Arts and Culture Dept to be moved to new ministry – Fahmi

 

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil confirmed that the Arts and Culture Department will be moved to another ministry, and the respective minister will make an announcement later today.

“The cabinet meeting today decided that the Arts and Culture aspect…will not be under this ministry (Communication and Digital Ministry).

“So I will leave it for the respective minister to make the announcement,” said Fahmi (above) in a post-cabinet press conference at Putrajaya today.

When asked if the said department was no longer with the Tourism Ministry, Fahmi affirmed it.

“Yes, the respective minister will make an announcement today,” he added.

Last week, when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced his cabinet line-up, the Arts and Culture Department was left out.

The Tourism and Culture Ministry is now designated as Tourism Ministry - which caused a stir in the culture and entertainment industry.

Later, it was rumoured that the department will be merged with Fahmi’s ministry – given that the latter is well-known in the arts industry as he used to be a theatre actor and writer.

Members of the Malaysian arts and culture community have been calling for the government to reinstate the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry for some time.

Besides, the official letterhead of the “Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture” has been changed to just “Ministry of Tourism” since the new cabinet was announced.

‘Tossed around’ many times

This was deemed as an obvious sign that the Arts and Culture Department has been separated from the Tourism Ministry.

Before 1987, the culture sector was a portfolio under the Culture, Youth and Sports Ministry.

However, it was separated from Youth and Sports Ministry in 1987, and merged with the Tourism Ministry.

Arts was added in 1992, and the ministry was renamed Culture, Arts and Tourism Ministry.

In 2004, Arts and Culture Department was separated from tourism and it was then known as the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry.

A few years later, heritage was later dropped from the portfolio too. - Mkini