KUALA LUMPUR – The Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) has begun a formal investigation into claims that the creative concept for Malaysia’s Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka was used without crediting or compensating the original consultants.
In a statement today, the ministry said it is “undertaking a thorough investigation to gather and ascertain all relevant facts concerning the allegation made by an individual on social media.”
“We take this matter very seriously and reserve all our legal rights,” it added. “MITI remains committed to the highest standards of integrity and compliance in all its dealings. We will take the necessary legal action if and when necessary.”
The allegation was highlighted by creative consultancy Current Media Group (CMG) Sdn Bhd, whose representative Fey Ilyas shared a public post on Instagram outlining the firm’s involvement and concerns.
According to Fey, CMG was engaged by MITI in 2022 to propose a theme, narrative, and architectural concept for the national pavilion at the world expo, scheduled to take place in Osaka from April 13 to October 13.
The post included a timeline of the engagement, along with presentation slides, email correspondence, and other materials which CMG claims demonstrate its contributions. Comparisons were also made between CMG’s proposals and visuals later used in official materials.
Fey said CMG worked with the ministry for about eight months, under tight timelines, while awaiting a formal appointment.
In January 2023, MITI reportedly informed the firm that the project would not proceed and was later opened to public tender.
The firm contends that elements of its original concept were reflected in the subsequent tender documents and that internal materials still carried its initials.
“If MITI had decided to start over and called for new proposals in their tender, we wouldn’t be here. We would’ve respected that,” Fey said.
Attempts to seek clarification reportedly included meetings with Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and the Expo 2025 Malaysia secretariat.
Fey said the firm submitted documents and letters, but did not receive a clear resolution.
“We didn’t just develop the idea, we were also the ones tasked with presenting it to key stakeholders across multiple ministries, including the minister of MITI – Tengku Zafrul,” the post read.
CMG later received a response from MITI indicating that no payment would be made, citing the absence of procurement records. – April 26, 2025