KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) is investigating claims alleging that it had “stolen” a creative agency’s concept for the Malaysia Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka without due credit or compensation. 

In a brief statement on Saturday (Apr 26), MITI said that it is aware of the allegations which have been widely shared online following a viral Instagram post by user Fey Ilyas. 

“MITI is currently undertaking a thorough investigation to gather and ascertain all relevant facts concerning the allegation made by an individual on social media,” the ministry was quoted as saying by local news outlet Malay Mail. 

“We take this matter very seriously and reserve all our legal rights. 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,” it added. 

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The statement, however, did not name the individual or agency involved.

The claims surfaced after Fey accused the ministry of using his company’s concept, theme, narrative and architectural direction for the Malaysia Pavilion “without acknowledgement or compensation”. 

According to Fey, the ministry had engaged his creative consultancy firm, Current Media Group (CMG), in 2022 as creative consultants to develop the concept for Malaysia’s participation in Expo 2025. 

Expo 2025 is a large global exhibition to showcase the achievements of nations. This year’s exhibition is being held in Osaka, Japan, for six months from Apr 13 to Oct 13.

Fey also claimed that his team had helped secure approvals, brought in world-class partners and shaped the foundation of Malaysia’s presence at the global expo. 

“As a small company, even receiving proper acknowledgement for a project of this scale would have helped us build our reputation and open doors to new opportunities,” Fey wrote on Instagram. 

As of Saturday, the post has garnered over 24,100 likes and more than 6,000 reposts. 

Fey also claimed that he had met with Trade Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz to raise the issue directly. Fey also alleged that his agency had been “advised to stay quiet” or risk losing future opportunities.