Banned films in Malaysia
Malaysian movie buffs get to enjoy a slew of new movie releases each month, with Hollywood blockbusters and locally made films proving to us that cinema is not dead. However, there are also a handful of movies that the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia bans from Malaysian cinemas based on classifications.
If you’re curious about what films are on this list, read on:
Table of Contents
Who is LPF?
Image credit: Berita Harian via website
The Film Censorship Board of Malaysia, or Lembaga Penapisan Filem (LPF), is a government agency responsible for vetting films to be screened in Malaysia. Films that do not comply with the Film Censorship Act 2002 shall not be screened in Malaysia unless the ban is lifted for several reasons.
Film classification is divided into four categories:
- Lulus Bersih (LB): Approved without any censorship.
- Lulus Dengan Potongan (LDP): Approved with certain scenes cut out for suitable viewing.
- Haram: Strictly prohibited from screening following review by the LPF.
- Ditolak: Rejected by the LPF without review.
1. Primetime (2026)
Image credit: The Star via website
Primetime is a psychological thriller film by A24 Films LLC, starring Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen.
The film follows Hansen, a Dateline NBC TV show host for the programme To Catch A Predator, which ran from 2004 until 2007. Hansen works with the anti-paedophile group, Perverted-Justice, to lure and catch child predators.
Image credit: Fox43 via website
Set in 2006, the film dramatises how Hansen heavily values viewership for his show. It also centres around a moment in his life where he’s desperate to catch a bigger “whale” as a scandal surrounding his love life risks his career. His sting operations, as briefly shown in the trailers, are replicated from the original show.
Primetime was scheduled to be released in Malaysian cinemas in September, but this was later postponed to October. Just two days before its scheduled release, its local distributor, Antenna Entertainments, shared that it would ultimately not be released in Malaysian cinemas due to a ban issued by LPF.
2. The Exorcist (1973)
Image credit: Rotten Tomatoes
This novel adaptation film, The Exorcist, follows the demonic possession of an actress’s daughter, and the attempt to exorcise her by two Catholic priests.
The film was banned locally due to intense violence and cruelty. The UK also banned both the film and home video formats of it until 1998. In the US, the original trailer of the film was pulled from many American theatres as it terrified audiences and induced severe headaches.
3. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Image credit: IMDb
Saturday Night Fever is a coming-of-age film about Tony Monero, a 19-year-old Italian-American, who tries to escape his harsh family life by dancing at a local disco. The film was banned by Cinema International Corporation’s Paramount Malaysia division because it was thought to “possibly cause social chaos”. However, staged musical plays are allowed.
4. Schindler’s List (1993)
Image credit: IMDb
Schindler’s List is a highly acclaimed film, scoring 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 9-out-of-10 rating on IMDb. The New Yorker dubbed it the best historical drama about the Holocaust. However, LPF thought the film was “propaganda to ask for sympathy”. The film did get a heavily censored DVD version, released locally in 2004.
5. Babe (1995)
Image credit: IMDb
Babe is a sweet little pig won by Arthur Hogget, a farmer, in a contest at a country fair. The film then follows his efforts to do a sheepdog’s job: herding sheep. The film won seven Academy Award nominations.
At the time, pigs were considered taboo and offensive to the Muslim community in Malaysia. Since the film title is similar to the Malay word “babi”, which translates to “pig”, and portrays pigs in a positive light, the film was banned from local cinemas.
6. Barney’s Great Adventure (1998)
Image credit: Rotten Tomatoes
Those who grew up with Barney would recognise this purple dinosaur anywhere. He loves us, we love him, and we’re all a happy family. But the Barney film, Barney’s Great Adventure – which also happens to be Barney’s feature film – was banned because it was deemed unsuitable for children.
7. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Image credit: IMDb
Saving Private Ryan is another Spielberg film that didn’t make it to local cinemas. Scoring 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.6 on IMDb, the film was banned from screening in Malaysia. It was reportedly due to Spielberg’s previous controversial film, Schindler’s List. Instead, it passed for VCD and DVD release by Berjaya HVN.
8. Zoolander (2001)
Image credit: LA Times via website
Zoolander is a satirical film that was understandably banned for portraying Malaysia as an impoverished country dependent on sweatshops as its main economic source. There’s also the plot point of attempting to assassinate the country’s prime minister, played by Woodrow W. Asai, a Japanese-American actor.
9. Fundamentally Happy (2015)
Image credit: 13littlepicture via website
Fundamentally Happy is another banned film that confronts the consequences of abuse. Spoilers incoming: Habiba (Adibah Noor) has a difficult conversation with her former neighbour, Eric (Joshua Lim), who was sexually abused by her husband 20 years ago. The conversation sparks concern about memory, consent, and trust in relationships.
10. Mentega Terbang (2021)
Image credit: Malay Mail via website
The local film Mentega Terbang is a direct translation of “butterfly” from Malay. It follows a Muslim girl, Aisyah, who gets curious about the concept of life and death through the lenses of multiple religions. It caused a national discourse as the content was seen as reflecting wrongly on some religious beliefs, pushing for a ban.
Films that are banned in Malaysia
Censorship has its benefits, such as the age restriction markings to ensure children are protected from explicit and violent content. But there are some films on the banned list that have many people wondering how they made it there. If you’re a movie buff, you might want to check them out to come to your own conclusions.
Cover image adapted from: Rotten Tomatoes