Banning of blockbuster “Noah”

The Federal Government has completely lost sight of a multi-cultural Malaysia and the spirit of its own 1Malaysia slogan when it decided to ban the Hollywood blockbuster “Noah” from public screening in this so-called multi-ethnic, multi-religious country, said political activist Kanul Gindol.

Kanul, who is chairman of UK-based Borneo Rights International (BRI) claimed it is in fact beginning to show that the “1Malaysia” slogan by the ruling party could only mean something else, that it was never intended to cherish unity but meant as a vehicle for certain parties to proselytize the whole nation into a single religion.But this will fail, taking along with it a failed 1Malaysia. Civil society must not let this happen, said Kanul, who also leads a local NGO, Gindol Initiative For Civil Society Borneo.

He said many right-thinking citizens are shocked at a situation where the Federal Government and its agencies are increasingly appearing to be all in cahoots with narrow-minded people, dismantling whatever Malaysian spirit we once were so hoping to flourish in this country. Malaysia is fast becoming a pariah country, led by extreme views by Muslim fundamentalists masquerading as liberals and reformists, he said.

He said alternatively, the authorities should just confine that ban to Peninsular and exclude Sabah and Sarawak from this ban as we are more tolerant and right-thinking peoples compared to those in the Malay Peninsular.

The Sabah and Sarawak state governments should be able to override this order as it was agreed in 1962 and 1963 and beyond, that any introduction of laws and administrative policies that affect the two states should get the consent of the two states in order for them to have legal effect here, he said.

Sabah parties should rise and complain, not let themselves be led by their all too conforming noses. We should not help them create more bad precedence now, they would be bolstered by our silence. I hope Sarawak Chief Minister, Adenan Satem, will say and do something for liberal Sabah and Sarawak, suggested Kanul who himself was at one time the Sabah PKR state liaison secretary.

He called on Prime Minister, Najib Razak, to carefully read Egypt’s Al-Azhar University’s fatwa against the film, citing the prohibition on depicting prophets, and urged Muslims not to watch “Noah”. Urging “Muslims not to watch it” means a lot, and should not be simplified to mean “to ban the film completely” as there are other movie-goers who are Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and perhaps atheists, he pointed out.

For the record, not all ‘Muslim” countries have banned “Noah”.

The Malaysian Federal leadership could have just ordered its many public-funded Islamic agencies like JAKIM, JAINS, JINS, Perkim, MUIS, Usia, to monitor cinemas in the country and apprehend Muslims who buy tickets for “Noah’ and not deny followers of all other religions from enjoying “Noah” which could largely be based on the Bible in the first place.

Having said this, even though the film is now banned in Malaysia, it is entirely not very difficult for people, including Muslims, to get hold of it. They may watch it from other media like via the internet.

What good is this order we don’t know, besides alienating people further according to racial and religious lines. 1Malaysia that was so hyped by Najib as embracing multi-culturalism has in the end plunged into the deepest ravine of hypocrisy in the deep ocean of narrow-mindedness and lunacy, he added.

Thank you.