If it’s one thing that Malaysia is most well known for it’s those malay dramas that normally air just before the 8pm news on TV3.
I’m not one to watch dramas but recently, one drama had caught the attention of Malaysians even before it’s aired.
The drama which is known as “Perempuan Itu” had become a really hot topic when lead actor Zul Ariffin had shared a steamy scene between him and actress Siti Hariesa.
Although the clip has been deleted off the social media pages of the show, damage has been done as the video is now circulating all over the web.
Initially, the video had brought rebuke from religious affairs minister Idris Ahmad. Idris stated that he would be contacting those involved in the scene to resolve the matter. Meanwhile, TV3 had also said that the scene is not suitable for broadcasting and had neither bene discussed nor approved by the station.
A warning to all broadcasters
Communications and multimedia minister, Annuar Musa had issued a warning to all broadcasters to not display scenes which touch on religious and other sensitivities.
For those guilty for violating the guidelines, the ministry will not hesitate to take action towards the television stations.
“Under the current regulation, the government gives television stations the authority to censor content, where they are required to control it themselves.
“If we find that the television station does not follow certain guidelines, especially touching on issues related to religion, culture, customs and so on, then I will review the facility (censorship authority), and we may revoke it.”
Parties involved in the video will need to provide a written explanation about the content and if it’s not satisfactory, the drama will not be aired.
Why was the scene filmed in the first place?
According to a report by The Star, the scene was initially planned as a second recording which was not meant to be shown on television.
The scene was directed by director Ain Sharif and she said that she did not know that Zul would share the scene on Instagram. As a director, she said that she’ll be taking responsibility.
Before you jump to conclusions, Ain clarified that the drama features less than 10% of intimate scenes. The particular scene in question was produced to portray Sera’s character, played by Siti Hariesa, as the second wife of Emir (Zul Ariffin).
Were the actors ok with filming the scene?
According to Ain, she said that the scene was discussed with the actors before filming it. The actors had also agreed to such scene hence the decision of the second version that was seen by netizens. The main point of it was to make the drama more interesting and appealing to the public but it seems like it did the opposite.
The 30-episode drama is meant to be aired this Ramadan on TV3. The question now is will it be allowed to be aired after this whole controversy?
In my opinion, there’s no reason for why the drama can’t be aired as they have filmed an appropriate scene that shouldn’t breach the MCMC guidelines. But at this point, it’s Malaysia. Anything can happen and the decision could be overruled to ensure the show doesn’t go on air.
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media, Free Malaysia Today, The Star & various cross references for context.
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