Malaysia's film and television censorship policies: A historical and critical view

The present study explores the historical development of Malaysia's film and television censorship policies and their particular relationships to the Malaysian culture. In this study, a historical approach was used to trace the censorship policies from the time of British rule over Malaysia to after Malaysia gained its independence and up to the 1990s. The historical approach shows that the film and television censorship policies became more stringent, particularly policies regarding television, as Malaysia became more developed industrially. The May 13, 1969, racial riots also stimulated implementation of numerous policies that assisted the Malays in improving their economic and social status. Likewise, film and television censorship policies were used by the government to assist in reinforcing Malay culture, whereby Malay values were embedded in the policies.