Kota Kinabalu: Music Authors’ Copyright Protection (MACP) Berhad has lowered its membership threshold to a single song with at least 1,000 streaming views, opening the door for more independent and first-time music creators in Sabah to collect royalties.
“We do not want one-hit wonders missing out on their royalties just because of strict membership requirements,” MACP Chief Operations Officer Lucas Lai told a media conference during the MACP Jelajah Malaysia Timur 2.0 here.
“Where does this royalty sit? The companies are going to take it. And that is not what we want,” he said, adding that the royalties should go to those who created the music.
Previously, music creators were required to submit five musical works to qualify for MACP membership. The threshold has since been lowered to one song with at least 1,000 streaming views on platforms such as Spotify and TikTok. Membership registration is free.
The updated membership requirement was announced during the second edition of the Jelajah Malaysia Timur programme, which drew a strong turnout and registered new members on the spot.
Lucas said the first edition last year had far exceeded expectations, with more than 130 attendees turning up against an initial estimate of 40 to 50, while between 30 and 40 new members signed up.
Follow-up activities have since been held with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara).
The return visit is intended to give creators more opportunities for face-to-face engagement and discussions on copyright and royalty matters.
“We want to show that we care about the people here. We are likely going to do more if the reception or turnout is good,” Lucas said, adding that MACP is committed to maintaining its presence in East Malaysia.
MACP East Malaysia Director Roger Wang said the membership change reflected how music consumption had evolved.
“Last time, a hit song was only through albums. A composer can have just one song, it goes viral, and there is a pool of royalties they cannot collect simply because they only have one song and cannot qualify for membership,” he said.
Roger also said the questions raised at both Jelajah events showed that awareness among Sabahan creators already existed.
“The awareness is there, but maybe they do not yet know the way. That is where we hope to come in, to give them mentorship and guidance,” he said.
“This awareness campaign is not only for Sabah. It is the same whether in Sarawak or Peninsular Malaysia. There are many who may not fully understand copyright.
This is a continuous process,” he added.
He cited Rey Guntabid’s Kadazandusun-language song “Lumangad Oku Dika” reaching the Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) final as a sign of growing national recognition for Sabah composers.
For the record, “Lumangad Oku Dika” advanced to this year’s AJL final, marking a rare and historic achievement for a Kadazandusun-language song on the national stage.
“First time you have a Sabahan ethnic title song in Juara Lagu. The time for Sabah and Sarawak composers is coming. It is a good time that MACP is stepping in to give them a good platform,” he said.
Meanwhile, Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) Chairman Rosmin Hashim, who also represented the Music Publishers Association of Malaysia (MPA), said the membership change was about being more inclusive, particularly towards independent artists.
“Nowadays you have a lot of do-it-yourself artists coming out with recordings. Some of their recordings, although do-it-yourself, become big hits. They should also be able to generate royalties from public performances of the songs they have recorded, regardless of whether they operate as sole proprietors, partnerships or companies,” he said.
He added that AI-generated music would not be accepted under the relaxed criteria, saying the industry did not recognise such works for membership purposes.
Rosmin, who is also Chairman of Public Performance Malaysia Berhad (PPM), cited Jimmy Palikat’s “Anak Kampung”, re-recorded with One Nation Emcees, as a long-running example of the royalty-earning potential for local creators.
“In 2012, that song was the highest-selling ringtone in the entire peninsula. We have paid a lot of royalties to Jimmy Palikat from that song up until now because it is still being played frequently in karaoke outlets. This is generating a lot of income for the songwriter,” he said.
This year, MACP also collaborated with UMS and the Sabah Institute of Arts (SIA). Saturday’s programme included performances by Dabra Sia, Hezron of Atmosfera and creative students from both institutions, as well as a Kahoot session with Kupi-Kupi FM.
MACP also announced two new award categories exclusively for East Malaysian members at the upcoming Anugerah MACP 2026, recognising the contributions of creators from Sabah and Sarawak.
MACP is an independent, non-profit company that operates as a licensed royalty collection body under the Malaysian Copyright Act.
It is regulated by the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO), an agency under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, which sets the governance and legal framework within which MACP operates.
On broader creative industry policy matters, including artificial intelligence in music and the digital creative economy, MACP works closely with the Ministry of Communications.
