This comes days after Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the government was firm in its stand against allowing the screening of the film if Disney couldn’t meet the Film Censorship Board’s request for a minor cut involving a gay scene.
Nur Jazlan had said Malaysia had its own laws and culture that should be respected by Disney.
The live-action adaptation of the Disney classic was supposed to be screened in Malaysia on March 16, until Disney postponed the release of the film after authorities here made cuts to the film over a gay scene.
Disney said it would not show a censored version of the film and appealed to the home ministry to review its decision to cut the “gay moment” in the film.
“The moment you’ve been waiting for… Beauty and the Beast confirmed for 30 March without cuts!” GSC said in a Facebook post.
“Akhirnya (Finally) we still can #BeOurGuest! Woohoooo #NoCuts.”
Beauty and the Beast, featuring Harry Potter star Emma Watson, has raised hackles worldwide among religious groups angered by its depiction of Le Fou, the sycophantic sidekick to antagonist Gaston, as a gay man, making him Disney’s first-ever LGBT character.
Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, where laws criminalising sodomy can result in imprisonment, corporal punishment and fines.
Religious groups and Islamic scholars had previously called for the film to be banned over concerns that it would promote “negative values” in the country.
The film has also come under fire from religious figures in neighbouring Singapore, while Russia slapped an adults-only rating on the movie last week following pressure by an ultra-conservative lawmaker who was pushing for a ban.
Despite the controversy, the movie has already become the fastest-selling family film in history, outpacing previous record-holder “Finding Dory”, according to online ticket seller Fandango, ahead of its release this week.