Gaik Cheng Khoo of the University of Nottingham said the guidelines appear to target liberals by micromanaging certain aspects of films.
She said while Section 2.1 allowed films to address any religion, Section 2.1.1 imposed restrictions on content that relates to religious pluralism, liberalism and other subjective religious themes.
“If in the past, filmmakers have complained that the guidelines were vague, suddenly these subpoints outline in a micro-managerial way what is forbidden, and in this case, it is much worse,” she told FMT.
“How does one understand what liberalism is? There is no room for subjectivity and criticism at all, even of one’s own faith.”
“In such a scenario and climate, you wonder whether the films of Yasmin Ahmad could be made. We are a nation much more impoverished by these guidelines.”
Malaysia made headlines earlier this year when the director and producer of the now-banned film “Mentega Terbang”, which depicts a Muslim girl exploring other faiths, was charged with hurting the religious feelings of others.
This contrasted sharply with the time when the late Yasmin Ahmad produced films like “Sepet” and “Muallaf” that explored controversial themes such as interracial love and the quest for spiritual and emotional healing.
Last month, the home ministry launched new film censorship guidelines involving three core areas to help filmmakers produce quality films without negatively impacting public order.
Commenting on Section 2.2, which lays out stringent criteria for films dealing with Islamic themes, Gaik expressed concern that it may stifle Malay filmmakers and multiculturalism.
Under Section 2.2, the content will be scrutinised to ensure alignment with the Federal Constitution, accurate depiction of Islamic history and avoidance of anything divisive among Muslims.
The guidelines also prohibit content that questions Islamic teachings, promotes extremism, or portrays mosques in a manner contrary to Islamic law, while requiring correct sourcing of Quranic verses.
“This makes it a lot harder for us as a society to grow. Singapore learned a bit from this as they realised that to attract creatives, you need to have an atmosphere which is cosmopolitan and open,” Gaik said.
Meanwhile, independent filmmaker Badrul Hisham Ismail said the new guidelines restrict filmmakers’ creativity and the right of viewers to watch quality films.
“Viewers uncomfortable with any film can simply choose not to watch it, as there is no coercion,” he said.
He was commenting on Section 2.1.3, which mandates that films shown in various settings, including hotels, video-on-demand platforms, sales, festivals, associations, organisations and embassies, adhere to cinema censorship guidelines.
Badrul also accused the government of acting as a “guardian” to suppress independent thought among the people.
“Art should not be tasked with upholding the government as it is a space for dialogue on issues experienced by society,” he said.