KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the government will continue supporting Malaysia’s film industry, including assisting artists facing financial distress through a collaboration between the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) and the Department of Insolvency.

He said the support goes beyond funding and financial allocations, acknowledging the high-risk nature of filmmaking and the possibility of commercial failure.

“We recognise that filmmaking carries significant risks, and some industry players may face business failure and require support to recover, including those affected by bankruptcy,” he told reporters after his speech at the Seniman Symposium 2026 here today.

Fahmi added that the initiative is expected to provide structured assistance to affected industry players.

Also speaking at the same event, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said free mediation services will be offered for contract disputes valued below RM250,000.

The initiative, she said, reflects the reality that most contracts, particularly within the creative industry, fall within that threshold.

“All contracts valued below RM250,000 will be eligible for mediation assistance. In many cases, especially in the creative sector, contract values are within this range, so we are introducing pro bono mediation for such disputes,” she added.

She said that at present, taking disputes to court can be both costly and time-consuming. Under the new initiative, eligible cases will be referred to mediation centres at the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC).

This, Azalina said, enables parties to resolve disputes without bearing high legal fees.

“For most disputes valued below RM250,000, the arbitration centre will assist those with contract disagreements within this range to access mediation free of charge, with the aim of resolving disputes efficiently without incurring high legal costs, as these will be covered by the arbitration centre,” she said.

She added that the initiative is expected to roll out as early as the first week of May.

Azalina emphasised that the mediation scheme is not limited to the creative sector and will apply to all types of contracts nationwide valued below RM250,000.

She said this includes individuals such as freelancers or part-time workers who may be facing payment disputes.