SHAH ALAM - When HBO’s award-winning series The White Lotus scouted for filming locations in Southeast Asia, Malaysia was one of the countries under consideration.
According to Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid, production crews even visited a luxury resort on one of Malaysia’s islands before eventually deciding to film in Thailand.
"That resort reportedly declined and the production moved to Thailand, and the rest is history,” she said during a recent parliamentary proceeding.
For Syerleena, this is not just a story about a television crew being turned away.
It is a symbol of how Malaysia has yet to recognise, let alone harness, the enormous potential of film tourism as a driver of the creative economy.
Syerleena argued that Malaysia needs to look at film tourism not only as a cultural aspiration but also as a concrete economic strategy.
She stated that productions like The White Lotus generate global attention, often transforming obscure locations into world-famous tourist destinations overnight.
“If we can develop a real film tourism industry, it could be a powerful driver of our creative economy,” she stressed, adding that the issue cuts across ministries and requires policy alignment between the Communications Ministry, National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) and Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac).
Syerleena also called for the creation of a 'blueprint for the creative economy,' one that goes beyond generic incentives and provides a roadmap for Malaysia to position itself as a regional hub for film and television.
Malaysia is no stranger to international productions. The Tamil blockbuster Billa (2007), starring Ajith Kumar, filmed extensively in Kuala Lumpur, with key scenes shot at Langkawi and the city’s iconic skyline, which helped cement Malaysia’s popularity among Indian film audiences.
More recently, Hollywood has turned its cameras here. Marvel Studios filmed parts of its upcoming Thunderbolts (2025) in Kuala Lumpur, marking a major coup for Malaysia as part of the global Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Other countries have already shown what is possible. New Zealand turned The Hobbit films into NZ$1.1 billion in additional visitor spending, while South Korea’s K-dramas continue to fuel a tourism industry worth over US$14 billion annually.
Thailand too has benefited from international film productions. Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach made Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island a world-famous attraction, drawing crowds of tourists for two decades until over-tourism forced the bay to temporarily close for ecological restoration.
The 2018 hit Crazy Rich Asians showcased Kuala Lumpur’s cityscape and Penang’s heritage sites, winning global audiences and putting Malaysia briefly in the cinematic spotlight.
Malaysia, by comparison, has the talent, infrastructure and locations but not yet the cohesive policy framework to transform filming opportunities into a lasting economic impact.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, responding to Syerleena in Parliament, acknowledged the issue and pointed to Malaysia’s Film In Malaysia Incentive (Fimi), which offers rebates for international and local productions that meet spending thresholds in the country.
He stated that while productions are free to apply through the Finas, there is scope to strengthen Malaysia’s appeal as a filming destination.
“I will look into the specific case and study how Malaysia can become a more attractive destination with better incentives,” he said.