BY JACINTHA JOLENE
KUCHING: The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCPA), local performing arts industry players and stakeholders have been urged to come together to promote local artistes’ talents and showcase them internationally.
Assistant Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan said this in a statement on Monday (Jan 24) in response to Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) which urged the state government to formulate policies in encouraging local artistes to hone their talents and simultaneously obtain feedback from industry players.
“We welcome this call and initiatives and are ever willing to collaborate for the good of our local performing arts artistes be they singers, songwriters, musical instruments players, dancers, producers, production house, choreographers and many others.
“We are not willing to lose and allow this form of “brain drain” to other countries because it must have been costly for parents funding their children such as in piano lessons over many years.
“Moreover they are nurtured here and are our assets and would become good ambassadors in promoting our state and country globally once they rise to fame”, he said when asked for his views on local artiste Jolynn J Chin, a 27-year-old cross-over pianist who has been featured on “America Got Talent” (AGT), questioning the lack of airtime for music by local talents on radio and television stations.
He reiterated that by collaborating with local industry players, many entertainment events can be realised such as musical stage shows, cultural dances, dramas and concerts, all of which will showcase Sarawak’s talented performers to the public.
“From there we can pick and scout them for further exposure.
“Unlike many years before where we depended on RTM alone, now we have our state TVS to project and broadcast our artists and their events.
“As for Jolynn, TVS actually had broadcast and provided airtime for her performance earlier but sadly it was not widely watched by netizens as in AGT or YouTube,” he explained.
