THE establishment of minimum salary scale guidelines as a reference for artiste remuneration has received positive feedback from the Film Directors Association of Malaysia (FDAM).
Its chairman, Datuk Afdlin Shauki Aksan, said the minimum wage scale was necessary to upgrade the quality of arts practitioners, even though implementation would be tricky as various factors needed to be taken into account.
Afdlin said that the implementation of the minimum wage for behind-the-scenes production crew members was equally important when it came to improving the quality of life of members of the creative industry.
"Not only should artistes be paid what is due to them, but the unsung heroes who help make their dramas and movies a success need to be treated the same.
"On behalf of FDAM, I very much welcome the implementation of minimum wage guidelines because this will push up the level of professionalism among workers in the creative industry.
"With the existence of a minimum wage, we can now ensure that entertainment industry employees get paid based on their qualifications that will be listed by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) or minimum practical experience," he said in a recent 'Berita Harian' report.
DIFFICULT
Afdlin, however, added that many people chose to take shortcuts by not obtaining certificates of eligibility.
"This means that all stakeholders need to have specific planning and implementation to make government policies a success.
"The reality is, the minimum wage is difficult to implement because unskilled workers are willing to accept any wage offered to them.
"I'm afraid to say, this matter could drag on and jeopardise the creative industry if there is no proper planning.
"Therefore, there has to be solid guidelines for experienced creative industry employees to receive what is due to them for their years of service."
THEATRE
When asked to comment on the plight of theatre artistes who felt that they were not being paid reasonably, Afdlin said that their problems were related to the economic health of the country.
"Because the theatre industry is small, the returns are much smaller than that of the television broadcasting industry.
"As a result, theatre actors' and actresses' remunerations are paid out of theatre companies' small production budgets," said Afdlin.
Afdlin said that the theatre industry was driven by its players' passion and interest in their craft.
"If there is a minimum wage for the creative industry, it will help boost the remunerations of theatre actors and actresses, and help the theatre industry grow."
TELEVISION
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Television Producers' Association (PTVM) believes that setting a minimum wage for artistes is difficult to implement because the income of actors and actresses depends on their commercial value at a specific time.
PTVM president Datuk Jurey Latiff Rosli said that if the minimum wage was to be implemented, discussions should be held between stakeholders so that all parties will benefit from it.
"This matter needs to be discussed, it cannot be done hastily so that all parties can benefit. There needs to be a win-win situation where the rate for the producer needs to be taken into account.
"If the payment rate for actors, actresses and crew members goes up, but the producer still receives the same payment from the TV station, it is not fair to the producer.
"The producer cannot survive and build up the television industry because there are no provisions in the law and regulations regarding prices.
"When it comes to payment for the artistes, there is no hard and fast rule. But in most instances, actors and actresses are paid based on commercial value, in other words supply and demand.
"So implementing the minimum wage needs an in-depth discussion involving all parties," he said.
GUIDELINES
Professional Film Workers Association of Malaysia (Profima) president Khalil Salleh said that they fully supported the implementation of the work contract offered by Finas to all film workers.
He said that Profima did not have any issue regarding the minimum wage.
"Profima already has guidelines for all work categories under the film section. The rate is calculated as a daily wage according to the work category namely film, drama, documentary or advertisement.
"We have no issues with the implementation of the minimum wage, and we only want to find out how it can be effectively implemented by the employers," he said.
FINAS
Earlier, National Film Development Corporation (Finas) chief executive officer Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib, said that all actors, actresses and production crew members needed a mechanism to protect their interests and get them sufficient remuneration.
Azmir said that Finas would be continuing the Malaysian Creative Capacity Enhancement Programme (MyCAP), which has been implemented for the past few years.
Azmir added that through MyCAP, Finas would be including a database for the accreditation of artistes, and this would show drama and film producers whether an artiste who wants to collaborate with them is a fresh graduate, industry junior or industry professional.
He said: "When there is a database for accreditation purposes, an artiste will have a certificate to show any producer he or she plans to work with, and this will ensure that the producer will have to pay the artiste a reasonable salary as is the practice in other professions."