Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong has urged the boycott of controversial Malay film Tanda Putera by “truth-seeking Malaysians”, alleging historical inaccuracies and the film’s intent to enhance polarisation instead of national unity.

NONE He said this in response to published reviews of the film, pertaining to the events surrounding the May 13 racial riots, which he alleged depicted Chinese as the aggressors and the supposed involvement of the Communists.

Refuting this version of events, Kua, in statement, said the film seems “intent on spreading untruths and enhancing polarisation instead of promoting truth and reconciliation”, although he admitted that he had yet to see it.

However, cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, better known as Zunar, said that the movie should be banned altogether by the government since it has racial elements.

“The government has to be stern in upholding racial unity,” he said in a separate statement.

He said that while he supported freedom in the arts, he rejected all form of art works that are racial in nature.

Kua, meanwhile, expressed surprise that the film’s director Shuhaimi Baba insisted on putting the blame on the communists despite published references stating otherwise.

NONE Shuhaimi ( right ), he further accused, was more interested in the “creative licence” than in featuring the truth, as seen by the inclusion of the scene of a Chinese youth urinating on a flag pole outside of the then-menteri besar’s house.

“After the 13th general election, the government seems intent on polarising our society further by communalising issues.

“It’s payback time, as some observers have also pointed out. Tanda Putera seems to be set in this trend.

“...Truth-seeking Malaysians should boycott the film. We also call upon the national Film Development Corporation (Finas) to justify to all taxpayers why their money should be used to spread untruths which are costly to national reconciliation,” he said.

He further urged the formation of a truth and reconciliation commission to ‘ lay bare the truth” of what really transpired that day “without fear of retribution”.

Minister and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low and P Waythamoorthy, he added, should declassify all documents on May 13 for transparency.

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