Kuala Lumpur:The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) is continuing its efforts to secure copies of the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee's works for preservation, as negotiations with the rights holders are still underway.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching stated that efforts have been made to contact rights holders, including Shaw Brothers in Singapore, which provided feedback to FINAS last month. The negotiations are ongoing, with the rights holders having made certain requests, and the efforts to secure the works will persist.

Teo was addressing a question in the Dewan Rakyat regarding whether the ministry had conducted an audit to identify the rights to P. Ramlee's works still held by certain parties and the volume of original film materials that require urgent restoration. She asserted that FINAS is committed to ensuring proper preservation of the materials if copies are obtained.

In response to a query about government efforts to acquire or purchase ownership, copyright, or management rights to P. Ramlee's films, Teo mentioned that the government does not currently hold copyright but has not neglected preservation efforts. A significant portion of P. Ramlee's films and songs are held by the National Archives of Malaysia, with rights being traced through production records and other documents.

Teo noted that most of P. Ramlee's films produced between 1948 and 1964 were made by Malay Film Productions, owned by Shaw Brothers in Singapore, while Merdeka Film Productions in Kuala Lumpur produced another 18 films from 1964 to 1972. FINAS is exploring mechanisms to acquire and utilise his works as national heritage assets, considering various forms of collaboration with rights holders.

Efforts will take into account legal considerations, negotiations with rights holders, interests of heirs, and the government's financial capacity, ensuring fairness to all parties involved. Teo also mentioned that FINAS is already working on digitising all materials in its collection as part of a proposal to establish a digital archive for P. Ramlee's works.