Probe Of Stolen Osaka Pavilion Design 8 Weeks And Counting

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On April 23, the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry announced an investigation into a company’s allegation that it was not paid for creative works provided to the ministry for an ongoing expo in Osaka, Japan.
In a statement, the ministry said it takes the matter seriously and is gathering all facts regarding the allegation, which has gone viral on social media.
“The ministry takes note of the allegation about the Malaysia World Expo concept creation that has been circulating on social media and reported by the press.
“The ministry is undertaking a thorough investigation to gather and ascertain all relevant facts concerning the allegation made by an individual on social media.
ADS“We take this matter very seriously and reserve all our legal rights. The ministry remains committed to the highest standards of integrity and compliance in all its dealings. We will take legal action if and when necessary,” the ministry said.
The theft of intellectual property was first reported on April 13, when Instagram user “Feythehuman” alleged that the ministry had appropriated his company’s hard work without credit or compensation for the Malaysia Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka.
The main title of the post read: “The Malaysia Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka is built on stolen creative work”, with the subheading “our proposal was appropriated by Miti without acknowledgement or compensation”.
That individual was Fey Ilyas of the creative consultancy firm Current Media Group, and his Instagram post has since garnered over 36,000 likes and numerous comments, including one from world-famous Malaysian-born artist Red Hong Yi.
Citing previous incidents when plans and projects were “hijacked”, I previously wrote: “It was a damning indictment of the government especially the ministry and its officials. Are we returning to the bad days, with a difference - a ‘victim’ now stands up and demands his right to be compensated for the time, effort, and money spent on the project?”
Fey said, “For over two years, we’ve stayed patient. Professional. Silent. We developed the concept, theme, narrative, and architectural direction for the Malaysia Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.
“We brought in world-class partners, helped secure approvals, and shaped the foundation of Malaysia’s presence on the global stage,” he charged.
Cow works, bull gets credit
How much time and how much manpower are needed to get to the truth? It is a matter of reopening the file on the Osaka project. It would have contained documents including the submissions, designs, and related issues.
Indeed, there would be invoices and payment vouchers, unless, of course, payments were made to someone else. A case of lembu punya susu, sapi dapat nama (cow does the work, bull gets the credit)?
Who was responsible for the theft of the creative work? Why was the Current Media Group dumped after they had contributed for two years and held a series of meetings with the ministry?
Today, almost eight weeks later, there has been no announcement regarding its findings, and if any were made, the ministry has chosen to be silent for reasons only known to its officials.
ADSLike many government departments and agencies, it was seen as a knee-jerk reaction to criticisms or flaws. It is akin to a “holding statement” in a crisis, hoping Malaysians will forget the issue as more pressing matters come to the fore.
Who is the ministry protecting? If it can’t respect our intellectual property laws, how do you expect the rakyat to do so? For two years, the ministry was dealing with the company, and yet no one has records? It’s hard to believe.
Task forces a go-to for silence and deflection
As I wrote previously, like “internal investigations”, the setting up of task forces has become an integral part of the government machinery when put on the back foot.
A task force is a group or committee, typically comprising experts or specialists, formed to analyse, investigate, or solve a specific problem.
Quite often, a task force is formed in response to a problem or specific event, and once the task is completed, the task force is disbanded.
Just replace the words “internal investigations” with “task force” and it will be the same, but it gives the impression that a wrongdoing is being probed to find and penalise the culprits.
Why do we have to get people under such an officious-sounding name when the results, if negative, are always kept away from the public?
I wrote: “In 2015, a task force was established on 1MDB, comprising then-attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, then-MACC chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed, then-inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar, and former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
“Abruptly, the task force was disbanded within less than a year, with Gani taking ‘leave on medical grounds’ and Abu Kassim sent to ‘Siberia’ to hibernate pending his retirement.
“What happened to its interim findings? Covered by the Official Secrets Act, they never came to light.
“Over the years, so many task forces were set up at great expense to be followed by silence. Additionally, there were numerous cabinet committees whose work and findings suffered the same fate.”
The continued use of task forces and investigative teams has yielded the desired results as far as the government is concerned - it has prevented negative views and opinions. But wouldn’t it be beneficial for citizens if the findings were made public?
How about a Task Forces and Investigations Ministry, which would ensure the findings and recommendations are fully implemented? There are already many politicians vying for ministerial posts. Perhaps, this would be an opportunity to appease all parties! - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who strives to uphold the ethos of civil rights leader John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Comments: [email protected]
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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