PETALING JAYA: “We are not stopping creativity,” said Ahmad Izham Omar when met at the office of the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) in Phileo Damansara yesterday.
This was with regards to the CMCF Content Code, which is a set of industry guidelines for the usage and dissemination of content for public consumption.
“In fact we feel that once you understand the perimeters, your creativity will flourish,” said Izham, who was re-elected as CMCF’s chairman for a second two-year term following the CMCF 15th annual general meeting held last February.
He added: “I myself am a creative person and I’m in full support of creativity.”
No stranger to the creative content industry, the 45-year-old was a one-time music recording company owner, who also introduced Malaysians to reality TV shows such as Malaysian Idol, One In A Million and So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia.
Izham, who is also CEO of Media Prima Television Networks and Primeworks Studios, explained that the older industry practitioners understand and have been self-regulating to ensure that content produced were not offensive or indecent and were in line with Malaysian culture and identity.
“Who we’re trying to get to are the new virtual TV content producers online, the younger set who have YouTube Channels with over one million subscribers.”
“They have an influence over young minds and they should realise that they have a certain responsibility to bear,” he said.
“After all, with great power comes great responsibility,” he said, quoting the famous Spider-Man line from the comic books and movies.
Izham added that everyone had a role to play including the public.
“Parents especially, should ensure they know what their children are up to,” he said.
In order to create awareness, CMCF had undertaken outreach initiatives to various schools, government bodies and trade associations, as well as in conducting the “What you do sticks with you” campaign last year.
The primary goal of the campaign was to educate people, especially the youth, on the concept of self-regulation for usage and access to electronic networked content, which covers content over TV, radio, the Internet and mobile platforms.
Visit www.cmcf.my for more information and to download a copy of the CMCF Content Code.