Film Censorship Board of Malaysia
Encyclopedia
The Film Censorship Board of Malaysia is a Malaysian government ministry that vets films. It is under the control of the Home Ministry.
The Board was established under the Film Censorship Act, and its role was revised in 2002 under an updated version of the Act. Any film that is to be screened in Malaysia must be certified by the Board. Under the provisions of the Act, no one is allowed to view any film that has not been licensed by the Board.
The same Act also bans the posession and/or screening of pornography or provocative materials. Screening of such films in public even in good faith can subject the screener to fines/imprisonment.
The Board watches the uncensored film or programme and decides whether its content is acceptable for a Malaysian audience. The film receives approval only after the Board is satisfied that the film (either without cuts or with cuts required by the Board) satisfies the rules under which the Board operates.
Any film passed with compulsory cuts must have the cuts made by the distributor before the film is released. This is accomplished either by having the studio produce an edited version (in the case of digital screenings) or by physically removing the offending section on the film itself (resulting in a temporary A/V sync problem and the digital audio reverting to the analog stream for a while). Screening films with compulsory cuts in it's unedited form can make the distributor and cinema operator legally liable.
Films banned by the Board include Daredevil
, Homerun
, The Prince of Egypt
and Bruno
, though some were passed for release on optical media.
Should the Board insist that the film be released censored even on optical media, the film is released on (subbed) VCDs and stripped down DVDs containing local distributor logos and even the Censorship Board's approval number printed on the back cover (unlike stickers used for films passed without cuts). All foreign-language audio tracks are removed and only the English (usually left intact), Malay and Mandarin subtitle tracks are available. Special features might be stripped out as well. The resulting product is thus priced significantly cheaper than import DVDs and can be easily identified.
Blu-ray releases of censored films are not available in Malaysia. Such items have to be purchased from overseas and can be subject to random Custom's inspection, which will require an Application for Permit Exemption (Pemohonan Pengecualian Permit) letter to be submitted and approved.
The Board was established under the Film Censorship Act, and its role was revised in 2002 under an updated version of the Act. Any film that is to be screened in Malaysia must be certified by the Board. Under the provisions of the Act, no one is allowed to view any film that has not been licensed by the Board.
The same Act also bans the posession and/or screening of pornography or provocative materials. Screening of such films in public even in good faith can subject the screener to fines/imprisonment.
The Board watches the uncensored film or programme and decides whether its content is acceptable for a Malaysian audience. The film receives approval only after the Board is satisfied that the film (either without cuts or with cuts required by the Board) satisfies the rules under which the Board operates.
Any film passed with compulsory cuts must have the cuts made by the distributor before the film is released. This is accomplished either by having the studio produce an edited version (in the case of digital screenings) or by physically removing the offending section on the film itself (resulting in a temporary A/V sync problem and the digital audio reverting to the analog stream for a while). Screening films with compulsory cuts in it's unedited form can make the distributor and cinema operator legally liable.
Films banned by the Board include Daredevil
Daredevil (film)
Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and out of the courtroom as the masked vigilante Daredevil...
, Homerun
Homerun (film)
Homerun Chinese: 跑吧！孩子 pinyin: pǎo bà háizǐ) is a 2003 Singaporean Mandarin-language film. A remake of the award-winning Iranian film Children of Heaven, Homerun is a drama about two poor siblings and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes...
, The Prince of Egypt
The Prince of Egypt
The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated musical drama film and the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks Animation. The film is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows the life of Moses from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny to lead the...
and Bruno
Bruno
Bruno is a male given name. It is derived from the Germanic word brun meaning "brown". It is also one of the most frequent Italian surnames. It also occurs very frequently in continental Europe and parts of Brazil as a given name for men and boys...
, though some were passed for release on optical media.
