Highest censorship during Najib era - international arts organisation

 

Malaysia reported the highest number of censorship violations in 2017, during the administration of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

According to the Southeast Asian Arts Censorship Database, conducted by ArtsEquator, Malaysia recorded 79 censorship violations that year.

The database noted a total of 245 censorship violations in Malaysia over a period of 12 years, between 2010 and 2022.

The lowest number of violations was in 2011, with only two.

Singapore-based ArtsEquator, in partnership with local arts collective Five Arts Centre, launched the Southeast Asian Arts Censorship Database report earlier today.

The database tracks censorship violations across six countries in the region: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

According to researcher Muhammad Zikri Abdul Rahman, Malaysia recorded the highest number of violations among all six countries across the 12-year period.

However, he attributed this to better documentation of censorship practices in Malaysia compared to the other countries.

He added that in the Malaysian context, general elections were a significant factor in censorship violations in the country.

“It is crucial to be mindful of how this political climate and volatility during election and campaigning periods can contribute to concerning developments.

“One such example is the banning of cartoons by Zunar, a prominent cartoonist, in criticising then-prime minister Najib and the controversy surrounding the 1MDB financial scandal.

“Apart from that, Malaysia’s socio-political system which is heavily influenced by ethno-religious dynamics remains a contentious issue within its public realm, particularly in arts and cultural production,” he said.

During the course of the data collection, Zikri noted that 95 of the violations were imposed on publications, 79 on films, visual arts (31), online content (15), music (10), performing arts (nine), customs (three), and multidisciplinary (three).

His report also noted that 220 out of the 245 violations were enforced by state institutions and entities such as the Home Ministry, Film Censorship Board, and state-based religious institutions.

Zikri added that the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984 and the Control of Imported Publications Act 1958 were behind the high number of publications banned or censored during the period of research.

ArtsEquator’s database can be accessed here.  - Mkini