The Malaysian Artists Association (Karyawan - Persatuan Karyawan Malaysia) appreciates and acknowledges the public concerns raised about the content of "Madu Atau Racun," which was recently aired.
"This concern is sincere and deserves due attention," said Karyawan President Datuk Freddie Frenandez.
"However, the attention should rightly be directed towards the party that decided to produce the episode and not towards the actors who were merely following instructions.
"In any production, the content is determined by the scriptwriter, director, producer, and the broadcaster who commissions the work. It is then reviewed and approved by the censorship authority before reaching the audience.
"Actors are the workforce hired and responsible for portraying their characters as best as possible so that the drama receives a good reception from the audience.
"They are bound by a contract for the entire series, acting based on the approved script, and working under the director's guidance. They do not choose, write, or approve the material," added Freddie.
"An actor portraying a character is not the character itself. This principle has long been understood in all other genres, and it should not be disregarded in this case."
Recently, the husband of actress Elisya Sandha, Uzair Haqimy Azman, expressed his feelings in a post uploaded on social media regarding the criticism towards his wife in the controversial drama "Madu Atau Racun".
Karyawan believes that this discussion should shift from individuals to processes. If there is material that reaches the public and is deemed inappropriate, the more meaningful question is how it was approved, not who acted in it.
Karyawan said it proposes two practical steps:
1. Clearer content guidelines at the stage of idea generation and script approval, so that standards are set before filming, not debated after broadcasting.
2. A clear point of accountability for each production, so that the public knows which party is responsible for the content decisions.
"The country's creative industry is facing real pressure," said Freddie.
"Production budgets are becoming tighter, and generative technology is increasingly replacing paid creative work. An industry that cannot tell its practitioners where the boundaries lie, and then leaves them to face public judgement alone, will not be able to attract or retain their talent.
"We understand that necessary remedial action has been taken by Finas on this issue and the matter is in the process of being resolved."
