Industry veterans Aziz M Osman and Yusof Haslam believe the move is timely and allows local filmmakers to produce creative work that is more suited to the current norms and technology, Bernama reported.
Effective Feb 1, the LPF, which is under the home ministry, introduced three new film classifications, namely “P12”, “13”, “16”, to add to the existing “U” and “18”.
“P12” means the movie is open to all, but children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent, “13” is only suitable for moviegoers aged 13 years and above, while “16” is for moviegoers aged 16 and above.
The previous classifications, “U” for “umum”, meant moviegoers of all ages may watch the movie, while “18” is only for moviegoers aged 18 and above.
Aziz told Bernama he was optimistic about the new classifications, saying that it allowed filmmakers to be more creative.
The former child star turned actor-director said the new classifications were also in line with the changing times but would still help maintain community sensibilities, especially to protect teens from unhealthy elements.
“The new classifications, such as ‘P12′, ’13’ and ’16’ clearly shield children and those under 18 from being exposed to films with unsuitable content for their age.
“It is not just for creators but also for the community, especially parents, to help them ensure that teens of different ages are not exposed to things that could taint their thinking and behaviour,” he was quoted as saying.
Veteran actor-director Yusof concurred, saying that one of the main principles behind the move is to raise awareness, especially among parents, to ensure that youths are not easily exposed to negative elements.
“The addition of the ’16’ classification actually does help many film producers and it is a good step for the betterment of all,” he was quoted as saying.
He was also pleased that the censorship board has become more receptive towards the views of local filmmakers and creative industry players.
“It’s a good move by them to try and understand what’s going on in the industry today, especially with the wide open digital global world,” said Yusof, who is also a prolific movie producer.
Aziz and Yusof were among more than a hundred local filmmakers and other creative industry players who recently attended a briefing by LPF on the new film classifications.