MITI served letter of demand over allegations of stolen World Expo pavilion concept

Creative consultancy firm Current Media Group (CMG) has taken legal action against the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), issuing a formal Letter of Demand (LoD) after what the company says were more than two months of inaction on MITI’s promised investigation into alleged creative appropriation tied to the Malaysia Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka.

According to CMG, founder Fey Ilyas first raised the alarm on 25 April 2025 in a public post detailing similarities between the pavilion’s approved concept and a proposal CMG had earlier presented to MITI, before the official tender process began. The post drew wide attention and prompted MITI, on 26 April, to state that an internal inquiry was under way.

CMG now claims that since MITI’s statement, the ministry has made “no request for documents, interviews, or clarifications,” nor provided any substantive update on the investigation’s progress. The firm says it has “exhausted all informal avenues for dialogue,” leading it to instruct counsel to serve the LoD on 17 July.

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In the letter, CMG seeks formal acknowledgement of its contribution to the pavilion’s concept and “fair compensation.” The company adds that, should MITI fail to respond satisfactorily within the statutory period, it will pursue “every legal remedy available under Malaysian law.”

CMG maintains it is open to constructive mediation, provided any discussions recognise the value of creative labour and are conducted “in good faith", recognises the value of creative labour, and upholds equitable terms.

When reached out to by A+M, MITI said that it has completed its investigation on the matter. “We have contacted CMG and will engage them further,” a spokesperson shared. 

In previous attempts made in April and again in June, the ministry had declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation.

A look back at the controversy

Back in April, MITI announced that it initiated an investigation over a social media post which claimed that the ministry did not compensate or credit a creative agency for its concept of the Malaysian Pavilion for Expo 2025 at Osaka.

"MITI takes note of the allegation pertaining to the Malaysian Pavilion concept creation that has been circulating on social media and reported by the press. MITI is currently undertaking a thorough investigation to gather and ascertain all relevant facts concerning the allegation made by an individual on social media," it said at the time.

It also added that the ministry remained 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 statement read.

The claims were made by CMG's founder on Instagram, under his handle @feythehuman. The main title of the post read: "The Malaysia Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka is built on stolen creative work", with the subline "our proposal was appropriated by MITI Malaysia without acknowledgement or compensation". Fey said in the captions, that his team had stayed silent and patient for over two years.

Meanwhile, the controversy had also rekindled industry calls for stronger IP protections. Speaking to A+M, Malaysia Advertisers Association (MAA) president Claudian Navin Stanislaus said that idea theft is a "sad certainty" many agencies face, often quietly enduring the indignity out of fear of blacklisting.

"Ideally, no agency should ever have to second-guess whether their ideas are safe at the point of submission. Just as no client should have to worry if the campaign they’re paying for isn’t a rehashed job," said Claudian.

Former 4As Malaysia CEO Khairudin Rahim echoed the same sentiments, emphasising that under global business norms, intellectual property (IP) remains to be the agency’s unless a formal agreement is reached.

"I am especially concerned that this conduct seems to have taken place at such a leading government organisation that claim to adhere to 'the highest standards of integrity and compliance in all its dealings'," added Khairudin.

Additionally, Tan Kien Eng, the newly elected president of 4As Malaysia, told A+M that in recent years, the association has seen several cases relating to the automatic ownership, retention and usage of agencies' intellectual property.

Fey stressed that the fight is bigger than CMG itself. "It was never just about us. It’s about the next person. And the one after that. The best thing the industry can do is simple: to stand with each other when it matters most, because we are never creating alone."

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