Two Malaysian filmmakers have been summoned to court on charges of “deliberately wounding the religious feelings of others” through their now-prohibited indie movie, Mentega Terbang (Flying Butter). Director Khairi Anwar and producer Tan Meng Kheng entered pleas of not guilty to the accusation, which comes with a potential one-year imprisonment and a fine, during their court appearances in separate Kuala Lumpur courts on Wednesday, as reported by Malaysian online media outlets.
Magistrates Noorelynna Hanim Abd Halim and Aina Azahra Arifin granted the duo conditional bail and issued a gag order prohibiting them from discussing the case publicly.
Mentega Terbang premiered on streaming platforms in 2021, narrating a coming-of-age tale about a Malay Muslim teenager’s spiritual journey and contemplation on life after death while her mother confronts a terminal disease.
The film faced a ban last September following grievances from conservative Muslim groups and a declaration from the Islamic affairs department that some scenes were contrary to Islamic teachings in Malaysia.
Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, criticized the prosecution, calling it a move under a “vague and arbitrary statute” and called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his administration to instruct the dropping of the case by prosecutors.
Robertson leveled criticism at the government for “fundamentally failing to protect freedom of expression and resorting to criminal prosecutions for political reasons.” He highlighted the hypocrisy of this action from a government that, when in opposition, condemned similar acts – accusing Anwar of indulging in the same type of censorship and persecution that he formerly opposed.
Anwar, who ascended to power after a fiercely disputed election in November 2022 with promises of reform, is being urged by Robertson and others to revoke the film’s ban.
Malay Muslims constitute just over half of Malaysia’s populace, with significant ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, as well as Indigenous groups who adhere to different religions.
Khairi and Tan have condemned their film’s ban as “irrational” and in violation of their constitutional right to free speech.
They have initiated a legal battle against the government’s decision to ban their film last month, as per Free Malaysia Today.
