Putrajaya commits to amending Finas Act
The Perikatan Nasional government will amend the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) Act 1981 to ensure it is up to date with the current times.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said the cabinet has made the decision and also affirmed the government’s commitment to media freedom and individuals' rights on social media...
The Perikatan Nasional government will amend the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) Act 1981 to ensure it is up to date with the current times, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah.
This, he said, meant social media users on platforms such as short-form video-sharing service TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, were free to produce and upload videos “without concern of prosecution”.
He said the cabinet has made the decision and also affirmed the government’s commitment to media freedom and individuals' rights on social media.
“As I explained [...] the PN government had never intended to use the Finas Act to restrict individual freedom on social media, and (also on) the need for the act to be improved," he said in a statement today.
According to the minister, the cabinet decided on several matters which were:
- To assert the government’s stand to support the principles of media freedom and the right to individual freedom on social media;
- That social media users are free to use current platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and others, including to create and upload videos as usual without applying for a license or without fear of being prosecuted by Finas; and;
- To amend the Finas Act (244), taking into account the current situation.
Saifuddin further reiterated the statement he made in June that laws under his ministry’s purview were to be revised to suit current times.
“The government will start the process of amending the acts in the near future,” he said.
He had said at the time that laws governing the arts and creative industries were being reviewed to protect the work of local artistes and their rights.
Saifuddin had come under heavy fire yesterday after telling the Dewan Rakyat that a license from Finas was required for all filming activities in Malaysia, even those for personal social media use.
In a statement later clarifying the matter, the Bersatu minister, who was previously Pakatan Harapan's foreign affairs minister, claimed the new government had no intention of using the act to stifle individual freedoms on social media.
He said he had merely intended to explain to the august House the act as it currently stood.
Saifuddin first brought up the act when he said his ministry was investigating if international news agency Al Jazeera had first obtained a license from the national film corporation before producing its contentious "Locked Up in Malaysia's Lockdown" documentary aired earlier this month.
Finas then confirmed that Al Jazeera did not possess the necessary license to film for the segment which dealt with the alleged abusive handling of undocumented migrants in Malaysia during the movement control order (MCO).
For the record, the news broadcaster has claimed that it did not require such a license as its "101 East" weekly current affairs segment, under which the documentary was aired, did not fall into the category of film requiring one.
Report this comment
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.