PEKERJA INDUSTRI FILEM BELAKANG TABIR DI SABAH: ISU, CABARAN DAN STRATEGIK
Authors: Rosli Sareya  , Borhan Abdullah  , Zairul Anuar Md Dawam  , Sharip Zainal Sagkif Shek  
Published: June 2023

Pekerja belakang tabir di Malaysia khususnya di Sabah amat memerlukan perhatian khusus. Hal ini demikian kerana terdapat pelbagai isu yang timbul dan dikenal pasti menerusi kajian yang dijalankan. Industri perfileman di Sabah tidak cukup besar jika dibandingkan dengan industri filem di Semenanjung Malaysia. Namun begitu, terdapat beberapa isu serta cabaran yang terpaksa dihadapi oleh golongan ini. Sebelum COVID-19 melanda dunia, industri filem di Sabah masih berada pada tahap yang sederhana jika dibandingkan dengan Semenanjung Malaysia. Keadaan bertambah buruk apabila dunia dilanda COVID-19 yang banyak menjejaskan sumber pendapatan pekerja belakang tabir mahupun industri filem di Malaysia khususnya Sabah. Justeru, kajian ini akan meneliti strategi yang boleh diketengahkan dan membantu pekerja belakang tabir dalam menghadapi cabaran semasa dan selepas pandemik ini. Bagi mencari jalan penyelesaian terhadap permasalahan ini, pengkaji telah melakukan sesi temu bual terhadap beberapa pengarah dan pekerja belakang tabir di negeri Sabah serta menganalisis data menerusi dapatan maklumat dari pelbagai sudut. Analisis mendapati bahawa terdapat perbezaan tahap bayaran tenaga kerja serta penangguhan bayaran antara isu yang harus diberi perhatian. Hal ini menyebabkan kurangnya motivasi dalam menghasilkan karya yang lebih bermutu. Akhirnya, sesebuah karya kreatif menjadi kurang menarik dan tidak memberi kesan kepada audiens. Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat juga bantuan yang tidak putus dari kerajaan pusat khususnya Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Malaysia (FINAS) yang menjadi pendorong dalam membantu pekerja belakang tabir untuk terus berkarya dan bertahan.

Background labourers in Malaysia, particularly in Sabah, require special consideration. This is due to several concerns that emerged and were found during investigation. In comparison to Peninsular Malaysia, the film industry in Sabah is insufficiently large. Nonetheless, this community is going to have to deal with several problems and obstacles. Prior to the release of COVID-19, the film industry in Sabah was still relatively small in comparison to Peninsular Malaysia. The situation exacerbated whenthe globe was confronted with COVID-19, which severely impacted the revenue of behind-the-scenes labor and the Malaysian film business, particularly in Sabah. Consequently, this study will investigate ways that can be highlighted and utilised to aid employees in the background in tackling obstacles during and after the epidemic. To discover a solution to this issue, the researcher conducted interviews with a number of directors and behind-the-scenes employees in the state of Sabah and examined the data by gathering information from multiple perspectives. Among the issues that require special consideration, the investigation uncovered a disparity in labour payment rates and payment delays. This decreases motivation to produce higher-quality work. A creative work eventually becomes less engaging and has no effect on the viewer. However, there is also continuous assistance from the central government, particularly the Malaysian Film Development Corporation (FINAS), which is a driving force in assisting behind-the-scenes people to continue working and surviving.