KUALA LUMPUR – All creative industry players who have completed two doses of vaccine can return to action in Phase 1 states of the National Recovery Plan (PPN) beginning 9 September.
The government has agreed to relax the Phase 1 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the creative industry and hopes that it would provide a relief to over one million activists, artists and workers.
The relaxation would benefit more than 19,000 companies in the creative industry, said Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
“The relaxation is subjected to the terms and conditions of the SOP approved by MKN and it only applies to activists, workers and consumers who have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccine and the permitted premise capacity,” he said in a statement today.
According to the Prime Minister, the relaxation was granted based on several factors as some of the states have reached 80 percent of adult population vaccination or have reached herd immunity.
“The creative industry contributes to 2 percent or RM29 billion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019. Besides enabling over one million activists, artists and workers in the industry to support their living, the relaxation also helps to enliven the national creative industry that is badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Thus, it helps to remobilise all initiatives and programmes planned by the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) through the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), MyCreative Ventures and the Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA).
The creative industry is allowed to conduct activities as follow:
- Development and broadcast of recorded or live broadcast of creative contents
- Recorded or live broadcast or informative and entertainment contents with 30% studio capacity of fully vaccinated audience.
- The filming of creative industry inside and outside the studio for individuals who have completed their vaccination.
- Indoor busking for individuals who have completed their vaccination.
- Performance at hotel lounge for fully vaccinated individuals.
- Cinema activities to fully vaccinated individuals at 50% capacity of the hall.
- Live performances such as theatre, musical music and comedy (pre-registration required) with fully vaccinated audience and 30% capacity of the premise.
- Art exhibition at exhibition hall, museum, art gallery (by appointment) with fully vaccinated visitors at 30% of premise capacity.
“The decision is among the continuous efforts of the government who is concerned to stimulate economy sustainability of the art activists and creative industry.
“I would like to urge everyone involved in the reopening of this sector to always comply with the SOP to avoid any risk and legal implications, safety and health risks especially when the country is trying to transit to the endemic phase by the end of October.
“InsyaAllah (God willing), the government is always committed to take the best approach that can generate the recovery of national economy for the welfare of Keluarga Malaysia,” said Ismail Sabri. -MalaysiaGazette
