By Christine T
KUCHING, Sept 23: Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he will look into claims that some applicants to the Sarawak Youth Creative Industry Fund (SYCIF) have yet to receive feedback on their applications.
Abdul Karim said he had full confidence in the committee overseeing the fund but would verify whether applicants who had submitted their applications had received a response.
“I will have to look at that, but I have full confidence in that committee that oversees this fund,” he told reporters after the press conference on the Sarawak National Sports Integrity Conference (SNSIC) 2026 at the ministry’s Mulu Meeting Room, Baitulmakmur 2, here today.
He said the committee, which he chairs, meets two or three times a year, while applications are first processed by the ministry before being brought before the committee for consideration.
However, Abdul Karim stressed that applicants must meet the fund’s eligibility requirements, including the age criterion.
He said the fund was specifically intended for youths, whether applying as individuals or through associations.
“The means that it must be applied only by the youth, whether individual or association. If a 50-year-old person applies, automatically you will get rejected because that is one of the requirements,” he said.
Abdul Karim also expressed concern over the relatively low number of applications for the fund, which was established to support young people in the creative industry, particularly those involved in arts and culture.
“I would hope for those who wish to seek this fund, not for us to come to you, they have to come to us,” he said.
He said the ministry offers several funding schemes to support the creative industry, including SYCIF and Dana Mudah Cara.
Abdul Karim said the idea for SYCIF arose after several young violinists approached him during an event at the Old Sarawak Legislative Assembly building, raising concerns over the lack of funding opportunities to develop their skills.
He subsequently raised the matter with Premier Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, who agreed to establish a RM5 million revolving fund to assist those in the creative industry.
The fund was intended to provide RM5 million annually to support creative industry players who had previously faced limited access to funding, he said.
Despite efforts to publicise the fund, however, Abdul Karim said applications had remained relatively low.
“It could be that they do not know. You go to our website, everything is there if you are very serious in trying to source out funding,” he said.
He said the ministry had since widened access to the fund to university students, particularly those involved in arts and culture, who wanted to further develop their talents.
“It is not a loan, it is an outright grant,” he stressed.
Abdul Karim also encouraged young people in the creative industry, including those in the media with an interest or talent in the field, to make use of the funding available. – DayakDaily
