Letter To Editor

Dear Editor,

I refer to the recent Instagram announcement made on 8/12/25 by Fey Ilyas, the founder of Current Media Group Sdn Bhd (CMG).

Mr. Ilyas stated that the dispute regarding the alleged plagiarism of CMG’s creative ideas—without compensation or acknowledgement—by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) for the Malaysian Pavilion at the recently concluded Osaka World Expo 2025 has been “amicably resolved.”

While the Malaysian Advertising, Design, and Branding community is relieved to see this outcome for CMG, the public interest questions surrounding this matter remain unanswered and critically relevant. 

The Implied Admission of Guilt… 

The amicable resolution, coming after being served by CMG’s legal “letter of demand” dated July 17, 2025, forces one conclusion: MITI has effectively not disputed the core allegation of intellectual property (IP) infringement and plagiarism.

The timeline strengthens this conclusion:

July 17, 2025: MITI receives CMG’s letter of demand from their lawyer’s firm.

July 18, 2025 (1 day later): MITI announces in the Business Times that its internal investigations into the matter are complete.

August 2, 2025: As reported in MalaysiaKini, the then-Minister, Tengku Zafrul Aziz, reiterated the completion of the internal investigation in a written Parliament reply to MP Lim Lip Eng. Crucially, the Minister did not openly deny CMG’s allegation, acknowledging instead that active discussions were ongoing between MITI and CMG.

This matter involves the use of public funds and calls into serious question the integrity of the government’s tender and procurement process. 

Given that the plagiarism allegation has damaged the nation’s reputation in local and international publications, confidence in our institutions has been undermined.

Demand for Full Transparency and Accountability

Since the written reply in Parliament, MITI has maintained a conspicuous silence regarding the findings of its internal investigation and any subsequent actions. 

Transparency is paramount in a matter involving public trust.

Malaysians deserve full disclosure. MITI must urgently and unequivocally answer the following questions:

What, precisely, did the internal investigation reveal regarding the unauthorized use of CMG’s creative work?

Who, within MITI was responsible for and authorized the act of plagiarism?

What disciplinary actions have been taken against those responsible for this conduct?

What new internal mechanisms have been introduced to ensure that MITI strictly respects the IP rights of the Malaysian creative community, particularly regarding speculative bids?

MITI must also clarify the basis on which the Osaka Expo Pavilion design tender was awarded to BrandMe Associates, especially if the work ultimately used was, in fact, CMG’s creative contribution.

I am deeply disappointed that this alleged breach of integrity has taken place within a leading government organization that professes to adhere to “the highest standards of integrity and compliance in all its dealings”. 

Moving forward, MITI must take assertive steps to restore confidence among the Malaysian Advertising, Design, and Branding community, ensuring that their valuable ideas and intellectual property will be respected and protected.

I urge you to consider publishing this perspective in the interest of public accountability and transparency.

Thank you.

En. Khairudin Rahim 

Advertising Veteran & Former CEO 4As Malaysia (2015-2024) (Association of Accredited Advertising Agents, Malaysia)