KUALA LUMPUR – The emergence of social media content, which bypasses censorship and government certification, is one of the reasons insensitive commercials like Hari Raya Aidilfitri-themed ads promoting gambling are released, said National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) CEO Ahmad Idham Ahmad Nadzri.
He said ads for television and cinema are screened by the Film Censorship Board to secure Finas’ certification before they can be aired.
“For content creators on social media, they do not have to go through this process. And because of this, they can release any kind of content without a sense of responsibility, and that is what’s happening now.
“It is necessary to review our suggestion to license content broadcast on social media, which Finas proposed last year, because the freedom given has been abused,” he said when appearing as a panellist on the Malaysia Petang Ini programme on Bernama TV.
Two Raya-themed commercials by online betting platforms surfaced last week, causing controversy.
Police have arrested 18 individuals, including the director, producer and actors, to facilitate investigations.
“Talent (content creators and actors) themselves need to have a sense of responsibility. Those who sing a song in an ad must understand what they are singing,” said Idham.
“They need to really know the projects they are working on. This can prevent (insensitive ads from being produced).” – Bernama, April 19, 2021
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