Creative Industry Coordination Committee Charts Direction For Sarawak's Creative Economy
KUCHING: The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Sarawak on Tuesday convened the first Sarawak Creative Industry Coordination Committee (SCICC) meeting of 2026, bringing together representatives from government agencies, industry players, academia and creative industry stakeholders to chart the future direction of the state's creative economy.
The meeting, chaired by Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan, focused on strengthening collaboration and formulating strategies to further develop Sarawak's creative industry.
In his opening remarks, Datuk Snowdan said the creative industry has emerged as an increasingly important economic sector that creates employment, drives innovation, strengthens cultural identity, and contributes to tourism and community development.
He said Sarawak is well placed to capitalise on its rich cultural diversity, living heritage and creative talent to build a vibrant and sustainable creative economy.
"The establishment of SCICC reflects the Sarawak Government's commitment to fostering closer collaboration between government, industry, academia and communities in developing policies and initiatives that respond to the needs of the industry.
"No single agency or organisation can develop the creative industry alone. Through SCICC, we will strengthen consultation, coordination and collaboration to transform creativity into enterprise, culture into economic value and heritage into sustainable development," he said.
The committee serves as a strategic advisory platform to recommend measures for the development and promotion of Sarawak's creative industry.
It is supported by four specialised task groups covering Creative Arts; Arts, Culture and Heritage; Media Production and Information Technology; and Design.
The task groups will provide recommendations on talent development, market access, innovation, commercialisation, digital transformation and emerging industry opportunities.
During the meeting, the ministry also outlined its strategy to strengthen Sarawak's creative industry ecosystem by integrating capacity-building initiatives with market opportunities.
Through the Dana Mudahcara Warisan dan Kesenian, the ministry continues to support programmes such as traditional craft workshops, performing arts training, culinary workshops, heritage documentation, exhibitions and publications to strengthen the capabilities of artists, artisans and cultural practitioners.
Its Event Grant complements the initiative by supporting festivals and events that provide platforms for creative entrepreneurs, artisans, performers and food producers to showcase and commercialise their products and services.
Among the initiatives highlighted were the Nyamai Sarawak Gastronomy Festival and the TAPAS International Asia Culinary Competition, which have promoted Sarawak's culinary heritage while creating business networking opportunities, expanding market access and generating direct income for local entrepreneurs and community-based food producers.
The ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Sarawak's creative assets through Intellectual Property (IP) and Geographical Indications (GI).
To date, 41 Sarawak Signature Events have been registered under copyright protection.
Following the successful documentation of Baju Kuas Iban Balau Sri Aman, proposals to register Buriek Kapit and Baju Gagong Batang Rajang under the GI framework will be pursued in the coming months to protect the authenticity of the state's heritage products while enhancing their market value.
The meeting concluded with discussions on strengthening talent development, entrepreneurship, commercialisation, innovation and collaboration across Sarawak's creative industry ecosystem. -UKASnews
