MBELDOG BLOG

The Consumer Association of Penang state has complained that Tamil and Hindi movies screened in Malaysian theatres showed "violent and steamy scenes" although the films were vetted by the censorship board, a media report said Monday.

The association's education officer N.V. Subbarow expressed doubts if the board had carried out its job thoroughly, suggesting that some of the committee members "could be unsure of their responsibilities", Tamil language daily Malaysia Nanban reported.

"It is a fact that some Tamil and Hindi movies had given rise to many social problems among the younger generation in the country," he said, commenting on board secretary S.Thanasegaran's statement that the committee was very strict in editing violent and steamy scenes in films.

Subbarow said he is surprised that there are 11 members in the committee but still there are films shown in theatres with violent and vulgar scenes.

He suggested the censor board should have standard guidelines on violent and vulgar scenes so that all the members are aware of their roles and uniformity is ensured.

Tamil language films, as also Hindi films and their actors, are popular in Malaysia that is home to 2.1 million ethnic Indians.