Local film-maker Amir Muhammad's latest offering Apa Khabar Orang Kampung (known abroad as 'Village People Radio Show') has been banned for allegedly glorifying the struggle of the "communist united front".

Disclosing this on his blog today, Amir said the movie was sent to the Malaysian Censorship Board for approval on Jan 18 and the decision to ban it was made on Feb 12.

The board cited seven reasons for this:

  1. The theme of the movie portrays the struggle of the 'communist united front' as something noble which deserves recognition.

  • The film also shows that the Malaysian government had acted unfairly by not appreciating their struggle.

  • The film carries the views and stories from the communist side alone regarding their stand and objectives of their struggle in order for society to feel sympathetic towards them and be appreciative of their actions.

  • There are clear criticisms against the Malaysian government for offering a rehabilitation scheme which could not be accepted as opposed to the Thai government which offered them land, houses and basic amenities once they stopped being communists. The film also featured insults against the sultanate and Malays.

  • The film also attempts to ridicule Tunku Abdul Rahman as the person who caused the Baling Talks to fail when in actual fact it was the communists who had refused to lay down their arms.

  • Former communist members likened their struggle to that of Malay warriors who fought against the British such as Dato' Bahaman, Mat Kilau, Tok Gajah, Dato' Maharaja Lela, Tok Janggut and others. This is a distortion of historical facts.

  • This film is not suitable for public viewing as its inaccurate facts touch on the sensitivities and painful memories of members of the security forces and public who were victims of the communists.

    • According to Amir, whose previous movie Lelaki Komunis Terakhir (The Last Communist) was also banned, has until March 10 to appeal.

    Lift the ban

    In an immediate reaction, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) condemned the ban and called for it to be lifted.

    "The reasons given by the censorship board blatantly transgress Article 10 of the Federal Constitution's guarantee of free speech. The right to criticise government policy and behaviour is a vital aspect of any democracy," said its executive director Sonia Randhawa in a statement.

    "Resorting to banning the movie, rather than engaging in the concerns raised there by the former communists, indicates insecurity and makes it increasingly difficult for Malaysians to assess and relate to this period of history," she added.

    She said lifting the ban on Apa Khabar Orang Kampung and its prequel Lelaki Komunis Terakhir would indicate that the government's commitment to an open and transparent society is more than just rhetoric.

    "CIJ is also concerned that banning locally made films encourages a culture of self-censorship among local film-makers, which is opposed to Malaysia's policy of establishing itself as a 'global centre and hub for communications and multimedia information and content services.'

    "We urge the Internal Security Ministry to encourage local film production, regardless of politics, and to repeal the Film Censorship Act," she added.

    Apart from banning films, the government has recently banned 56 books deemed objectionable by the authorities.