It's pretty sad that albeit the 4,000 thousand graduates with great untapped talents that were produced annually have not been able to fulfill the relatively few job vacancies from local creative and advertising field. It is with great insult that the nation's best 3D animators, compositors and GUI designers are recruited by international companies abroad such Codemaster, not that it is an insult to the employee or employer per se, but since we have an embedded stigma that the foreign (i.e anything that spells white) is better, we forgo our local talents and lose them out to the big guns overseas.
Same goes with most other professions anyway, but the field of creative multimedia and advertising is uniquely localized and hiring foreigners who have no clue of our circumstantial differences does not really help the country go forward. Hindsight, we are still too far behind and if not well-planned outright, our future talents would just be "born in Malaysia - made elsewhere in the world."
Are the policy makers in this country aware of the following facts?
Did you know that China is extensively recruiting good designers from Malaysia and now most of them 'migrated' to Shanghai & Beijing to work in a better job opportunities with better payment.
Did you know when I wanted to approach the graduates from local colleges such as The One Academy, all the top students had been booked by other agencies from Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong?
Did you know that to apply for a job in Malaysia is like applying to become a model in a modeling agencies? Local companies are getting more superficial and requires candidates to have looks more important than a portfolio. (I'm talking from experience!).
Did u know that a lot of Art Directors & Creative Directors in local advertising / interactive agencies are 'managed' by expats? It's not bad, but does this prove we have no standards and quality AT ALL to achieve such position? or
Are we that prejudice over our own talents that we bank our trust on the future of the creative and advertising field in the hands of short-term/contract workforce whose loyalty to Malaysian brands are questionable?
Of recent, I was offered a vacancy by few parties (some very famous and popular international brand firms) in China due to my reliable merits, strong work credentials and sound portfolio (hope I don't sound too boastful or condescending but I am fully confident of my work). However, I've decided to remain in Malaysia backed by strong faith that there is hope still for the expansion of local talents. Having said that, my fire is fading fast and I've contemplated moving to greener pastures if things doesn't work out here and the local employees/agencies are still in their post-colonial mentality.
An existing scenario prevails; if all the good designers had received offers to work abroad (Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Australia, Canada, etc) that leaves us the mediocre designers struggling for survival and left misguided with the notion they are never good enough in their alma mater.
One last note; I've discovered some good designers (previously evaluated and ranked by qualified professionals back in university) working as Direct Selling Agents, Bank Officers and Sales Assistant in Carrefour, Giant, McDonalds, Starbucks, and the list goes on. People still need to eat yeah? And that Art School Degree is left wasted.
Does anyone really care?
Work Updates: LAMU Project
I would like to thank Wing, Saubin, and the rest of the LAMU committee members including our sponsors and KTM to give us the opportunity to realize the vision of the project that I'm involved with, Let Art Moves You (L.A.M.U) is also on the way, with my newest artwork. It was a great launch. Finally, some exposure! ;)
More photos can be found in my Flickr page here.
Four (4) of my artwork installed in train no. 39 is just mesmerizing. This exhibition also runs until 4th of November 2007 among other artists such as my friend Shieko, Orkibal, Donna and others.
My artwork also mentioned in TheStar Metro Saturday and New Straits Time Sunday. Article 1 via NST Sunday, Article 2 via NST Sunday People, KakiSeni & TheStar Metro.
Personal experimental:
New digital artwork by Muid Latif in collaboration with notable Malaysian photographer, Johan Sopiee. Congrats Johan on his special occasion last week! ;)
Photography:
Title: A Solitude Mutiny
Model: Afiqah.
Thank you to KLFlickr group for making this photo as winner of 10th weekly theme competition.
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