Filem tempatan patut ditayang tanpa babak dipotong, kata Teo

The Minister of Communications, Teo Nie Ching, has emphasized that Malaysian films should not be edited for local audiences, particularly when those films represent Malaysia internationally. She cited the example of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival winner, Tiger Stripes, whose film received the top prize in Cannes' Critics' Week program.

Despite winning the top award, certain scenes of Tiger Stripes were cut before it was allowed to be shown in Malaysian cinemas. The film went on to be chosen as Malaysia's representative for the 2024 Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. However, Eu was dissatisfied with the edits made to the Malaysian version of the film, stating that it was no longer the work she had created.

Teo expressed her concern in the House of Representatives, emphasizing that a film can represent Malaysia on the world stage but the local audience should be able to watch the complete film in our own cinemas. She reiterated that allowing some PG 18-rated films to be shown without certain scene cuts is a positive step for the Malaysian film industry, while also noting that filmmakers should be allowed to present their work, as long as they follow censorship rules.

Teo stated that the Film Censorship Board (LPF) still has the final say in determining what can be shown in cinemas. "We must also respect the work produced by our local film industry," she said. Responding to Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad (PN-Kepala Batas) about the rationale behind the PG 18 classification not being further scrutinized in Malaysia's film industry, Teo maintained that we must honor the work of our local film industry.