Importance Of Censorship In Films

Censorship in films can be best described as the maxim “see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil”. Especially in Malaysia, the censorship in films are very strict when it comes to sexual content. With this being said, citizens of Malaysia have very minimal, almost close to none, in terms of exposure to sexual content in films. The Film Censorship Board of Malaysia, as known as ‘Lembaga Penapis Filem’ or ‘LPF’ for short, is under the control of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Board was established under the Film Censorship Act with its role being revised in 2002. This act bans the possession and screening of pornography or proactive materials. Film that contains sex scenes are strictly censored or prohibited. The main objective of …show more content…
But with the excessive censorship, films loses its purpose of being a powerful tool to convey messages that are educational. In this case, the censorship of sexual content in films should be lenient and allow appropriate air time for decent sexual content. This allows parents and children to have discussions and healthy conversations about the sexual content seen on television. Parents can also educate children on what is exaggerated and what is the appropriate, respectful way between two adults. This not only allows the children to be aware of sexual misconduct, also, be aware of respecting one another in a relationship. Furthermore, this allows the youth of a nation to be more knowledgeable and mature when it comes to sexual content. They wouldn’t be ignorant and are able to overcome or foresee situations that might land them in trouble. With this being said, cases such as teen pregnancy, rape, sexual misconduct and many more can be solved as viewers are more aware of what is right or wrong and situations can be held better. This comes hand in hand with progressing a nation as a whole. The Film Censorship Board of Malaysia can also cooperate with educational boards to further help with the awareness and this would develop a positive community. The appropriate censorship would allow a positive light to be shone on sexual content as it can bring educational purposes. Sexual education shouldn’t be something that is being shied away or deemed as inappropriate. If it constantly is being “cut out” or “banned” due to it having sexual content, then viewers wouldn’t be able to know what could and should happen in reality. With the proper guidance by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia, and sexual education being one of the priorities in Malaysian syllabuses that are thought in school, censorship can and should be lenient as it serves it’s positive purpose towards the