KUALA LUMPUR – Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Bhd, which runs TV3, has distanced itself from a purportedly sexy scene in the controversial tele-drama Perempuan Itu (That Woman), saying that the content is not under consideration for airtime.
In a statement, it said that the scene may not be appropriate for local audiences, and is not in line with guidelines set by the Film Censorship Board.
“The scene that was shown is unsuitable for broadcast, what more for promotional purposes,” it said of the scene that has gone viral on social media even before the movie has been released.
“In fact, the scene is not under consideration or been approved by the station.
“Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (TV3) would like to remind all parties, including the production (team) and the actors to be more sensitive with the actions taken and to be mindful of sensitivities of religion and society, especially in making any artistic work successful.”
Actress Umie Aida, the sister of the work’s producer Erma Fatima, said that she was shocked by the scene involving actor Zul Ariffin, which the actress had shared on her social media.
“From the beginning, Erma was worried when she saw the footage of this story. She said they shot it very ‘online’.
“I told her that as a producer, Erma should be firm and provide information so the filming can be done on the basis of what is permitted,” Umie wrote in a social media posting reported by Getaran, The Vibes’ Malay-language sister portal.
Umie, who is famous for her role in the film Embun, also said that irresponsible parties had spread the clip of the scene on social media, although it had yet to be edited.
She said that this was done without the permission of the producer but became viral.
“There are parties who want to upload the footage (the clips which Erma wanted to exclude) without the consent of the producers. They wanted it posted on Instagram.
“(What is) the motive behind uploading something which has yet to be edited and depicting it in a less than ideal situation? Is it to make it viral?” she asked.
She also suggested that, unfortunately, there may have been “irresponsible parties” in executing their duties.
“The script and the director’s interpretations are different,” she said. “The screenplay is done by the director, and not by the scriptwriter or producer.”
She added that it is appropriate for actors to reject a screenplay that goes overboard, beyond what is reasonable.
Earlier, the actor in the controversial clip, Zul Ariffin, had uploaded a teaser scene of the drama which depicted him removing his shirt and lifting actress Siti Hariesa while she entwines her legs around him.
She is also depicted as placing whipped cream on his lips, and then putting the cream left on her fingers into her own mouth.
The clip went viral, but at the same time, it also invited huge criticism from the public.
Zul has since deleted the clip yesterday from his social media account.
It also received attention from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad, who expressed his disappointment and said such content is unsuitable for public viewing. – The Vibes, March 20, 2022
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