Keep the censors away

The New Straits Times
by G.Shanti, Shuib Taib and Audrey Vijaindren

KUALA LUMPUR: Media censorship should be done away with, except in “extreme cases”, which can threaten national security, such as those which touch on racial and religious sensitivities.

Pornography and excessive violence should also be on the chopping block.

 

This is the consensus of a crosssection of Malaysians who feel that the government’s move to review its media censorship policy is timely, as freedom of communication and access to information is instrumental in the shaping of a nation.

They said any move to arbitrarily censor the media would be futile in this age, where information is available at the click of a mouse.

"Censorship is no longer effective, so why not embrace freedom in communication? 

"If freedom of communication is used with responsibility and respect, it will be a great tool in shaping our nation," said Alan Hoo, founder of the Malaysian Association of Brand Image Consultants.

But he stressed that the public must be held responsible for their actions. 

Concurring with him, AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said it was time for Malaysia "to get rid of media censorship", as it would ensure an open and transparent platform of communication which is important for national unity.

By having little or no censorship, he said the country would become more innovative, adding that freedom of speech was important for innovation.

"If someone makes defamatory or slanderous statements, there are legal avenues to deal with such matters. 

"And in the absence of media censorship, we can have media regulators to keep an eye on this." 

He was saying this in response to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's statement that the government would review its media censorship policy in line with the country's changing socio-political landscape. 

Najib said the measure was necessary so that the government would not be seen as failing to understand media censorship and how to deal with it.

Educational psychologist Kenneth Phun said there was a need for more balanced reporting by the media and not the kind that was based on political patronage. 

He said the media should provide honest news without treating its readers or viewers as children who did not know how to think. 

"However, I'm not espousing abandonment in terms of zero censorship because I believe that things like pornography should be disallowed."

Giving the media more freedom and allowing the public to express their views would also go a long way in moulding a mature society, said youth worker Michael William.

"Everyone has the right to be heard and hearing different viewpoints helps us make informed choices. 

"I think Malaysians are able to do this if people begin to trust us." 

Professional image consultant Wendy Lee agreed that people should be allowed to express their thoughts without the fear of being judged or penalised.

"Sometimes it's the bitter words that mould us into better people." 

While members of the film industry welcomed the review, they felt there was still a need to control pornography and extreme violence.

Film producer and director Saw Teong Hin said as much as directors like to complain, some degree of censorship was necessary for scenes touching on sex, extreme violence, and racial and religious intolerance.

"Having said that, I would like to qualify it by saying that if we were to ban violent or sex scenes, we need to see the context in which they are censored. It must be discussed. It is not as simple as black or white." 

Actor and writer Tam Suhaimi, who welcomed the prime minister's statement, said the film industry had long suffered from strict censorship. 

"Nevertheless, certain topics still need to be controlled such as pornographic flicks, sex scenes and things that can incite racial antagonism."

Actor Tony Eusoff, however, felt that the question of censorship should not arise in an era where the public had access to various sources of information.

"As far as film censorship goes, I don't think anything is worth censoring. After all, if we want to watch a pornographic movie, you can get it from the Net.

"However, I feel that moviemakers should be responsible enough to know when and how much love scenes they need to have in their movies. If I were to ban something, I would do it if I felt that it was done in bad taste."

Some, however, felt that existing censorship rules were still relevant, given the country's multi-ethnic and multi-religious mix, as issues deemed "sensitive" by some quarters could be blown out of proportion. 

As such, Hulu Selangor member of parliament P. Kamalanathan said media censorship was important because whatever was published or broadcast could be misconstrued. 

"If an interviewee has said something sensitive, the onus is on the writer to exercise some form of censorship so that it doesn't lead to a bigger problem. 

"The pen is mightier than the sword and that is why we need to be careful when we touch on race, religion, language or even culture." 

Prof Dr Suresh Govind, president of the Sathya Sai Baba Central Council of Malaysia, said media reporting should be done responsibly and with accountability, adding that "censorship should be part of journalism".

"The benchmark should be our own families. Would we write anything sensational about our families just to sell the story? 

"The same should be applied to those who we are writing about."