Press Statements

Film Censorship Board Must Uphold Morality

MACSA is baffled at the recent premier of the film ‘Pulau’ produced by My Way Pictures in collaboration with Film Force Studios. Whilst the legal provisions regulating film contents are scattered over a few statutes, it must be stressed that reading these provisions harmoniously, there exists a framework of guidelines and regulations monitoring film industry in Malaysia.

Yet, with wide discretion to approve or to partially censor or even to wholly reject films from being shown for public viewing in Malaysian cinemas, the Film Censorship Board (LPF) has miserably failed its task in the current kerfuffle. The very fact that ‘Pulau’ is now premiering in local cinemas proves that it has gotten greenlight from Film Censorship Board to proceed with screening while retaining bikini, kissing and love-making scenes in its final cut. This is in clear violation of its role to monitor and stop the circulation, exhibition, distribution, display, manufacturing, production, sale or hire of any film or film-publicity material which is obscene or is otherwise against public decency.

Whilst MACSA celebrates creativity in film-making and healthy portrayal of Malaysian culture in its films, however MACSA stresses the duty of all Malaysians to respect and upload our National Principles embodied in Rukun Negara. In particular, fifth principle specifically speaks of Courtesy and Morality.

As a United Nations member, Malaysia has a duty to respect the provisions under Universal Declaration of Human Rights, specifically under Article 29(2) of the UDHR that states ‘In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.’

Likewise as a signatory of ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, Malaysia is duty-bound to observe limitations under Article 8 of the Declaration, which enjoins that expression of fundamental freedoms of every person must be exercised with due regard to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others, subject to legal limitations put in place to meet the just requirements of national security, public order, public health, public safety, public morality, as well as the general welfare of the peoples in a democratic society.

Malaysia is also a member of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and must respect the principles under the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) including under Article 17(a) which enshrines ‘Everyone shall have the right to live in a clean environment, away from vice and moral corruption, that would favour a healthy ethical development of his person and it is incumbent upon the State and society in general to afford that right.’

There is simply no place for human dignity without morality. MACSA urges the Film Censorship Board to be mindful of its own guidelines framed under the purview of Film Censorship Act 2002 [Act 620] which establishes it. MACSA further implores the LPF to cease all screening of ‘Pulau’ in its current form and strongly applies its legal power to censor immoral and obscene materials from the film before releasing it for public viewing.

JOINT STATEMENT:

Lukman Sheriff Alias
Founder of Malaysian Lawyers Circle (MLC) and Chairperson, Malaysian Alliance of Civil Society Organisations (MACSA)

Professor Dr. Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar
President of The International Women’s Alliance for Family Institution and Quality Education (WAFIQ) and Co-Chairperson, Malaysian Alliance of Civil Society Organisations (MACSA)

MACSA is a coalition of civil society organisations with the specific aim and object to look into, as well as advocate, human rights issues in Malaysia for the UPR Process.

* MACSA supports Online Petition initiated by Pertubuhan Advokasi Dan Hak Asasi Wanita Antarabangsa Malaysia, a member of MACSA Coalition.

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