KUALA LUMPUR: Allowing certain films rated 18 to be screened without cuts does not signal a relaxation of censorship rules, says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Instead, Fahmi clarified that the approach shifts the focus from editing out specific scenes to enforcing strict age classifications in accordance with existing guidelines.
“Age classification is not a licence or permission to screen any content without limits,” he said in a written reply in Parliament on Thursday (Oct 22).
Fahmi was responding to a query from Pokok Sena MP Datuk Ahmad Saad @ Yahaya regarding recent statements by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), which suggested scenes in 18-rated films would no longer be cut to foster greater openness.
Clarifying regulatory roles, Fahmi said that Finas focuses on developing the local film industry, while film censorship falls strictly under the purview of the Film Censorship Board (LPF) and the Home Ministry.
He said that all LPF decisions remain guided by the Film Censorship Act 2002 and the 2024 Film Censorship Guidelines.
Under this framework, films that fulfil regulatory criteria may be screened uncut, provided they adhere strictly to the age rating, restricting attendance exclusively to viewers aged 18 and above.
