Film Censorship Board of Malaysia

The Film Censorship Board of Malaysia (Bahasa Malaysia: Lembaga Penapis Filem) is a Malaysian government ministry that vets films. It is under the control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.[1]

History and legislative regulations

LPF was established on May 1, 1954 in Singapore.[2][3] Later, the Malaysian Film Censorship Board was established in 1966 to implement policies and censorship system for the whole of Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak.[4] The Film Censorship Act 2002 is the act that is effective today.[2] Any film that is to be screened in Malaysia must be certified by the Board. Under the provisions of the Act, no one is allowed to view any film that has not been licensed by the Board.

The same Act also bans the possession and/or screening of pornography or provocative materials. Films that contain sex and nude scenes are strictly censored/prohibited. Screening of such films in public even in good faith can subject the screener to fines/imprisonment.[5]

The Board watches the uncensored film or programme and decides whether its content is acceptable for a Malaysian audience. The film receives approval only after the Board is satisfied that the film (either without cuts or with cuts required by the Board) satisfies the rules under which the Board operates.

Any film passed with compulsory cuts must have the cuts made by the distributor before the film is released/screened. This is accomplished either by having the studio produce an edited version (in the case of digital or television screenings) or by physically removing (cutting out) the offending section on the film itself. Screening films with compulsory cuts in its unedited form can make the distributor and cinema operator or television station operator legally liable.[6][7]

Rating system
See also: Motion picture rating system

Since 1 April 2012, the following ratings have been used:[8]

SymbolDescriptionTV screening time
UFor general viewing.Allowed anytime of the day
P13Parental guidance required for audiences under the age of 13.Allowed anytime of the day
18For audiences aged 18 years old and above.Allowed anytime of the day
One of the official logos are displayed before TV programs aired on local stations and cinematic films in Malaysia to indicate its rating.

See also

References
  1. "Laman Web Rasmi Lembaga Penapis Filem Kementerian Dalam Negeri". Film Censorship Board official website. Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  2. "Pengenalan". lpf.moha.gov.my. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  3. "Sejarah LPF". lpf.moha.gov.my. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  4. "(PDF) Malaysian film censorship board (LPF) in the globalization era: Towards transformation and innovation". ResearchGate. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  5. "Sex video case: Datuk T trio fined for showing obscene film (Updated)". The Star Online. Malaysia. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2011. [...] fined RM3,000 [...] and RM1,500 [...] respectively, for openly displaying an obscene film at Carcosa Seri Negara on March 21 [, 2010].
  6. "GSC to explain screening of uncut version of "Aire Libre"". The Star Online. Malaysia. 12 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Golden Screen Cinema Sdn Bhd (GSC) and the distributor of Aire Libre have been asked to explain why the film was screened to the public without cuts.
  7. "TV3 Mohon Maaf Kesilapan Penyiaran Adegan Bogel Emile Hirsch". Harian Metro Online (in Malay). Malaysia. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012. Stesen televisyen TV3 pada Selasa memohon maaf kepada penonton negara ini terhadap penyiaran adegan kurang sopan dalam filem Into The Wild yang disiarkan menerusi saluran itu pada 24 Mac lalu.
  8. "Film Classification". Malaysia: Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
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