When it comes to censorship, most Malaysians are familiar with how is it done in our local cinemas. In line with that, our Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has recently stated about discussing with the Communications Ministry to regulate streaming services such as Netflix under the Film Censorship Board.
Saifuddin's response was to Ahmad Fadhli Shaari from PN-Pasir Mas who wanted the Home Ministry to look into the matters of streaming platforms showcasing sensitive topics. This includes Islamophobia, LGBTQ and other matters. Saifuddin also added that since Netflix is related to the internet, it's "technically under the purview of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998".
That said, the Film Censorship Board still has no jurisdiction over Netflix. According to sources, Saifuddin is ready to sit down with the Communications Ministry if they have decided it is reasonable to proceed. The best thing to prevent children from being exposed to sensitive topics is using parental controls on Netflix.
At the moment, nothing is official for now and we don't know how the discussion between the government parties will go about. But one thing is for sure - movie lovers and cinephiles will not like the idea of censorship as it often affects the flow of the film's structure and story.
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