PM launches Cendana to drive arts and culture sector growth
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday announced the establishment of the Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana) and an initial allocation of RM20 million for the agency to spearhead arts and cultural development in Malaysia.
Najib said through a recent meeting with arts activists recently, they opined that the arts and cultural sector needed a shot in the arm to develop it as a vital component of the nation.
“We have seen arts and culture as a component with potential which we have not developed to the optimum level. Therefore, I declare that cultural economy is Malaysia’s new asset,” he said at the official launch of Cendana, here, yesterday.
Also present at the event were Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak and Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.
Cendana, set up by the government through MyCreative Ventures, is guided by the vision of developing cultural economy into a fast-growing and inspiring sector for Malaysia and which could be shared by all its people by focusing on efforts to support this sector in the creative industry and promoting it to a wider audience.
Cendana is administered by an Executive Advisory Committee which monitors the development and implementation of its corporate strategies and ensuring the objectives are achieved.
The committee is chaired by communications adviser to the prime minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan and the members include MyCreative Ventures chief executive officer Johan Ishak, Yayasan Hasanah managing director Shahira Ahmed Bazari, Bursa Malaysia chief operations officer Datin Azalina Adham and Astro Malay Business Division vice-president, Datuk Khairul Anwar Salleh.
“We have cultural values that must not only be preserved but also to be continuously developed as a source of our strength and pride as Malaysians,” Najib said.
He said the establishment of Cendana must be different from that of other bodies in that it should not necessarily be led by politicians or bureaucrats, but by the arts and culture people themselves.
Najib said this arts- culture sector was the last transformation component towards Malaysia becoming a developed nation.
“We want Malaysia to be seen as a nation that is rich in heritage, but heritage alone its not enough.
We need to develop it ... then will our nation have a new source of inspiration,” he said. — Bernama