[News] S'pore, KL to co-produce quality TV drama programmes

[wuchang]

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/sub...90587,00.html?

S'pore, KL to co-produce quality TV drama programmes
Information ministers say shows will foster bilateral understanding

By Reme Ahmad
Malaysia Bureau Chief

KUALA LUMPUR - ADD another page to the expanding book of improved ties between Malaysia and Singapore.

Information ministers from the two countries have agreed in principle to support the co-production of TV programmes involving Malaysian and Singapore broadcasters, in a move to raise bilateral understanding.

Malaysian Information Minister Kadir Sheikh Fadzir and visiting Information, Communications and Arts Minister Dr Lee Boon Yang said after a meeting that such programmes would focus on TV drama series in Malay and Mandarin.

The thumbs-up for TV cooperation came a day after Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met in Putrajaya, and agreed to resume talks on a range of thorny outstanding bilateral issues.

Mr Goh and Datuk Seri Abdullah said that even as the two governments started talks on weighty issues, other areas of bilateral cooperation had to be stepped up, including nurturing people-to-people relationships.

Datuk Seri Kadir told reporters after the courtesy call by Dr Lee: 'There's already such collaboration in Malaysia, but this time around, the co-production will be more entertaining and of quality, towards promoting healthy values to the people.'

Added Dr Lee: 'I think it is important for us, basically the Asian society, to also have a significant proportion of our broadcast content reflective of our own society.

'In fact, Malaysia and Singapore have shared many historic, cultural and traditional similarities.'

The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica) said in a statement yesterday: 'These co-productions will be crafted to have wide appeal and entertainment value for Malaysian and Singaporean TV viewers. But they will be more than just entertainment.

'They will also serve to bring Malaysians and Singaporeans closer together and promote better understanding of traditions, progress and developments in both societies.'

MediaCorp and Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) will be asked to develop specific themes and concepts for such TV series, and encouraged to involve the media industry from both sides in such productions, the statement said.

The two ministers also agreed to re-start a jointly hosted variety programme, Rampai Sari, that was stopped seven years ago. It will be hosted by Singapore next year.

'This will enhance interactions between TV artistes from both countries and help to mutually enhance diversity and interest in such variety shows,' Mica said.

The meeting also discussed several other issues, including possible promotion and co-production of films.

On Monday, Dr Lee called on Malaysian Minister for Culture, Arts and Heritage Rais Yatim. They said the two countries were intent on promoting cultural cooperation, including through collaborations between museums and exchanges of performances and visual arts exhibitions.

Dr Lee was invited to Malaysia by Datuk Seri Rais, who visited Singapore in August.

On Monday, he also visited the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications; and the Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation.

A delegation of 13 officials from Mica and the National Arts Council accompanied Dr Lee.




This sounds like a good thing.