KUCHING: Malaysia is eager to cement its status as an international powerhouse for the gaming and creative animation sectors, shifting focus from seeking overseas opportunities to bringing the global market directly to local shores.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said Malaysia already possesses world-class talent in digital content creation.
“The primary challenge now lies in effectively marketing these local creatives to a global audience and establishing a sustainable platform within the country,” he said, when met by reporters after launching the Borneo Animation and Games Festival 2026 (BAGFest) today.
“To drive this vision forward, strategic discussions with the Premier of Sarawak have led to the creation of this event designed to showcase homegrown talent and attract foreign direct investment to Borneo and the wider Malaysian nation.
“This is a golden opportunity to build Sabah and Sarawak as a premier platform. As we can see, many international and local players are participating, and the event is rapidly gaining traction from all over the world,” Gobind added.
Held from Aug 19-23, BAGFest 2026 brings together industry leaders, creators, investors, students and the public as Sarawak strengthens its role in the regional digital creative economy.
He hope to see the initiative become an annual fixture on the global tech and entertainment calendar, placing Malaysia firmly on the world map for digital innovation. To ensure long-term growth, Gobind added extensive cross-governmental discussions are underway involving federal ministries, state agencies, and key industry stakeholders.
Central to these deliberations is the upcoming Budget 2027. According to Gobind, efforts are being made to push for targeted federal support and funding allocations specifically tailored to nurture local start-ups in the gaming and animation ecosystems.
According to the Digital Ministry. Malaysia’s digital creative industry has generated RM92.5 billion in cumulative revenue, RM12.1 billion in exports and RM85.7 billion in investments, while creating more than 11,000 high-value jobs.
Meanwhile, Unicef and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), an agency under the Digital Ministry, announced a partnership to strengthen how children’s rights, safety and well-being are considered in Malaysia’s growing games industry.
According to a statement by Unicef, the collaboration brings together MDEC’s industry reach and Unicef’s global child-rights expertise to support Malaysia’s games ecosystem in considering children’s well-being throughout the design and development process.
“Children should be able to play, create and connect online without their rights or safety being an afterthought,” said Robert Gass, Unicef Representative to Malaysia and Special Representative to Brunei Darussalam.
“Children and parents should not have to carry the burden of digital safety alone. The companies shaping children’s digital experiences have a responsibility too. The strongest safeguards are built in from the start-not added only after harm occurs. This effort gives Malaysia an opportunity to show that the growth of its digital economy and the rights of children can advance together.”
Image: MDEC
