By Karen Bong
KUCHING, May 16: Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has given the green light to a proposal for Malaysia to host a global event for animation and gaming in Sarawak next year, in a strategic move to accelerate the country’s ambition to become a regional hub for digital creative production.
Speaking during the officiation of the Malaysia Digital Tour @ Kuching held at the Tegas Digital Village today, Abang Johari responded positively to the idea, proposed by Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, saying the event must take place next year with joint efforts from both state and federal agencies.
“But you must have a target, YB. You must do it next year. Next year, we do it. Sarawak becomes the host. We share. You contribute. I also contribute (to fund the organisation of the event).
“Then we invite all the major players of the world to come here… to give the input and share what they have, so we can upgrade our creativity and at the same time establish a global network,” he said.
Abang Johari emphasised that global networking is crucial in today’s digital economy, and reiterated Sarawak’s commitment to expanding the digital economy through projects such as Sarawak ID and upcoming tech infrastructure developments.
Gobind, who earlier mooted the proposal on stage, welcomed the Premier’s support and said the initiative will unlock opportunities for Malaysia’s digital creative talents to gain global exposure.
“What we are seeing is that the animation and gaming industry is now becoming a very exciting industry. It provides every country the opportunity to showcase their local talents,” he told reporters in a brief press conference.
Gobind explained that the event aims to attract global industry players to Malaysia, particularly Sarawak, so they can witness firsthand the country’s capabilities and collaborate with local talents and companies.
“When they come here, we will see the opportunities presented to our local sector to participate alongside global players and bring our products to the international stage,” he added.
Gobind noted that Malaysia already has internationally recognised animations and games, but stressed the need to scale up the industry to capture more value from the rapidly growing global digital content creation market — projected to surge from USD28 billion in 2024 to USD57 billion by 2029 at an annual growth rate of 15.6 percent.
He said the proposed global event aligns with Malaysia’s broader strategy under the Digital Creative Ecosystem Roadmap to establish the country as a regional hub for digital content creation by 2030, with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) playing a central role.
As Malaysia moves forward with this vision, Sarawak is poised to take the lead by hosting the world’s top animation and gaming creators — a bold step that could reshape the future of the nation’s digital creative economy.
The Malaysia Digital Tour, organised by the Ministry of Digital through Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), is an initiative to empower the public with digital skills and spotlight the country’s digital creative ecosystem. The Kuching leg focused on animation, digital games, and creative technologies, with participation from high-performing Sarawakian companies. — DayakDaily
