Walk Out of History

7/27/2019 Walk Out of History

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Walk out of history - Lim Sue

GoanJULY 31, 2013LATEST UPDATE: JULY 31, 2013 02:22 PM

The controversy over local film The New Village has reflected the different cognition

and memories for the country's foundation history between the Malays and the

Chinese.

In the history of Peninsula, the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) was one of the

participants and it left the Malays a painful memory, including many Malay soldiers

were killed or paralysed in the clashes with the CPM.

Meanwhile, the Chinese had an intricate relationship with the CPM during the rule of

Japan, as well as the British colonial era.

More specifically, the fear for the CPM of the Malays began in the conflict with the

CPM in 1945. In July 1947, the British colonial government declared a state of

emergency and after the CPM was banned, its members retreated into the woods

and launched a guerilla warfare.

The state of emergency continued until 1960. The whole Peninsula was in war and

the British colonial government's strategy was to force the Chinese in rural areas to

move into "new villages" outside the CPM's sphere of influence, to cut off the

people's supply for the CPM members. The British colonial government also

effectively mobilised the Malays to fight against the CPM.

The history explained why Umno and the Malays hate the CPM so much. A series of

events after the CPM laid down their arms also showed that history had remained in

their minds.

For instance, the application of former CPM secretary-general Chin Peng to return to

Malaysia was rejected by the government, with the reason that the return of Chin

Peng would trigger dissatisfaction of the people, as well as families of those who

were killed or paralysed by CPM members.


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In June 2011, 30 members of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) were arrested in Penang

for the possession of t-shirts printed with the pictures of CPM leaders and

promotional materials suspected to be used to promote the idea of overthrowing the

government.

In September 2011, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, who was accused of

making the "communist hero" remarks, was criticised for defaming the policemen

and their family members who fought the communist guerillas and killed in the Bukit

Kepong tragedy on February 23, 1950.

Umno-owned paper Utusan Malaysia quoted Mohamad as saying that the

communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the communist

insurgency were heroes. The paper also accused him of praising communism. It

caused an uproar and the police received more than a thousand of police reports.

Mohamad Sabu denied that he had praised the communists and instead stressed

the need to amend history to recognise the contribution of left-wing independence

fighters in fighting the British.

Former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said that

one of the five tenets of the Malaysian Declaration of National Philosophy was

Believe in God and thus, communism was prohibited in Malaysia and any acts

preaching communism will be considered as a violation of law.

Such an ideological war has caused local film The New Village to be accused of

praising communism, even though the critics have not yet watched the film, but just

its trailer.

The controversy triggered by The New Village has reflected that due to the fate of

different racial groups, they have different interpretations for the country's foundation

history. In fact, they also hold different views on social restructuring, New Economic

Policy (NEC) and the quota system, due to historical factors.

From history, we must understand how other races remember the events and feel

how they feel before we can walk out of history and adjust our own thinking to

consolidate racial relations.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that the Malaysian society has

become too sensitive, it is because we lack mutual understanding. If there is no


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dialogue, but only clamours, racial relations would only head towards a dead end. -

mysinchew.com - July 31, 2013

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily

represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Let people judge controversial moviesJuly 31, 2013

Did the Censorship Board watch The New Village or not when they approved it in

the first place?

COMMENT

By Kua Kia Soong

The decision by the Film Censorship Board to review the film The New Village after

having already given it the green light makes a mockery of our nations laws, policies

and commitment to the right to freedom of expression.

According to its chairman Raja Azahar Raja Abdul Manap, It has followed the guidelines

such as religious and socio-cultural sensitivityWhen the new issue of glorifying

communism came up; we have to review the film all over again. (The Star, 30.7.2013)

First, such a statement exposes a total lack of professionalism and integrity on the part

of the Censorship Board simply because of the pressure from communalist politicians.

The Umno Youth chief had queried why the film was given an easier ride by the board

as compared to Tanda Putera.

The question is: Did the board watch the film or not when they approved it in the first

place? Couldnt the board members make up their minds as to whether or not the film

glorifies communism?
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We have a situation of the board having watched the whole film and passing it, and an

Umno Youth chief who has not watched the whole film and thinks it glorifies

communism!

And who set up such criteria as glorifying communism for censorship? What of

glorifying capitalism? How many Hollywood films glorify capitalism?

Maybe we should we have a law that disqualifies philistines from taking political office!

Tanda Putera was never banned

The Umno Youth chief is wittingly trying to

mislead the public. The film Tanda Putera, which was financed by Malaysian taxpayers

through FINAS was never banned by the censorship board.

It was strategically withheld (which is a slap in the face for the film director!) by the

powers-that-be in Umno because they thought that after the storm of outrage from the

public, they did not want to risk losing votes in the 13th general election.

Nonetheless, Tanda Putera was shown to selected Malay audiences the intended

target of the film in a university and a Felda settlement. Was this subsidised by

Malaysian taxpayers as well?