Rating system
Since 15 May 2010, the following ratings have been used:| Symbol | Description | TV screening time |
|---|---|---|
| U | General viewing for all ages | Anytime |
| PG13 | Parental guidance is suggested for viewers under 13 | Not allowed between 6:00 to 10:00 AM (weekdays), 6:00 to 12:00 PM (weekends) |
| 18 | For aged 18 and above only | 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM |
Films being censored/banned
Although nearly all the films below have been classified as 18 (equivalent to R in US), some films are subjected to censorship by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia due to content deemed inappropriate to the general Malaysian population. The list below shows some films censored since 2010 (though by no means this is a complete list).| Year | Movie Name | Reason for censoring |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The American The American (2010 film) The American is a 2010 American thriller film directed by Anton Corbijn and starring George Clooney, Thekla Reuten, Violante Placido, Irina Björklund, and Paolo Bonacelli. It is an adaptation of the 1990 novel A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth... |
Partially censored due to some sexual content in the movie. |
| 2010 | Stool Pigeon | Partially censored due to the moderate sex scenes in the movie. |
| 2010 | Piranha 3D* | Heavily censored for 6 minutes due to the sexual content, nudity and frightening scenes. |
| 2010 | Skyline | Partially censored due to sex scene in the movie. |
| 2010 | Unstoppable Unstoppable (2010 film) Unstoppable is a 2010 American action thriller film directed by Tony Scott, written by Mark Bomback, and starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. The film tells the story of a runaway freight train, and the two men who attempt to stop it.The film was released in the United States and Canada on... |
Profanity censored in theatrical screenings to match PG-13 rating standard of Malaysia. Blu-ray release has its audio track intact. |
| 2011 | Burlesque Burlesque (film) Burlesque is a 2010 musical film directed and written by Steven Antin and starring Christina Aguilera and Cher. The film was released on November 24, 2010 in North America.... |
The movie is rated PG13 in most countries but it is rated 18 in Malaysia due to the strict censorship. |
| 2011 | No Strings Attached | Heavily censored for 7 minutes due to sexual content and nudity. |
| 2011 | The Mechanic | Partially censored for 4 minutes due to some sexual and nudity content in the movie. |
| 2011 | Drive Angry 3D Drive Angry Drive Angry is a 2011 American action film starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Patrick Lussier. It was released on February 25, 2011.- Plot :... * |
Heavily censored due to the strong brutal violence and some sexual content. |
| 2011 | Black Swan Black Swan (film) Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis. Its plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City company. The production requires a ballerina to... |
Partially censored due to the sexual and nudity content. |
| 2011 | All About Love All About Love (2010 film) All About Love is a 2010 Hong Kong film directed by Ann Hui.The plot concerns two lesbian women who had been lovers in the past and re-meet through a service for single pregnant women.-Cast:* Sandra Ng as Macy* Vivian Chow as Anita... |
Partially censored due to the lesbian materials in the movie. |
| 2011 | Scream 4 Scream 4 Scream 4 is a 2011 American slasher horror film and the fourth installment in the Scream film series. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream and Scream 2, the film stars an ensemble cast which includes David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts,... |
Heavily censored due to the strong, bloody, violent content of the movie. |
| 2011 | Love and Other Drugs Love and Other Drugs Love and Other Drugs is a 2010 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Edward Zwick and based on the non-fiction book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman by Jamie Reidy... |
Heavily censored due to the strong sexual content in the movie. An alternative theatrical release poster is used for advertisment in Malaysia instead of the poster used in US. |
| 2011 | Limitless Limitless Limitless is one of the world's largest private superyachts. She was built in 1997 by German shipmaker Lürssen, designed under the direction of Jon Bannenberg. The overall length is 96,25 m , the width 12,50 m... |
Partially censored due to some sex scenes in the movie. |
| 2011 | A Chinese Ghost Story A Chinese Ghost Story (2011 film) A Chinese Ghost Story, alternatively known as A Chinese Fairy Tale, is a 2011 film directed by Wilson Yip and starring Louis Koo, Liu Yifei, Yu Shaoqun, Kara Hui, Louis Fan, and Wang Danyi Li... |
Partially censored due to the mild sex scene in the movie. |
| 2011 | Bridesmaids Bridesmaids (2011 film) Bridesmaids is a 2011 American romantic comedy film written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend. The plot centers on Annie .... |
According to Cinema Online, this movie is apparently banned in Malaysia. However, the movie is still heavily censored although it passed the censorship board afterward. |
| 2011 | Wu Xia Wu Xia (film) Wu Xia or Swordsmen is a 2011 martial arts thriller film directed by Peter Chan and starring Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tang Wei. Yen also served as the film's action director. It premiered on 13 May 2011 at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screenings category... |
