Malay NGO questions Lim over Tanda Putera flip-flop

Anak Merdeka Permatang Pauh, a group of Malay youth, excoriated Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's "inconsistency" in his handling of the ‘Tanda Putera' movie controversy.

Group spokesperson Mohamed Azlan Mohd Azmi, 40, questioned why Lim first issued a directive, then changed it to an "advisory", to cinema operators not to screen the movie, which opened nationwide yesterday.

Lim had to direct the Penang and Seberang Perai local councils to reissue their letter to the cinema operators as they had sent out a directive instead of the advisory, and stressed that no action would be taken for non-compliance.

Golden Screen Cinema eventually decided to screen the movie, despite initially complying to the Penang government's advisory.

The reversal of their decision came after Finas directed all cinemas to screen the movie.

"This is a movie about national patriotism and how to unite all races during the May 13 incident. We warn Lim to be more consistent and open since he says he champions freedom of expression and media," said Mohamed Azlan.

"Don't ever think history can be changed, not even after 1,000 years. However, ‘The New Village' movie, which Lim supports, is trying to change history."

Mohamed Azlan said the group does not believe that ‘Tanda Putera' can create conflict between the races.

About 15 out of the group's 300 members gathered to meet the media at the Sunway Carnival shopping mall in Seberang Jaya, Penang, yesterday.

They returned 100 "expired" tickets to the Sunway Carnival GSC management and obtained a new batch of tickets.

Mohamed Azlan said that they purchased the tickets on Wednesday for the 9.45pm slot on Thursday night, before Lim issued his advisory.

Movie to be screened for 2 weeks
‘Tanda Putera' was screened last night at 9.45pm and midnight 12.15am.

The Anak Merdeka Permatang Pauh group placed the tickets in a big picture frame and handed it over to GSC Sunway Carnival cinema manager Eric Ong.

Ong said the movie will be screened for two weeks, with five shows daily.

Mohamed Azlan said the group had initially planned to give the tickets to Lim as a "gift" should ‘Tanda Putera' failed to make it to the screens of movie theaters in Penang.

He thanked GSC for screening the movie, noting that the management was "stuck" between the state's advisory and the federal government's directive for all cinemas to show the movie as it falls under the "compulsory" category.