KOTA KINABALU: The sudden launch of Sabah’s new digital streaming platform Borneo.TV has drawn concern from local creatives who said they were not consulted ahead of the move.
Sabah Film and Visual Association (Safva) President Chester Pang (pic) welcomed the initiative but said the lack of prior engagement with key industry stakeholders was disappointing.
He said this absence of consultation risked sidelining experienced local content creators and undermining long-standing efforts toward a transparent and inclusive creative ecosystem in Sabah.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});In an open letter to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Pang requested clarity on policies for local producers, content selection guidelines, and official channels for communication with the industry.
Safva, which represents Sabah at the national level through the Malaysian Film Association Coalition (Gafema), has worked with agencies such as Finas and RTM to promote the State’s creative sector.
Pang said Safva remained committed to supporting Sabah’s digital creative development and stood ready to collaborate on future content initiatives.
Launched by Hajiji on Tuesday, Borneo.TV is positioned as a platform to showcase authentic Sabah content to the world, with the tagline “Sabah in the Eyes of the World.”