TWO main points were agreed on during the first round of talks today to amend the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) Act 1981 (Act 244), said Saifuddin Abdullah.

The discussions, chaired by the communications and multimedia minister, were attended by officers from the ministry and Finas, representatives from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, lawyers and industry stakeholders.

Saifuddin, in a statement, said the first point concerns the workflow for the amendment process, involving policy determination, stakeholder engagement, and the study of similar laws in other countries.

Secondly, he said, it was agreed that the drafting of the bill will take into account social media users who produce materials that are shared online, improvements to the existing rules and a new definition for certain terms in Act 244.

“The second round of talks will be held in the first week of September, and will fine-tune the details discussed today.

“I’m confident that these efforts will help empower the country’s creative industry.” – Bernama, August 20, 2020.