It is only now, after the 13th general election when the BN lost more than 80 per cent of

the Chinese votes, that it is payback time and the Umnoputras feel that the time is ripe

for Tanda Putera to be on general release.

So the Umno Youth chief should take note Tanda Putera was never given a rough ride

at all in the first place! It was voluntarily withheld by the Umno big chiefs for strategic

reasons.

Although I have disputed the rendition of May 13 in the film, I am too much of a defender

of the freedom of expression to call for banning Tanda Putera.

No, I was incensed that Malaysian taxpayers money (FINAS) should be used to pay for

such crude propaganda and that the same falsehoods about May 13 should be purveyed

on screen with official blessing.


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The director of the film has revealed as much that the film is aimed at contradicting my

book on May 13.

After all, Hitlers Mein Kampf is being sold in our bookstores, together with Dr Mahathirs

Malay Dilemma which was banned in 1969 for being unsuitable for public consumption.

In todays information world, banning books, music or films is a fruitless exerciseLet the people judge

I am content to let the people be the judge of these films.

Their success or failure will depend on their artistic value and the proximity to the

historical truth. To give you an example, crude propaganda films like Bukit Kepong can

be so easily deflated when Mat Sabu raises the simple question: Where in the world is

Mat Indera in the film?

The Film Censorship Board should bear in mind that freedom of expression cannot be

suppressed on account of threats by philistine politicians it would be tantamount tonegation of the rule of law and surrender to blackmail and intimidation.

And the government should have learnt by now that all such flip flops in cultural policies

because of the antics of little Napoleons only make us look like a banana republic in a

rapidly transforming world.

Kua Kia Soong is Suarams advisor.


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Free our filmsElza Irdalynna

| August 2, 2013

If 1Malaysia is true, whoever started the racial riots should not matter.

COMMENT

This week, yet another movie made it to

the list of possible banning, due to its supposed glorification of communism in the film.

The New Village joins Shuhaimi Babas Tanda Putera as two of the films facing

scrutiny and heat by the Home Ministry this year. The latter piece is said to depict

inaccurate facts regarding the May 13 racial riots.

However, from the trailers of both movies, one is able to see that the war against the

communist insurgents as well as the racial riots were merely the backdrop of the films,

and not the main themes.

The New Village is a love story between a girl who was forced to move to a new

settlement under the Briggs plan and a communist soldier, while Tanda Putera is really

about the relationship between former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak and his deputy,

Tun Dr Ismail.

Regardless of the actual themes of these films, as an audience as well as an artist, I

have grown weary of the involvement and opinions of the Home Ministry when it comes

to our art.

Too often and too intrusive are their calls, banning anything they and they alone view aseither a threat to the peace of the nation, or the sanctity of the Islamic culture and

religion.

It is time politicians stay out of the art. It is true that these ministries are meant to police

the content of the art but the ones who are making these calls need to be qualified in film

and artistic appreciation.
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Not some government official with no formal education and training in the arts.

Due to this, the Malaysian audience is constantly fed with the same, one dimensional

and historically biased films since the days of Bukit Kepong. We are only allowed to

hear one side of the story.

What does it matter whose version of the past is correct? If 1Malaysia is true, whoever

started the racial riots should not matter. What is important is that Malaysians are now

over it, and are more united now than we had ever been.

In fact, the only ones who still seem to give the May 13 incident any thought is the ruling

government, using it as a scare tactic to retain control through fear.

Communism is dead here

The Last Communist, inspired by the life of Chin Peng, was also banned because the

Home Ministry claimed it glorified the former communist. Whether or not this is so, does

the Home Ministry truly believe a mere film is able to implant communist ideologies in

our Malaysian audience?

Firstly, communism is dead in this country. Not because the government has so cleverly

guarded the people from it, but because Malaysians do not want it.

That is why we had always chosen the democratic system and nothing, not the least of

all a piece of celluloid, will convince us that the old ways were better.

Secondly, the government does not think twice about using the media as their own tools

of propaganda.

During the Sarawak state elections in 2011, suddenly documentaries and magazine

programs about Sarawak and the many great things Barisan Nasional has done for them

started being aired on all major channels almost daily.

Films like Embun that praises only the Malay community in winning the war against the

Japanese was showered with praise.

Yet how much of any of the propaganda was truly bought by the audience?

The truth is the audience is smart enough to decide what is true, and what is best. Wearent mindless zombies who fall hypnotized to anything we see on the screen.

When the creative process is hindered by senseless censorship, the art and its content

becomes stagnant.

Too many rules, for example the rule that states the Royal Malaysian Police Force can

never be depicted with any sort of flaw, including mortality in combat or accepting of


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bribery, stifles the creative flow and in the end, filmmakers become nothing more than

the puppets of the Home Ministry.

Perhaps eliminating censorship is too much to ask for. But it is only fair to ask the

censors to be qualified. And for the Home Ministry to focus on other, more pressing

issues concerning the safety of our country.

Elza Irdalynna writes about art, love, and other things she pretends to understand. She

is also an FMT columnist.

Walk Out of History

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