Credit : Fahmi Fadzil's X
JAKARTA, October 21 2026 – Malaysia and Indonesia see huge potential to work together in film, music, animation and intellectual property, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said after meeting Indonesia’s Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya and Culture Minister Fadli Zon in Jakarta.
In a post shared on X on Wednesday, Fahmi said the meetings were held in conjunction with the World Conference on Creative Economy 2026 (WCCE). “Malaysia and Indonesia share many similarities in terms of culture, history and taste. The potential for us to cooperate in film, music, animation and intellectual property is truly enormous,” he wrote.
Fahmi said the discussions covered efforts to expand market access for works from both countries, talent development, the sharing of industry data and closer cooperation between creative industry players in Malaysia and Indonesia.
“From Siti Nurhaliza and Sheila Majid to Upin & Ipin, we have seen how Malaysian works have been well received in Indonesia. We want to open up more space so that more talent and more local works can enjoy the same opportunities,” he said.
“We are serumpun (of the same stock) and share many stories. This cultural and historical closeness should become a strength for us to produce more works together, open up space for new talent and bring stories from this region to a wider audience,” Fahmi added.
Speaking to Bernama after his meeting with Teuku Riefky, Fahmi said Malaysia had proposed setting up a cross-ministerial High-Level Committee (HLC) with Indonesia to speed up bilateral cooperation in the creative industries, as areas overseen by Malaysia’s Communications Ministry fall under several ministries in Indonesia. Both ministers witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding between Malaysia’s MyCreative Ventures and two Indonesian entities, the Jakarta Creative Economy Committee and EnMasse, which Fahmi said were expected to facilitate closer collaboration, particularly in music and related sectors.
Fahmi said he was also briefed on the role of Indonesia’s newly established Creative Economy Ministry under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. “We see many similarities and synergies with the Orange Economy Council that we have established,” he said, according to Bernama.
In his separate meeting with Fadli Zon, Fahmi said the two sides discussed strengthening cooperation in the film sector, including through an MoU and the possible development of a Nusantara film festival. He said Fadli also proposed working with Malaysia to seek international recognition for Malay cultural heritage such as the Jawi script, a proposal Fahmi said he would convey to the relevant ministries, including the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry. Such a move could follow the example of the kebaya, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024 after a joint nomination by Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Thailand.
Fahmi, who arrived in Jakarta on October 20 after attending Bali Tech Week, is on a working visit to the Indonesian capital until October 22. Earlier in the trip he met Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid, and on Wednesday he also held talks with Netflix on bringing more Malaysian content to global audiences.
Source : Fahmi Fadzil’s X (https://x.com/fahmi_fadzil/status/2112867307378835587)
