(AFP) - A minister today condemned a newly released Hollywood movie as "insensitive and distasteful" due to its storyline of an assassination plot against a leader, a report said today.

Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung was quoted by the Star daily as saying the plot to kill the "president" of the country in the movie "Zoolander" was distasteful in light of global efforts to fight terrorism.

Malaysia does not have a president, but is led by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who has been in power for 20 years.

"Zoolander" starring actor Ben Stiller, which opens in US cinemas today, has a storyline of fashion moguls plotting to kill a Malaysian leader who plans to raise minimun wages for labour, thus threatening the fashion industry.

Chor said although the storyline was fictitious, the movie was against eastern values and a make-believe country should have been used instead of singling out Malaysia.

He said the government should lodge a complaint against the producers.