EDITORIAL:
Doing it the KRU way

2009/11/08

WHEN the borders are secure, the economy is humming nicely and bellies are filled. An air of affluence permeates the nation and a satisfied society has the time and money to look kindly upon culture and the arts. The then Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry's forward-thinking move in establishing a RM50 million film loan scheme to boost the Malaysian film industry has come unstuck. Handled by a committee staffed by officials from Finas, the ministry (now the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry) and the SME Bank, the scheme, which hands out loans up to RM1.5 million for a film, is not a charity programme. But it has been made to look like one.

A total of RM40 million has since 2005 been disbursed to finance some 30 films but only one producer, the enterprising KRU Studios of the Abdul Halim brothers, turned in a nice ringgit with its two films. Eight other movies have been completed but there is no sight or sound of the rest.

Inexperience is the word used by Finas to explain the non-completion of the films, with the producers running out of cash after splurging on expensive equipment (when they could have rented it), on outstation locations (when they could have made do with establishing shots), and other expense-mounting moves. Perhaps, it was case of the loan-approving committee handing over the keys of a RM1.5 million Ferrari to a teenager who had only just got his driving licence. Incentive for failure is also inked into the loan agreement, with repayment only starting when the film is screened.

While Finas is shutting the stable doors after 80 per cent of the horses have bolted, it could perhaps get the help of the people in the know. Malaysian Film Producers' Association president Ahmad Puad Onah wants the association to be in the loan approval committee to ensure only "real producers" with good management and accounting get to make movies. The Malaysian film industry needs to get up and running, not just for the sake of the arts. There is also money to be made, as KRU has shown, its Cicak-Man grossing RM3.5 million in the first 10 days of screening. The Malaysian film audience is estimated at 300,000 but the big money is out there in Asia where 3.6 billion people are a potential audience. India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand are already taking advantage of this. Malaysian film producers can, for a start, target 240 million Indonesians across the Straits of Malacca who share a similar culture and language.

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