PUTRAJAYA: Astro has been asked to discuss the request by the Malaysian Indian Creative Content Action Force (MICCAF) for a full-fledged local Indian channel to air local Indian programmes.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk S.K.Devamani said the matter must be resolved quickly so as to not tarnish the image of the pay-TV station.
Devamani who is also the MIC Vice President said as a corporate social responsibility (CSR), Astro need to give its commitment to enhance the welfare of the community through its business practices.
"To me, MICCAF's request is legitimate and Astro need to view the matter positively. We (Malaysia) cannot depend on foreign contents solely, in this case, from India.
"It is about time Astro dedicate the Vaanavil channel to local contents for the benefit of the local Indian creative content producers," he said when contacted today.
Yesterday, more than 100 local Indian artistes had gathered in Brickfields to go on a hunger-strike, requesting Astro to dedicate a channel (Vaanavil) for local Indian programmes.
The hunger-strike was averted after People's Progressive Party (PPP) President Datuk Seri M. Kayveas arrived at the scene to assure that the matter would be brought to the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Currently, about 90 per cent of the programmes aired on the Vaanavil channel were programmes or products imported from abroad, mainly India, although Astro had promised to increase local contents since its inception 17 years ago.
Devamani said MICCAF had met him in Parliament recently and raised the issue, claiming local artistes and local Indian creative content producers had no platform to showcase their talents or sell their programmes due to an influx of Indian programmes from India.
"There are about 5,000 Indian creative content producers and artistes in the country and yet there was no platform to expose their talents," he said.
The creative industry is said to be contributing RM2 billion worth of income to the country, as such they should be given an appropriate platform to showcase their talent in line with the Prime Minister's aspiration to see the industry bring in RM5 billion.
Devamani added that all TV stations, including those run by the government and private, has a role to play in the success of the country's transformation agenda without sidelining any race.
Meanwhile, MICCAF spokesman N.S. Krishna when contacted said the government's intervention would give a new lease of life to more than 5,000 artistes and Indian creative content producers in the country.
"How long are we going to view dramas and programmes from other countries. Accepting local contents will also mean better job prospective for local artistes and producers and in return contribute tremendously to the economy of the country," he said. -- BERNAMA
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