TV channel Astro Warna apologises over rape joke
Television channel Astro Warna has apologised following the controversy of a video clip from one of its programmes that received great criticism after narrating a rape scene in a movie.
"Recently, a video clip from one of Astro Warna's programmes, 'Rumah No 107 ' was spread on social media...
Television channel Astro Warna has apologised following the controversy of a video clip from one of its programmes that received great criticism after narrating a rape scene in a movie.
"Recently, a video clip from one of Astro Warna's programmes, 'Rumah No 107 ' was spread on social media.
“We at Astro Warna would like to emphasise that we take this matter seriously.
"We are always steadfast in our principles of not compromising on matters related to sexual harassment and discrimination against women, whether it is through actions or words (orally).
"We apologise for any indiscretion that has offended any party and will strive to be more sensitive and careful in every aspect of filling our programme’s content in the future," Astro Warna said in a statement released on the Astro Awani news portal today.
The apology came after a video clip featuring actor Fauzi Nawawi - who recounted his experience of acting in a rape scene with actress Raja Farah - was spread on social media.
In the House No 107 programme, Fauzi was asked to recount his most impactful life experiences.
The actor then narrated his experience of performing a rape scene in the film Anak Halal and mentioned the name of actress Raja Farah - who was the 'victim' in the scene.
Fauzi said he did the scene by holding back two things, that is "lust" and fatigue.
The scene, Fauzi said, was cut at the request of Raja Farah's parents.
The footage, which went viral on TikTok, received mixed responses from netizens, with some admitting to being uncomfortable when the scene was recounted to the public in detail by Fauzi.
After receiving criticism on social media, Fauzi apologised to the actress and her husband.
Raja Farah, on the other hand, described the act of discussing the scene openly by mentioning her name, as disgraceful and not maintaining her honour as a woman, especially given that she is now a wife.
Even so, she reportedly did not want to make matters worse.
Another individual who received backlash was one of the show's hosts, comedian Shuk Sahar, who received criticism on social media for allegedly asking Fauzi to talk about the scene.
Another host, actor Khir Rahman, had made an apology and expressed regret and error for laughing as the scene was narrated.
However, Khir explained he only laughed at the way the story was told, not at the issue.
Khir said it was not possible for him to ridicule or celebrate the issue of rape scenes in any publication.
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