Film producer charged over Namewee's 'Babi'

 

A film producer found himself in the dock today in relation to last year’s controversial movie, Babi.

Before the Petaling Jaya Magistrates’ Court, Toh Han Boon pleaded not guilty to a charge of producing the film and promoting it via movie posters, without a valid licence from the National Film Development Corporation (Finas).

When contacted today, the 35-year-old film-maker’s defence counsel Haijan Omar said that his client was charged with allegedly committing the offence at the premises along Jalan PJU 7/8B, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, around 6pm on Nov 18, last year.

“The next date (for mention of the case) is Oct 14 for (handing over of) documents,” Haijan said.

According to a copy of the charge sheet read out before magistrate Muhammad Iskandar Zainol, Toh claimed trial to a charge under Sections 22 (1) of the Finas Act.

The charge sheet stated that under Section 25 of the Act, a conviction is punishable with fine up to RM50,000, a maximum jail term of two years, or both.

Haijan said that during proceedings, deputy public prosecutor Zamriah Zarifah Aris applied for the lower court to set bail at RM8,000.

The lawyer said that the DPP had also sought for the imposition of additional bail conditions, namely for the accused to surrender his passport to the court until disposal of the case, and for him to report to the nearest police station once a month.

Racial elements

Haijan added that he raised objection to the additional bail conditions on grounds that it was not reasonable in light of the type of alleged offence involved.

The lawyer said that in the end, the magistrate set bail at RM5,000 with one surety.

On Dec 11 last year, Persatuan Seniman Malaysia (Seniman) lodged a police report against the film, claiming that it contained racial elements that tarnished Malaysia’s image.

A few days later on Dec 13, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) urged Seniman to lodge a complaint with it so that the commission could evaluate the film’s content.

It was reported that the movie depicts alleged school violence at a secondary school in a small town in southern Malaysia, in 2000.

Banned in Malaysia, the film attracted nominations for international awards, among them from the International Thai Film Festival 2020, the Around International Film Festival in Berlin for Best Feature Film, and Best Original Film Song in the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2020.

The brainchild of Wee Meng Chee, or Namewee, the movie has also received two nominations at the Open World Toronto Film Festival for Best Actor and Best Director.

Meanwhile, later through a Facebook post uploaded this afternoon, Namewee said that Toh has been released after bail has been posted.

Through the posting, he expressed hope that the case would get a fair trial, because the matter merely involved film-makers and not people with bad intentions. - Mkini