KUCHING, Aug 21 – Malaysia should look at bringing the global animation and gaming market to the country instead of always looking overseas for opportunities, said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
He said Malaysia had the talent and should market it to the world, with the inaugural Borneo Animation & Games Festival (BAGFest) 2026 in Kuching providing a platform to highlight local talent and investment opportunities in Borneo and more broadly in Malaysia.
“We are always looking around the world for opportunities, particularly investment opportunities. But what we need to do is look at how we can bring the world market to a platform in Malaysia,” he said after officiating the three day festival, which began on Aug 19.
Gobind hoped BAGFest would be held annually, grow bigger and become a global event that puts Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak on the world stage.
Sarawak had its own creative community, distinctive stories and cultures, as well as a growing digital ecosystem.
“We are already seeing Sarawakian talents contributing across animation, film, music, games and digital content,” he said.
He said the opportunity now was to build on these strengths, with more ideas developed, more intellectual properties (IPs) created and owned, more companies growing and more high value jobs created in Sarawak.
BAGFest 2026 has also facilitated 200 business matching opportunities and pitching sessions, with 20 buyers participating.
Gobind said the Federal Government would continue working alongside Sarawak to build on its strengths and connect them to opportunities across Malaysia, Southeast Asia and beyond.
Malaysia’s digital future could not be built in one part of the country alone, and opportunities created by the digital economy must reach Malaysians across the country, the minister added.
He said the strong response to BAGFest showed Sabah and Sarawak could become a platform for the animation and gaming industry.