Showing Thursday, but disputes over Tanda Putera aren’t going away
(TMI) – Lim said the government-backed film has spurted lies and accusations and if the Barisan Nasional (BN) government allows the film to be screened, it only proves that BN is intentionally stoking racial tensions in Malaysia.
Ahead of the controversial movie Tanda Putera’s opening in local cinemas on Thursday, DAP has urged the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture to re-examine the film due to concerns it could worsen race relations in the country.
The film paints an inaccurate picture of incidents that occurred during the May 13 race riots in 1969, according to secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
Lim said the government-backed film has spurted lies and accusations and if the Barisan Nasional (BN) government allows the film to be screened, it only proveS that BN is intentionally stoking racial tensions in Malaysia.
“The ministry should take appropriate action. DAP wants to see what the government would do after this. If nothing is done soon, we would discuss our next steps,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
The film, directed by Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba, was supposed to be aired last year but was postponed three times following protests against several scenes in the movie.
The cost of the movie is estimated to be RM4.8 million and the project is a joint effort of Persona Pictures, National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) and Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC).
Last Thursday, The Malaysian Insider reported that DAP had urged Tanda Putera’s producers to declare the film a fictitious work.
DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua said then the film would provoke anger and racial tension.
Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dap-wants-tanda-putera-to-be-re-examined-to-avoid-racial-tensions
