KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — The spotlight is on the Film Censorship Board (LPF) with questions raised over how it rates movies and if they can be re-rated in the name of profit.
The issue cropped up after filmmaker and producer Datuk Yusof Haslam’s latest film KL Gangster 2 was re-rated from 18 to P13.
Yusof had appealed for the movie to be re-rated from 18 to P13 after it was leaked on the Internet two months before its official release.
The board’s action has not gone down well with several industry players who claimed it was practising double standard.
Actor, filmmaker and producer Afdlin Shauki believes a film should be rated based on its content and should have nothing to do with the business aspect.
“There should not be double standard in censorship, regardless of the profit-making aspect,” he said.
Malaysian Producers Association vice-president Norman Abdul Halim agrees that the board practises double standard.
“We should have a rating system that is self-governed and has nothing to do with the government. This is how it is done in the US,” he said.
KL Gangster 2 director Syamsul Yusof declined to comment, insisting that any questions should be directed to his father, Yusof.
Although the LPF gives ratings after reviewing the films, the home minister can intervene and re-rate the films under Section 28(b) of the Film Censorship Act 2002.
Yusof had appealed to the board to have his movie re-rated because he wanted to make up for potential loss of profit after the leak on the Internet.
“After finding out about the leak which was an act of sabotage, I appealed to the board to change the rating from 18 to P13,” Yusof said.
He also said no additional cuts were made to the movie when the re-rating was done.
Yusof said the leak was severe because it was the uncensored version, adding that this was the first time such a thing had happened in Malaysian filmmaking.
“I don’t see why this is an issue. Immediately after my movie was re-rated, another producer, David Teo, also appealed for his movie Longkai to be similarly re-rated (from 18 to P13) and it was also approved by the board,” he said.
“Even with a P13 rating, I still lost a lot of money. I need to collect at least RM7.5 million to make a profit but so far it has only collected RM5 million at the cinemas,” Yusof said.
Yusof said he did not mind an 18 rating. The Internet leak, however, prompted him to seek the re-rating.
Board chairman Datuk Raja Azhar said the producers and director of KL Gangster 2 had appealed and the board obliged to consider the appeal as provided for in the Film Censorship Act 2002.
“However, the law also provides the home minister absolute power to approve or disapprove any content.
“The home minister is empowered to override the board’s decision and make the final decision on the appeal,” Raja Azhar said.
Under Section 28 of the Act, the minister may, subject to any condition that he may impose, if he is satisfied that it would not be contrary to the public interest or to the interest of the country to do so, exempt any person or any film or film-publicity material from any provisions of this Act or regulations made under this Act.
In the case of KL Gangster 2, Raja Azhar said, it was out of his hands as higher authorities had instructed the board to approve the appeal.
Earlier, actor and filmmaker Sharifah Amani raised the issue of LPF’s inconsistency via her Twitter account, after her own movie Psiko Pencuri Hati which, according to her, only had a little blood, was given an 18 rating.
