VIDEO l 1.12 mins

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Koh Tsu Koon’s endorsement of private screenings of controversial May 13 film Tanda Putera has earned him the ire of DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

lim guan eng"I am disappointed with Koh, even though (this is to be expected as) he is a minister.

“I know these are his last days as a minister, but please end them by talking sense," Lim (left) hit out at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today after launching his party's Internet station UbahTV.

"Koh has shown once again that he is a puppet and a tool of Umno," sniped Lim, who is also Penang chief minister.

He argued that if Tanda Putera, which he believe to be "a racist film that wants to incite racial hatred using false facts and manufactured events", can be allowed for private screenings, so can pornographic films.

"If so, then pornographic films depicting 'some people' can be screened privately," Lim sarcastically said, in what can be seen to be a veiled reference to MCA president Chua Soi Lek who had admitted to being the person filmed having sex with a "close friend".

The video - allegedly the product of an MCA snoop-squad sting operation - at one time had been leaked online, earning Chua the unflattering moniker of "pornstar" in Pakatan Rakyat supporter circles.

Koh had yesterday defended the private screenings of the controversial film.

'Okay as long as it's not public'

"There have been some private screenings for people to make some judgments and decisions.

"(It’s okay) as long as there is no public screening, for that is the decision that was made by the cabinet," he reasoned.

The de facto unity minister also questioned accusations that the film was racially divisive.

NONE"I don't know how many screenings there have been, but has it led to racial strife? I don't know. You better check the facts before reporting on that," Koh (right) told reporters.

Tanda Putera, directed by award-winning director Shuhaimi Baba, earned the ire of opposition supporters after it was revealed to feature scenes which they claimed painted a bias that the Chinese were the protagonists of the 1969 racial riots.

In addition, it is said to contain scenes that some alleged to be false and misrepresented history, despite Shuhaimi's claim that it was based on actual historical research.

The cabinet had postponed public screenings of the movie as it was said to be potentially disruptive and could cause unease to the public if screened publicly.

On the other hand, the government has remained ambivalent to private screenings arranged by Shuhaimi for those who paid for it, showing it twice in Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) students and at least once to Felda settlers.

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