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Guan Eng, let the people decide for themselves
Published:  Aug 29, 2013 8:43 AM
Updated: 2:48 PM

YOURSAY ‘Guan Eng is doing just what the central government does when they ban rock concerts from performing in Malaysia.'

Penang asks cinemas not to screen Tanda Putera

your say From Penang: I'm not with CM Lim Guan Eng this time. Let the public go to watch the ‘Tanda Putera' movie and judge for themselves.

I am disappointed with the Penang government. Why must they sing the same tune as BN? Focus on developing Penang. Why want to waste time on this? Please show you are different from BN.

Artchan: Penang should let the cinemas screen the movie, but maybe print flyers in all languages explaining the movie for its sensational creative licence and provide them with each ticket purchased.

GeneYen Artchan: Printing flyers would be the correct approach. Don't "ban" nor "request" cinemas not to show the movie.

Show the world that the Penang government is not afraid of slanderous lies in the form of a "creative" movie based on untruths and fiction-infused content.

I am qualified to say this because my parents and family lost our home, then took refuge from the carnage (we lived not far from Princes Road where then Selangor MB Harun Idris' residence was - in Kampung Baru) in Chin Woo Stadium for some months, barely escaping with our lives on that fateful Tuesday night.

Ratbatblue: Guan Eng is doing just what the central government does when they ban rock concerts or certain celebrities from performing in Malaysia - that is deciding what the public can and cannot watch.

My4Hope: Pakatan Rakyat, and definitely not DAP alone, should band together and utilise this opportunity to tell the real stories, instead of narrowing the scope of their criticism to this urinating scene in the movie.

It seems to me that Pakatan has been losing its direction and fighting spirit after GE13. Recently their opponents are being allowed to manipulate too many issues.

Myrights: Personally, I do not agree with the ban or request not to screen the movie. A banning culture is not healthy and it assumes people are not smart enough to discern between right and wrong, true or false. It also robs the people from the opportunity to make their own decisions.

Basically, this is back to the government knows best mentality, which is not what we want to encourage. Instead, what the Penang government should do is to educate the people that this is fictional and dispute the contents in the show through the online media since the mainstream media is pro-BN. Let the people decide.

The Penang government must show that they are better than Umno - and PAS too, for that matter.

SpongeBob: With the gracious consent of Umno leaders, it has introduced a new culture called "urinating at leader's residence".

If one is disgusted with your political leader, you have licence or precedence to practice this culture. So, we don't need public toilets, political leaders' residence are open for public urinating.

Onyourtoes: They claimed creative licence, so I am going to do the same. It is my fictional imagination that this half-baked director is taking orders to slander and cause maximum hatred against the Chinese. It was calculated, and it has nothing to do with creativity.

Even if the event was true that some Chinese person did urinate on the flag pole, I think, as a responsible director, she should have downplayed the event to lessen the pain and hatred among all parties.

Forty years have passed, I am sure the emotions, sentiments and reasons then were very different from now. What more, the movie was funded with public money.

As I see events unfolding each day in this country, I can't help but feel that there was indeed a fascist tendency being unleashed. They don't care how this short-term expediency will eventually impact the country in the long run. All they care is they have the power now and they are doing it with a vengeance.

The nobility of a race or religion is to show magnanimity when they are powerful and secured, not to use that strength to bully and belittle others.

Ferdtan: Way to go Penang. Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim, your turn? Do you want the non-Malay and many sane Malay votes?

Let director Shuhaimi Baba lose money. That is the only language ‘director-for-sale' understands.

See the double standard; when Astro broadcasted an innocent documentary on the life of Pope Francis, they showed a disclaimer throughout its airing repeatedly - "This programme portrays depiction of religious figures and represents views other than Muslims'. Viewer discretion is advised."

So does the million-times more controversial film, ‘Tanda Putera', have any disclaimer for Chinese viewers? No?

Anonymous_40a7: If you take a look at some shots taken from the movie, you have a Proton Iswara, Daihatsu lorry and CCTV cameras, which did not exist in 1969, making their "cameos", while the extras are "gleefully" attacking each other like it's just a game.

So, expect laughter and chuckles if you ever decide to watch the movie. Of course, it's "fictional" anyway.

Wira: I believe many cinemas in urban Penang will gladly comply since they need an excuse to do so as they fear antagonising Umno. Reason being that there are going to be a lot of empty seats and the anxiety of a boycott by their patrons.

Banzai: Just boycott this film and prevent the producer from making money. Might as well spend the money by taking your family to enjoy a sumptuous meal.

Swipenter: Asking ‘Tanda Putera' not be screened in Penang is a bad idea. Many of us believe that there is no escaping from the consequences of our actions and sins.

Whether you want to believe it or not, I had seen with my own eyes what a broken man one of the main alleged plotter of May 13 was just before he died.

He was a pitiful sight sitting in his huge bungalow and looking so lost and forlorn in the last years of his life. I actually felt sorry for him.

Abasir: "If this trend continues, what if one day they make a film suggesting that Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered by Anwar Ibrahim or Lim Kit Siang?" asked Guan Eng.

Indeed, what if someone makes a movie on the life of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and indicates that he has been having a clandestine affair with prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor?

Can the filmmaker claim creative licence and will he or her get government funds for that too?

Odin: I have been calling the film ‘Putera Tandas' since this issue first came up because it is nothing more than a load of excreta meant to cause hatred for the DAP and the Chinese. And to make matters worse, Malaysian taxpayers' money has been used to produce it.

One other thing. The director has no clue about what ‘creative licence' means and how it is applied by competent writers. I know what I am talking about; I have been involved in the creative industry for years.

Spinnot: Adding fiction to a so-called historical movie to promote racial hatred on National Day. Well done, 1Malaysia!


The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .      

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