Partially censored due to the frightening and fighting scenes. |
| 2011 | The Hangover 2 The Hangover 2 The Hangover Part II is a 2011 American comedy film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, and a sequel to 2009's The Hangover. Todd Phillips directed the film in addition to co-authoring the script with Craig Mazin, and Scott Armstrong. The film stars Bradley... |
Partially censored due to the sexual and nudity content in the movie. |
| 2011 | Blitz Blitz (film) Blitz is a 2011 crime film directed by Elliott Lester and starring Jason Statham, Paddy Considine, Aidan Gillen and David Morrissey. It is based on the novel of the same name by Ken Bruen, which features his recurring characters Detective Sergeant Tom Brant and Chief Inspector James... |
Partially censored due to sexual content. Audio is only available in analog optical stereo. |
| 2011 | The Loan Shark | Some of the sex and violence scenes are censored in this local production movie. |
| 2011 | Glee The 3D Concert Movie | Some of the scenes are censored to match PG-13 rating standard of Malaysia. |
| 2011 | Horrible Bosses Horrible Bosses Horrible Bosses is a 2011 black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, based on a story by Markowitz. It stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx... |
Heavily censored due to the strong sexual content and language used in the movie. |
| 2011 | Conan the Barbarian | Partially censored due to some sexuality and nudity content in the movie. Violent portions of the film are intact. Suggestive lines are not subtitled. |
| 2011 | Final Destination 5 Final Destination 5 Final Destination 5 is a 2011 supernatural horror film written by Eric Heisserer and directed by Steven Quale. It is the fifth installment in the Final Destination film franchise and stars Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, David Koechner, and Tony Todd .The motion... |
Partially censored due to brutal violence. |
| 2011 | Colombiana Colombiana (film) Colombiana is a 2011 French-American action film co-written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Olivier Megaton. The film stars Zoë Saldana in the lead role... |
Partially censored due to sexual content and brutal violence. |
| 2011 | Fright Night Fright Night # "Fright Night" – 3:45# "You Can't Hide from the Beast Inside" – 4:14# "Good Man in a Bad Time" – 3:41# "Rock Myself to Sleep" – 2:57# "Let's Talk" – 2:52# "Armies of the Night" – 4:34... |
Partially censored due to profanity, sexual and brutal violence content in the movie. |
| 2011 | City on Fire (2011 film) | Partially censored due to some sexual content. |
| 2011 | Killer Elite | Partially censored due to profanity, violence against children, and some nudity and sexual content. |
| 2011 | Paranormal Activity 3 Paranormal Activity 3 Paranormal Activity 3 is a 2011 American supernatural horror film. It is the third film of the Paranormal Activity series and serves as a prequel, set 18 years prior to the events of the first two films... |
Partially censored to meet the standard of PG-13 in Malaysia. |
| 2011 | You Are the Apple of My Eye You Are the Apple of My Eye You Are the Apple of My Eye is a 2011 Taiwanese romance film based on the story of the same name by Taiwanese author Giddens. Giddens also made his directorial debut when he self-directed this film. The film stars actor Ko Chen-Tung, who plays Ko Ching-Teng, a prankster and a mischievous student... |
Partially censored due to some sexual and nudity content. |
| 2011 | Immortals* | Heavily censored due to some sexual and strong violence content. |
| 2011 | The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, commonly referred to as Breaking Dawn, is a 2011/2012 two-part romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon and based on the novel Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. The two parts form the fourth and final installment in the The Twilight Saga series... |
Heavily censored due to some sexual content in the movie to meet the standard of PG13 in Malaysia. |
- *3D format is not available in Malaysia due to high expenses of having the studio produce an edited version of the film for Malaysian screenings.
Should the Board insist that the film be released censored even on optical media, the film is released on (subbed) VCDs and stripped down DVDs containing local distributor logos and even the Censorship Board's approval number printed on the back cover (unlike stickers used for films passed without cuts). All foreign-language audio tracks are removed and only the English (usually left intact), Malay and Mandarin subtitle tracks are available. Special features might be stripped out as well. The resulting product is thus priced significantly cheaper than import DVDs and can be easily identified.
Blu-ray releases of censored films are not available in Malaysia. Such items have to be purchased from overseas and can be subject to random Custom's inspection, which will require an Application for Permit Exemption (Pemohonan Pengecualian Permit) letter to be submitted and approved.
See also
- Censorship in MalaysiaCensorship in MalaysiaCensorship is a growing issue in Malaysia as it attempts to adapt to a modern knowledge-based economy. Malaysia has one of the world's strictest forms of media censorship, with nearly a hundred movies banned in this decade alone on the pretext of upholding morality...
- List of All Films Banned in Malaysia (IMDB)