Rais: Nobody told us about Tanda Putera screenings
Info Minister Rais Yatim has claimed ignorance of the selective screenings of the controversial Tanda Putera movie, and said they may have contravened the cabinet directive.
Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim has claimed ignorance of the selective screenings of the controversial Tanda Putera movie.
He also added the organisers of the screenings may have contravened the cabinet's directive.
The film has passed the censorship board's scrutiny, but it has yet to be aired in cinemas amid allegations that its portrayal of the May 13 riots contained racial elements.
Last November, the cabinet said the movie was
not appropriate
to be screened in public.
According to Rais ( left ), his ministry did not know about the screening of the film by “certain parties”.
"I did not know about this and no one brought it to our attention. My ministry is firm on the cabinet’s decision (to hold off the screening).
"We have been adhering to the cabinet's decision and are not in anyway involved with any official or unofficial screening by those who possess their own means and methods, as well as their own agenda," Rais said.
On Feb 18, some 3,000 Felda settlers were treated to a closed-door screening at the Putra World Trade Centre at a function launched by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
This is followed by a more recent screening at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIA) last Saturday by Kelab Wawasan UIA, in which students were allegedly awarded merit points for attending.
It was claimed each of the university's residential colleges were told to send six students for the screening, while attendance was compulsory for Police Undergraduate Voluntary Corps and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Unit members.
The Students' Affairs Department confirmed the screening, stating the decision was made by the university's rector.
Previously, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has intended to screen the Suhaimi Baba-directed movie on Nov 8 last year, in conjunction with the university's Film Promotion Night 2012 event.
The plan was abruptly cancelled the day before and the time slot for it replaced with a discourse on the movie instead.
