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It was surely a huge honour for all Malaysians when Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh was crowned the best actress during the 2023 Golden Globes for her starring role in the sci-fi comedy Everything Everywhere All At Once. She is the second Asian and first Malaysian to win the award, sparking many speculations that she may also win an Oscar this year, crafting a new history for the Malaysian film industry.

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil had, on January 22, 2023, stated that Michelle Yeoh’s talent had not been fully utilised to leverage the local film industry. He then announced plans to recalibrate the National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) to produce more quality local films and showcase them on the international stage. 

In 2022, we witnessed a few unwanted incidents happening within the Malaysian film industry. Disney’s animated film Lightyear and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) blockbuster Thor: Love and Thunder were banned from Malaysian silver screens due to their alleged LGBTQ+ elements. Even the local film Mat Kilau, which made record-breaking box office performances in Malaysia, fell into the spiral of sensitive racial elements and raised controversies within the Sikh community. As we move into 2023, the trailer of another local horror film, Pulau, raised eyebrows among certain Malaysians again due to its alleged sexual content. Even Fahmi himself deemed the trailer as not suitable to be publicly broadcasted, though he asserted that the final decision on whether the film can be shown in cinemas falls within the discretion of the Film Censorship Board (LPF). 

These films, which could earn Malaysia a great amount of money and recognition, faced controversies due to one word — sensitivity. “Sensitive and detrimental to local moral norms” is the number one reason utilised by the LPF and the government to condemn and censor the hard work of filmmakers, no matter local or international. This becomes the main reason why Malaysian film talents leave their motherland and embark on their filmmaking journey in other countries. A notable example would be Namewee, one of the most talented artists Malaysia has ever produced, who now focuses most of his art business in Taiwan instead. According to the artist himself, the Taiwanese market is free from censorship, and content creators can enjoy full freedom of expression to showcase their talents in various forms. 

Malaysia has been and is able to produce great actors and actresses, but great actors and actresses need great scripts to support their skills. Under the current highly-restricted content-creating environment via various laws such as the Film Censorship Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act, it is hard for directors and scriptwriters to produce works with unconstrained style. One of the reasons why Asian films find it difficult to surpass Hollywood films in terms of global box office performance is the relatively restricted genres of content that can be legally and safely produced. In Malaysia, issues about race, religion, gender identity, and politics have always been untouchable taboos. Whoever touches it, even while meaning well, will be deemed insensitive and face various legal and ethical controversies. As an industry that values freedom, it is not irrational for filmmakers to leave Malaysia and seek a freer market overseas. 

Claiming to be a reformist government, Fahmi, under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a long-time reformist leader, should not only recalibrate FINAS for a more systematic talent acquisition process, but also reform the LPF to establish a freer and safer environment for film producers to participate in the industry. In my view, LPF should not exist in the first place, as adding a layer of filter ahead of filmmakers’ hard work is the main factor that drives them away. The government and political leaders across the aisle should acknowledge that Malaysian audiences are not passive viewers; they think when they consume. For instance, watching a film containing LGBTQ+ elements does not convert Malaysians to LGBTQ+. Besides making a profit, films are also an important social device to highlight underlying issues within the society, and to shed light on problems that are normally unseen and underreported by mainstream media. These issues are often controversial, which is where politicians jump in and deem them as “sensitive”, stopping them from being seen by the public, consequently leaving these problems lying in the dark, never to be resolved.

Some may argue that Malaysian grassroots are still not ready for a free film market and that allowing “sensitive” issues to be discussed in films may hurt their feelings. The question is, do Malaysians really know what is behind those censored or banned films? All the censorship standards are set by top political leaders via laws and bodies like LPF, and grassroots Malaysians never have the chance to review through their lens whether a particular film is actually sensitive or offensive. In a healthy democracy and public sphere, the people should be allowed to form their own judgements without being influenced by rulers. Just like the government’s policies, if a group of people likes a film, there will certainly be another group of people disliking the same film. They can discuss, argue, and debate whether the film is ethical, but they should not be denied the chance to review the film through their own lens and form their own judgements in the first place. Only in this way, the Malaysian discourse on various issues can continuously expand, and the quality of Malaysians’ mindsets can be improved.

Reviewing film censorship policies is a must for the current ruling unity government. This is not only to retain filmmaking talents in our country, as aspired by Fahmi, for the local film industry to prosper, but it is also about shaping a healthier public sphere on various underlying social issues among Malaysians to collectively leverage their democratic participation. 

References

• Everything Everywhere: Michelle Yeoh wins Golden Globe, could an Oscar be next? | BBC News
• Fahmi: Michelle Yeoh’s talent not fully utilised in Malaysia | New Straits Times