Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 4): The word “animals” in Malay is a security threat, say Malaysian censors who cut a Singapore film due to be shown in a joint programme in Kuala Lumpur this month.

Singapore film director Tan Pin Pin, said the Malaysian Film Censorship Board had snipped the word “binatang-binatang” as well as its English subtitle from her 54-minute documentary Singapore GaGa, as the word had a “double meaning”.

“Quoting from the censor's report, translated: ‘Erase (Victor Khoo) saying animals in Malay and delete the subtitles of animals which has a double meaning.’

“This goes against the Film Censorship Guidelines Ministry of Home Affairs Part II:2.1.1 (v) Dialogue can create doubt and restlessness among citizens and finally may cause a security threat, disturbance of public peace and national defence,” Tan wrote on her Facebook page where she also posted a copy of the censor board's directive.

She has withdrawn her film, which tells of Singapore's past and present, from the Titian Budaya Festival this month.

The festival is an event celebrating Singapore-Malaysia ties and is to be held from January 14 to 17.

Singapore GaGa, a 2005 film, was rated one of the best films about the island republic by The Straits Times.

The scene with censored word shows a two adults entertaining some children with one of them teasing the kids by calling them "animals" in Malay.

“I have decided to keep the film intact and hence would need to withdraw the film from the event, which I have done.

“Censorship is arbitrary and nonsensical. Security threat indeed!,” Tan wrote.

She said the festival organiser had appealed to the censorship board but were rejected last week.

In her Facebook post, Tan provided a link to her film at video sharing website vimeo.com.

The Malaysian Insider is attempting to contact the censorship board for a response.

 

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