(July 9): Putrajaya tightened the noose on freedom of expression when it recently issued a directive banning scenes critical of the government in all local films aired on television.

The ban, issued through a circular from the Malaysian Film Censorship Board (LPF) dated June 23, stated that scenes and dialogue which "mock, belittle, criticise the government and the country's national sensitivities" will be censored from local films on television, along with scenes and dialogue that "tarnish the government's image".

Examples of such scenes include those that depict civil servants accepting bribes or abusing their power, according to the circular.

Defending this move, LPF chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid said such measures were necessary to protect Putrajaya's image.

"We really can't allow that, because it involves our image. It can bring a bad image for the government, so we avoid this," he told The Malaysian Insider.

"Such scenes will definitely be censored, there is no avoiding it. Because we have our people in the television stations doing the censorship."

Aside from government criticism, the circular also states that LPF bans scenes of "women wearing form-fitting clothes, clothes that reveal the shape of the breasts, privates, thighs, buttocks, and underwear (except for Indian women in saris)" from locally made films on television.

Scenes of characters breaking the country's laws will also be cut out "unless it is an evil character and he gets his comeuppance", states the new guidelines.

Overall, the guidelines cover censorship for 10 different elements: sex, explicit, immoral behaviour; superstition; smoking, drinking, drugs; character-destroying; appropriateness of clothing; indecent behaviour; violence/cruelty/graphic; political; horror/mystery/frightening; and law and government integrity.

However, the new guidelines, enforced on June 15, are only applicable to local films aired on television stations here.

The censorship also varies based on the race depicted in the films. For instance, a local Malay film cannot depict scenes of "deviant teachings without any repercussions or lessons", but the same does not apply to local Chinese, Tamil, or English films.

The circular states that the main aspects used to determine what scenes should be censored are security and public order; religion; sociocultural; and good behaviour and morality.

Halim said while the printed guidelines were new, they had been in practice for years.

"It's been there all this while, but we are just formalising it now, putting it in written form, stating our guidelines clearly.

"Before this, censorship was open to interpretation, based on the Garis Panduan Penapisan Filem 2010. Now that it is in written form, the dos and the don'ts in terms of censorship are clear."

The Garis Panduan Penapisan Filem 2010 does not explicitly state that scenes critical of the government should be axed.

Instead, it merely says that such scenes "must receive close attention and examined thoroughly, so that it does not provoke controversy and doubt in society".

The Garis Panduan Penapisan Filem 2010 also says one of the reasons film censorship exists is to "protect the country and government of Malaysia from the spread of anti-government films or depict the image of the government and its agencies negatively".

Halim said the new guidelines were merely a more detailed version of the 2010 one.

"There is no difference, it is just more specific. Because when films are shown on television, anyone can watch it, even children.

"So the new guidelines ensure that scenes inappropriate for children are not shown, like smoking.”

He said LPF produced the new guidelines after consulting representatives from television stations, adding that he had not received any complaint since the implementation.

But local film director Shahrulezad Mohameddin said he was in a bind now that the new guidelines barred scenes of wives and children being abused.

"Hmmm... how am I supposed to do a story on wives or children being abused if the scene that shows the violence will be cut out? What should be shown? I can't just play the dialogue..." he said on his Facebook post.

But in a separate post, he said filmmakers would have to accept the guidelines nevertheless.

"After this, script writers, especially, have to be careful about the screenplay because these rules are beyond the jurisdiction of TV stations. Whether we like it or not, we have to deal with it."

On June 29, director Erma Fatima said local television station TV3 told her that her film Pesan Dari Tuhan (Message From God) must undergo 30 to 50 cuts before it could be aired as it was politically sensitive.

But she disagreed with their decision and decided to yank out the film. – The Malaysian Insider