6 theSun | TUESDAY JULY 21 2009

news without borders

Ministry won’t compensate

by Bissme S
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: The

Information, Communication
and Culture ministry will not
compensate local film and TV

film companies over ban

production companies affected
by the ruling against showing
scenes of illegal racing on
film.
Its deputy minister, Sena-
tor Heng Seai Kie, said this
was neither the ministry’s
responsibility nor under its
jurisdiction.
“The ‘mat rempit’ or illegal
racing culture must not be
encouraged because it would
destroy the people’s morals
and values,” he said after
launching the Fifth Digital
Library Conference and the
National Central Catalogue
here yesterday.
He said this when asked
to comment on a news report
on Sunday that the govern-
ment would ban local films
or dramas which depicted
illegal racing scenes. Also
banned were scenes of men
dressing up as women and
transvestites.
Meanwhile, the ban, if
enforced, is certainly bad
news for the Malaysian film
industry.
The secretary to Malaysian
Film Producers Association
and chief operating officer of
KRU Studios Sdn Bhd, Norman
Abdul Halim, told theSun he
feels films get blamed unfairly
whenever there is an increase
in social ills.
“We should look deeper
to find the real reasons for the
rise in social ills,” he said.
“Instead, we take the easy
way out and blame films.
Most commercial local films
always showcase good mor-
als; they show good winning
over bad.
“The filmmakers are not
here to corrupt society but to
depict what is happening in
our society,” he lamented.
On the ministry’s move
to also ban cross-dressing in
films, Norman said though
he understands why this has
come about, he does not fully
support it.
“We are an Islamic coun-
try and cross-dressing is not
permitted in Islam,” he said.
“But we are moving to-
wards the 1Malaysia concept
where we should have more
tolerance. This ruling implies
we have no tolerance. ”
Award-winning actor
Rosyam Nor is supportive of
the government’s move to ban
road thugs and cross-dressers
on screen, but feels it should
be extended to foreign movies
as well.
“Why only implement this
ruling for local movies?” he
asked.
“Foreign movies have far
more daring scenes when it
comes to road thugs and men
cross-dressing. Why this dou-
ble standard?”
For cross-dressing come-
dian Dee, the ministry’s ban
on men dressing up as women
is a bit puzzling.
Dee, who is famous for his
role in the hit sitcom Jangan
Ketawa, feels cross-dressers
are being singled out.
“I admit Islam forbids
men from wearing women’s
clothes,” Dee told theSun.
“But Islam also forbids
women from showing their
skin. Therefore all actresses
who appear on screen should
be fully covered. But they are
not. Why only follow certain
Islamic rulings?” he asked.
One film whose future
hangs in the balance is
Anu Dalam Botol, the latest
movie from producer Raja
Azmi Sulaiman. The movie,
about a man who goes for a
sex change operation, was
scheduled to start shooting in
October. Raja Azmi said she
has already spent RM50,000
in pre-production costs.
“Is the government going
to compensate me for the
money I have spent,” she
asked.
Whatever the outcome, Raja
Azmi insists she will continue
making the movie, which is
Norman ... feels films
get blamed unfairly
whenever there is an
increase in social ills.
budgeted at RM700,000, and
said she will fight to have it
screened here.
On the ministry’s ruling,
she insists it is not practical in
these modern times.
“The more you ban, the
more people are curious to
see,” she said. “They can resort
to the internet and YouTube.
Does the government plan to
control them too?”

Govt wants
education
for all
by Husna Yusop
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

