Malaysian film promoting LBGT rights banned for 'mocking national security'

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/23/malaysian-film-lgbt-gay-banglasia-namewee

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An irreverant comedy from the Malaysian director and YouTube star Namewee was banned by authorities for promoting homosexual lifestyles, mocking troops and ridiculing national security issues, a government ministry has revealed.

Namewee’s film Banglasia, which centres on a group of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds who find themselves forced to accept each other’s differences, was banned from cinemas last year after 31 scenes were deemed inappropriate by local censors. Efforts to resolve the dispute failed when it became clear the entire movie would have to be reshot to assuage the authorities.

Now the Malay Mail reports that the Malaysian home ministry has published its official reasons for refusing the film a licence, in response to a written request from MP and human-rights activist Sivarasa Rasiah.

“This film has a title, theme, storyline, scenes and double-meaning dialogue with implicit messages that were feared could raise controversy and public doubt,” the response reads, adding that it “mocked national security issues, specifically the Lahad Datu intrusion … ridiculed the capacity and role of security troops in maintaining peace as well as national security … includes allegations and negative perceptions towards government agencies related to citizenship … and accentuates negative sociocultural lifestyles such as lesbian gay bisexual transgender (LGBT).”

The Lahad Datu land intrusion was a 2013 incident in which 235 militants, led by a claimant to the defunct Sultanate of Sulu, landed in Malaysian Borneo with the aim of resolving a centuries-old territorial dispute. After a three-week standoff, Malaysian security forces attacked and routed the invading force, killing at least 27 militants.

In the wake of Banglasia’s banning, Namewee – real name Wee Meng Chee – took to Kickstarter in an effort to recoup funds and release the film on the internet for free. However, the crowdfunding campaign stalled in January, after attracting $186,468 towards a goal of $500,000.

Banglasia, whose main character is a poor Bangladeshi immigrant hoping to return to his hometown to marry the love of his life, now faces an uncertain future. “We are now in a dilemma what to do next to still release it to the world, while not incur significant financial losses,” reads the blurb for the unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign.