Malaysian film promoting LBGT rights banned for 'mocking national security'
Source: The Guardian
Malaysian film promoting LBGT rights banned for 'mocking national security'
Ben Child
Wednesday 23 March 2016 13.12 GMT
An irreverant comedy from the Malaysian director and YouTube star Namewee was banned by authorities for promoting homosexual lifestyles, mocking troops and ridiculing national security issues, a government ministry has revealed.
Namewees film Banglasia, which centres on a group of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds who find themselves forced to accept each others differences, was banned from cinemas last year after 31 scenes were deemed inappropriate by local censors. Efforts to resolve the dispute failed when it became clear the entire movie would have to be reshot to assuage the authorities.
Now the Malay Mail reports that the Malaysian home ministry has published its official reasons for refusing the film a licence, in response to a written request from MP and human-rights activist Sivarasa Rasiah.
This film has a title, theme, storyline, scenes and double-meaning dialogue with implicit messages that were feared could raise controversy and public doubt, the response reads, adding that it mocked national security issues, specifically the Lahad Datu intrusion
ridiculed the capacity and role of security troops in maintaining peace as well as national security
includes allegations and negative perceptions towards government agencies related to citizenship
and accentuates negative sociocultural lifestyles such as lesbian gay bisexual transgender (LGBT).
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Read more:
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/23/malaysian-film-lgbt-gay-banglasia-namewee