RM8 mln S’wak youth creative fund remains untapped, minister prompts call for more applications

About RM8 million remains available under Sarawak’s youth creative fund amid low uptake from young creatives.

By Amanda L

KUCHING, Sept 15: Sarawak has about RM8 million sitting in its Sarawak Youth Creative Industry Fund (SYCIF), but young creatives are not coming forward in sufficient numbers to tap the available funding, says Minister of Tourism Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He said the State government had initially approved RM5 million a year as a revolving fund for young people in the creative industry, covering areas such as music, film, performing arts, digital media and heritage crafts.

However, only about RM1 million a year has been disbursed, leaving a substantial portion of the fund unused.

“As a result, the Sarawak Financial Secretary’s Office has held back further annual allocations until the existing funds are utilised,” he said during the Sarawak-level National Youth Consultative Council (MPBN) meeting here today.

Abdul Karim said the low uptake was particularly concerning because the fund was established to provide opportunities for creative talents who might not fit within conventional entrepreneurship funding.

He urged young creatives to move beyond viewing their talents as hobbies and instead consider them as potential careers and businesses.

“I want the young people to see creativity not just as a hobby, but as a career and business that can grow,” he said.

He cited music, film, performing arts, digital content and heritage crafts as areas with significant potential if developed professionally and supported by technology and digital platforms.

The SYCIF is currently open to Sarawakian youth aged 15 to 40, with applications covering areas including music, theatre, video production, video games, animation, film, arts and design, as well as other creative and innovative fields. The fund provides between RM5,000 and RM50,000 depending on the proposed project or programme, according to Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak (MYSED).

The minister said Sarawak needed to continue guiding young people in the creative sector so that the available funding could translate into stronger talent development and a more viable creative economy.

He also stressed that the State government’s support should not be viewed simply as financial assistance but as a means of helping young people develop sustainable careers and industries from their creative abilities. — DayakDaily