Going to the movies in Malaysia usually meant popping the latest pirated Hollywood blockbuster into your VCD or DVD and plopping down on the couch in the comfort of your own home.

Not only could you avoid the traffic, the bad popcorn and the rustling, whispering and coughing of fellow cinema-goers, you could catch the latest film before it was even released - and save money.

But those days are over, for the moment at least. A nationwide crackdown in Malaysia has seen hawkers of pirated discs swept off the streets and movie-lovers swept back into the queues at the multiplex.

The blitz has led to the seizure of more than three million discs estimated to be worth over RM20 million, according to official figures.

The few sellers who try to stay one step ahead of the police have been forced underground and no longer have the hottest titles, a major grouse among local consumers who seem to have little sympathy for Hollywood moguls whose profits might be hurt by piracy.

"It's definitely harder to find pirated VCDs and DVDs now, especially the latest releases," said Adam Jeffery, an IT consultant.

Jeffery had amassed hundreds of original DVDs over the last five years but said he turned to the pirates because originals were too expensive and the quality of the copies was good.

Huge disparity in prices

An original movie DVD costs at least RM80, while pirated copies go for as little as RM10 - about the price of the cheapest cinema ticket.

The huge disparity has led the Malaysian government to issue a controversial warning to the legitimate industry to lower prices of music and movie discs and computer software or face imposed price controls.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the move would help put the pirates out of business.

But it has drawn criticism not just from the industry but also from the United States, which said the proposal could backfire and prompt producers to shun Malaysia and shift to more lucrative markets.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia would stick to its guns. "The government is not out to kill the industry. We want to clean the country's image on piracy. By reducing prices, we want to help revive the industry and ensure consumers gain," Muhyiddin said.

Gov't in a fix

Azrul Azwar, an economist with MIDF Sisma Securities told AFP : "The government is in a dilemma. They are not sure whether to satisfy the local consumer or give in to foreign pressure.

There are concerns that the whole issue could negatively impact the flow of foreign investment into the country, he said.

But the concerns of movie lovers accustomed to cheap pirated discs are more prosaic. "You can find illegal copies if you look hard enough, but they are not making the latest movies anymore. You can only get old ones and no one wants those," said Mariam Abdul, a lawyer.

So, for the latest releases such as 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines' and 'Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle', it's back to the queues and all the irritations of watching movies in public.

Street-wise Malaysians predict, however, that police will ease up on their crackdown sooner or later, and when they do, the pirates will be back in business and the public will be back on their sofas. - AFP