SEPANG: More than 125,000 children of primary

school age in the country, mostly in remote and
isolated areas, are still not in school, Deputy
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
Therefore, efforts need to be taken to ensure
that every child has equal access to education
including having a more responsive posting
policy for teachers that takes into account the
needs of the people.
“Emphasis or priority must be given towards
producing adequate number of quality teachers
especially to be placed in the remote and rural
areas.
“For this purpose, a teachers’ posting policy Reaching out ... Transport Minister Datuk Seri
which is responsive towards meeting the needs Ong Tee Keat puts a car sticker on a taxi after witnessing
of the people must be provided,” he said when the signing of an MoU by Bernama’s Radio 24, Sunlight
opening a workshop to review the National Radio Taxi and Malaysian Islamic Consumers’ Association
Education Development Masterplan 2006 – 2010 (PPIM) on a smart driving campaign. The campaign will
yesterday. provide listeners with the latest traffic information in the
Apart from improving the quality of teachers, Klang Valley under the “Info Trafik KL @ 939” slot from 6am
Muhyiddin also suggested that the school leader- to 10am and 4pm to 8pm, every Monday to Friday.
ship be strengthened further.
“It is timely for the selection of school heads
to be made not only based on seniority but also
through a more transparent and flexible process
to choose only the best, the (one with the) most
potential and those with dynamic leadership
qualities.
Prosecution files for stay Stuntman feared
“A school head must be wise in interpreting
and understanding the task given, be committed
of execution in Anwar case drowned
KUALA LUMPUR: A 39-year-old
and capable of increasing his or her knowledge by S. Tamarai Chelvi and swabs taken from Anwar’s which will be tendered dur- Malaysian stuntman is feared to
so that he or she could translate the education newsdesk@thesundaily.com former aide, Mohd Saiful ing trial have drowned in a pond during a
policies and provide the best education to the Bukhari Azlan and from the » the statement of facts fa- Bollywood movie shoot near the
Mines Shopping Centre on Jalan
children,” he added. KUALA LUMPUR: The pros- condominium unit where the vourable to the defence
Apart from providing quality teachers in the ecution in the sodomy case of incident allegedly occurred. » a copy of examination notes Balakong yesterday.
Another stuntman who declined
rural areas, Muhyiddin, who is also education Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim filed The judge said the original made by doctors at Hospital
minister, also made several other suggestions, for a stay of execution of a High DNA samples and swabs had Kuala Lumpur (HKL) who to be named said the missing man,
including holding a 1Malaysia camp every year Court decision which allowed been sealed by the Chemistry treated and examined Saiful identified as Kong Chai Meng, was
for both teachers and students to instil unity certain documents to be sup- Department. on June 28 acting out a scene for a foreign
and inculcate the eight values espoused by the plied to the defence team. Zabidin ordered the prosecu- » copies of photographs, notes Indian movie at the time.
He said the flick required Kong
concept. A certificate of urgency was tion to supply Anwar: and report of the proctoscopy
Muhyiddin said out of 13,014 rural develop- also filed together with the stay » a copy of the CCTV record- examination conducted on to fall from a passenger boat into
the pond after being “hit” by an
ment projects costing RM25.2 billion targeted application. ings taken from the condo- Saiful at the same hospital.
under the masterplan, 6,386 projects have been On Friday, the prosecution minium guardhouse and Anwar was also granted ac- imaginary shot fired from a fake
completed and nearly 300 action plans have filed the notice of appeal against at the lifts at Block 11 from cess to the report and examina- pistol.
reached between 80% and 100% completion the decision at the High Court June 25 to June 27, 2008 tion notes conducted on Saiful However, after he fell into the
stage. registry the day before, granting » copies of photographs, slides at Hospital Pusrawi. pond, which is behind the Wellness
Hotel, at about 4.30am, Kong who
“To reduce the digital gap, the ministry Anwar’s defence team access to of each sample Anwar is charged with sodo-
targeted to build 2,257 computer labs and 3,600 key documents in preparation of » a copy of notes made by the mising Mohd Saiful Bukhari is married with two children failed
to emerge from the water.
access centres in the rural areas and this will the opposition leader’s defence chemist, who conducted the Azlan, his former personal
benefit some 2.8 million students,” he said. against a sodomy charge. DNA testing and analysis aide, at Desa Damansara Con- The film crew alerted the Fire and
He also said the government’s effort to reduce However, High Court judge » a list of prosecution wit- dominium, Jalan Setiakasih, Rescue Department but until press
time the department’s frogmen had
the urban–rural gap in line with the Education Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Diah nesses, who will testify dur- Bukit Damansara, between
for All objective targeted by Unesco has been did not allow the defence access ing the trial 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, yet to recover Kong’s body.
encouraging. to the original DNA samples » a copy of all documents last year.