Kuala lumpur: A total of RM2.75 billion in foreign investment has been recorded by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) through the Film in Malaysia Incentive (FIMI) from 2013 up to last year, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. She stated that this influx has created approximately 31,050 job opportunities, benefiting skilled local Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) workers, including technical crews, animators, post-production staff, and production support personnel.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, during the same period, the United States, China, India, and Australia were the primary sources of foreign investment in Malaysia's filming activities. This includes projects like the animated film "Transformer Cyber World" last year, two reality programs - "Survival Series Europe" (2025) and "Tempting Fortune" (2025) - as well as the "Lord of the Flies Series" this year, she mentioned during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.
In response to a question from Datuk Wan Saifulruddin Wan Jan (PN-Tasek Gelugor) regarding foreign investment attracted through FIMI and government measures to ensure local creative content can penetrate global streaming platforms, Teo stated that FINAS is actively working to elevate the national film industry to a global level. This includes participation in international film markets and festivals.
She also noted that FINAS is reviewing ways to improve FIMI requirements for foreign production companies, focusing on increasing the use of local crew. In reply to a supplementary question from Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera) about the achievements of Malaysian films in terms of box office records, Teo highlighted that since 2023, local films have seen a rise in box office earnings.
In 2023, box office revenue for local films was RM180.7 million, which increased to RM244 million last year. Malaysian films have also garnered positive reception overseas, including titles like "Abang Adik," "Mechamato," and "Ejen Ali The Movie 2."