ABSTRACT
Malaysia has often been characterized as an illiberal or semi-authoritarian regime, in which civil liberties and forms of expression are curtailed and constrained. The economic benefits of the creative industries are seen as a means to achieve high-income status and to thereby help Malaysia fulfill its ambition of becoming a developed nation. Regionally the creative industries have become a prominent sector of policy attention for governments seeking to develop forms of cultural production while achieving economic ambitions. The creative industries encompass film and television content, publishing, art, performance, theatre, advertising, computer programs, among others. A broader trend that has become evident in Malaysian creative industries policy is the move away from traditional arts and towards ‘digital content’. As former information communication and technology policy backgrounds new creative industries policy, the result is a merging of creative industries with companies utilizing digital technology.
