Malaysia-Hong Kong Film Pact A Strategic Move To Strengthen Regional Film Cooperation
KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Bernama) -- The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysian film and production company, Skop Productions, and Mandarin Motion Pictures from Hong Kong has been deemed a strategic move in strengthening regional film cooperation.
National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (FINAS) chief executive officer Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib said the partnership was highly significant as it not only served as a catalyst for film industry relations between Malaysia and Hong Kong, but was also the first joint film initiative announced following the official visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Malaysia last month.
'This strengthens diplomatic and economic ties through a cultural diplomacy approach.
'The strategic partnership also receives investment support from Chinese government-linked companies such as Bauhinia Cultural Group (a government-linked film investment company) and Sil-Metropole Organisation (a company that manages film investments), which reflects the confidence of international investors in the country's creative potential and production quality,' he said in a statement today.
The MoU is a direct outcome of the Malaysian delegation's participation at Hong Kong Filmart last March, led by FINAS, which resulted in a co-production agreement to produce a new international-class cinematic work.
Azmir Saifuddin said the initiative would greatly benefit the country's film industry ecosystem through market expansion, technology and skills transfer, and branding Malaysia as a world-class filming destination.
'In addition, this project is also supported through the Film in Malaysia Incentive (FIMI), which offers a 30 per cent cash rebate to film and TV productions filming in Malaysia,' he said.
He noted that the collaboration also aligns with the aspirations of Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, who has emphasised the importance of strategic collaboration, private investment involvement, and sustainable film financing to reduce reliance on government funding in the development of the national creative industry.
Azmir Saifuddin also expressed confidence that with collaboration between the public and private sectors, Malaysia would be able to make bolder and higher-quality strides on the global stage.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hype Malaysia
33 minutes ago
- Hype Malaysia
(Photos) Badminton Players Ong Yew Sin & Aya Ohori Officially Tie The Knot!
It's official – Malaysian badminton player Ong Yew Sin (王耀新) and Japanese badminton player Aya Ohori (大堀彩) are off the market. The pair had registered their marriage last week. Over the weekend, Yew Sin and Aya shared the joyous news that they have officially tied the knot after registering their marriage on 19th June 2025 (Thursday). In their shared post, the couple wrote, 'Officially off the market. May we grow old together & love each other more and more every day. Thanks everyone, for the wishes and support.' The couple also wrote similar messages in Mandarin and Japanese. According to reports, the couple had their civil marriage ceremony at the Melaka National Registration Department (JPN Melaka). The government office also shared more photos and a video of Yew Sin and Aya from the occasion on their official social media pages. In a Facebook post, JPN Melaka expressed honour in being part of the couple's marriage ceremony and extended well-wishes for Yew Sin and Aya to have a happy and lasting marriage. After the announcement, family, friends and badminton fans shared happy messages for the newlyweds. Fellow badminton players, including Aaron Chia, Low Juan Shen and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja, shared congratulatory messages in the couple's Instagram post. Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh shared a separate post congratulating the couple on their marriage and welcoming Aya to the Team Malaysia family. Yew Sin and Aya's love story is especially notable as they're national badminton players of their respective countries. The former is active on the court with his men's doubles partner, Teo Ee Yi, while the latter announced her retirement late last year. After tying the knot, the pair will be based in Malaysia, but Aya may travel back and forth to Japan depending on her work. We would also like to congratulate Ong Yew Sin and Aya Ohori on their marriage. May their marriage last a lifetime. Check out the video of the ceremony from JPN Melaka: @jpnmelakaofficial 💖💖RAIKAN CINTA PEMAIN BADMINTON MALAYSIA ONG YEW SIN DAN PASANGANNYA AYA OHORI💖💖 19 Jun 2025 | Ayer Keroh – Pada hari ini JPN Negeri Melaka telah berbesar hati menyatukan cinta pemain badminton handalan Negara, En. Ong Yew Sin bersama pasangannya juga pemain badminton dari Negara Jepun, Pn. Aya Ohori bertempat di Bahagian Perkahwinan dan Perceraian, JPN Negeri Melaka. Upacara perkahwinan sivil tersebut telah dilakukan oleh Penolong Pegawai Pendaftaran, Puan Nur Fatehah binti Razali dimana pasangan tersebut telah mengangkat ikrar perkahwinan dihadapan beliau dan disaksikan oleh wakil keluarga masing-masing. Tahniah diucapkan dari kami dan semoga perkahwinan cinta dari dua budaya ini berkekalan selamanya. #MalaysiaMadani #Madanibekerja #KDNSejahteraMadani #KDNIhsanMadani #RakyatDiHatiJPN #MelakaRESPONSIVE #BadmintonMalaysia #badmintonlovers #jpndimanamana ♬ original sound – Romancevibe🌸 – mimi Sources: Instagram (1)(2), Facebook What's your Reaction? +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0


New Straits Times
44 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Lawyers for Daim's widow decry NFA decision as 'unacceptable'
KUALA LUMPUR: The lawyers for Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid, widow of former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, have described the police's No Further Action (NFA) decision on her report as "unacceptable" and a breach of the rule of law. Lawyers Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal said this in a statement after the police classified the case as NFA recently. Na'imah lodged the police report on Sept 30 last year, following a Bloomberg News article alleging political interference in the MACC's investigation against Daim. The article had claimed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki were involved in a coordinated abuse of investigative powers. "This sudden NFA decision was conveyed to us via a letter received on June 21 from the Sentul police chief. "This decision is unacceptable, shocking, and contradicts principles of good governance and the rule of law. "For nine months, the police and the Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) remained silent on Na'imah's police report. "The NFA decision came only days after she lodged a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) over the continued failure of authorities to act on her report. "No information was provided regarding who was questioned, what steps were taken, or the actual reasons behind the NFA decision," said the statement. The statement said the report contained serious matters of public interest and should not have been dismissed without proper explanation or accountability. The decision severely undermines the integrity of the police and the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), and confirms the deterioration of institutional independence under the current federal administration, it said. "We will not remain silent or be deterred in our pursuit of justice. "This matter will be pursued until the truth is revealed and justice is served. "The Malaysian people deserve institutions that serve the rakyat, not those in power," it added. Last year, a Bloomberg report, citing sources, claimed that the MACC was instructed to investigate Daim as well as former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his sons. According to the report, the instruction was purportedly given by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a claim the Prime Minister's Office denied. Anwar had said that the government was considering legal action against Bloomberg over the report that MACC acted on his instructions during investigations into certain individuals.


New Straits Times
44 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Netizens excited as BTS' J-Hope loves Malaysian snack
SEOUL: A short video clip has gone viral on TikTok, featuring BTS member J-Hope revealing that one of his favourite snacks is Super Ring, a popular cheese-flavoured treat made in Malaysia. In the video, the 31-year-old, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, tells the programme host that the snack is "very tasty and full of cheesy flavour," even encouraging the host to try it. "It's so flavourful and delicious," he said. Although the K-pop star mistakenly thought the snack was from Singapore, Malaysian fans were still thrilled and proud that J-Hope had expressed his love for the much-loved local product. Comments on the posts included: "Someone please tell him Super Ring is from Malaysia!" "So proud that J-Hope loves Super Ring!" and "I screamed at my phone when I saw J-Hope enjoying Super Ring. So proud!"