar Malaysia Studios here on Tuesday (Sept 29).
Akmal Nasrullah added the initiative also reinforced the potential of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) as a regional hub for international content, virtual production, generative artificial intelligence and creative technology.
He said Malaysia must also move beyond merely contributing to other people’s productions and focus on creating and retaining ownership of intellectual property, including characters, stories, formats, technology and brands that could be licensed, distributed and monetised internationally.
Akmal Nasrullah added Johor was well placed to advance the agenda due to its proximity to Singapore, strong industrial and digital infrastructure, regional connectivity and capabilities around Iskandar Malaysia Studios.
He also said that JS-SEZ could connect Malaysian creative companies with regional capital, production networks, technology partners and international buyers.
