Syed Mohd Zakir better known as SM Zakir a renown writer who was the recepient of the Southest Writting Award in 2011, has urged the government to channel financial assistance directly to the arts and culture industry such as practised in Taiwan. He added that the practise of using agencies and certain bodies only hampers efforts to spur the industry which is in critical stage and in need of support. The writer also argues, not all the funds provided are used for programs or publishing purpose as some are used to cover management fees and other non-industry related activities. “Imagine 80 percent of the funds are channeled to management, how much is left to carry out activities? "It is better if the funds are channeled directly to activities that is in the core or arts and culture, the results will be better if this done properly," he said during the Literary Heart and Mind Program in conjunction with the Selangor Book Fair. Accordingly, Taiwan on the other hand practices direct provision of assistance to these activities without going through intermediaries which has now resulted in a robust arts cultural in the country. “The industry there is alive because of direct assistance to activists, these are the commuity who know about the industry and are involved in publishing and creative work for the public to consume. The reading culture is so lively that you can find 24 hour bookstore, he concluded.
