FINAS CEO Allegedly Wants Government To Censor Netflix In Malaysia
Ahmad Idham Ahmad Nadzri alleged that its content may negatively affect the country's youth.
By Sadho Ram — 17 Nov 2019, 11:25 AM
The chief executive officer (CEO) of National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) allegedly wants the government to censor Netflix
According to Berita Harian, FINAS CEO Ahmad Idham Ahmad Nadzri claimed that parents are worried over their children watching uncensored content on the popular streaming platform.
He reportedly said that the content available on Netflix Malaysia "needs to be controlled due to parental concerns" and that it should be taken seriously as Netflix becomes a major contributor to "uncensored entertainment in the uncontrolled cyber world", reported the Malay daily.
Ahmad Idham emphasised the need for censorship, saying that the matter should not be underestimated as the content available on Netflix could negatively influence the next generation of the country
He admitted that FINAS has no power to filter content on video streaming providers.
"Although censorship is not under FINAS' jurisdiction, we are viewing it seriously because the content can have a negative impact if not monitored from now on," he said, as reported by Berita Harian.
"We took the approach to control the local films and television content, but those from international sources remain open. The uncensored content is risky to child development. If the effort is not made from now on, it will never end," the former actor and director added, referring to censorship.
The FINAS CEO was speaking after officiating the Family Well-Being Seminar at the University of Technology Malaysia on Saturday
At the seminar, Ahmad Idham also that said that despite raising concerns over negative values being imparted through Netflix, there had been no follow-up.
"We can only make noise but in the end, the country does not have the power to stop the influx of negative influences," the Berita Harian reported quoted him as saying.
Following the Berita Harian report on 16 November, Ahmad Idham took to his Twitter last night to further comment on the matter
According to a series of tweets he sent out, while he said that he was aware of parents' complaints about uncensored content, what he recommended at the seminar yesterday was to have a collaboration between FINAS and the National Council of Women's Organisations Malaysia (NCWO) to create a forum or seminar to discuss this issue in the context of empowering future content.
