(kemas kini terakhir 16 Mei, 11:50 pm; untuk halaman terkini, sila ke Komunis Terakhir 2)
Berikut ini disenaraikan berita, analisis, rencana (pendapat), kolum, catatan blog (terpilih), surat pembaca dan pengesan tapisan filem (censor watch) sekitar isu larangan tayang filem dokumentari Amir Muhammad Lelaki Komunis Terakhir sejak 6 Mei lalu.Tujuannya ia memberikan gambaran lengkap tentang isu ini dan boleh menolong penilaian yang baik kepada pembaca dan penulis yang berminat mengulas isu ini lebih lanjut di masa depan - fathi aris omar.
(i) Berita dalam & luar negara
'The Last Communist' banned (6 May, Malaysiakini.com)
Curtains for The Last Communist (7 May, The Sun)
Tayangan 'Lelaki Komunis Terakhir' dilarang (8 Mei, mStar Online)
Public wants movie banned: Chai Ho (8 May, The Sun)
Film 'tribute' to communist leader banned in Malaysia (8 May, IMDb)
M'sia bans local film on exiled communist... (8 May, AP)
'The Last Communist' banned just before scheduled (9 May, Cinema Online)
Malaysia says ban on insurgent movie justified... (9 May, New Anatolian)
SB telah tonton 'Lelaki Komunis Terakhir' (9 Mei, mStar Online)
Zam: Right to ban film on Chin Peng (9 May, The Star)
Amir labels 'B Harian' conservative, ethnocentric and semi-fascist (9 May, The Sun Amir's 'The Last Communist' banned ... (9 May, Criticine)
Larangan filem 'tidak wajar' (10 Mei, mStar Online)
Malaysian government bans The Last Communist (10 May, Screendaily.com)**
Not the right time for film (10 May, The Star)
Hak kerajaan tarik balik tayangan, kata karyawan filem (10 Mei, mStar Online)
CIJ: 'Last Communist' ban kills creativity (10 May, Malaysiakini.com)
Decision to ban movie 'shows lack of transparency' (10 May, The Sun)
Gov't says it's too soon for 'The Last Communist' (11 May, Global Info.org)
Film on communist leader banned on shaky grounds (11 May, IPS News)
Closed-Preview of Lelaki Komunis Terakhir for MPs (11 May, Bernama)
Rais to review 'Lelaki Komunis Terakhir' (11 May, The Sun)
Rais: Cops veto 'Last Communist' (11 May, Malaysiakini.com)
Banish fears of old paranoias (11 May, The Sun editorial)
Malaysia bans film on 1950s rebel chief (12 May, Telegraph UK)
Screening for MPs proposed (12 May, The Star)
Ahli Parlimen, media dibenar tonton LKT (12 Mei, Utusan Malaysia)
Amir speaks, Rais gives hope (12 May, Aliran Monthly)
Karyawan lauds Rais’ proposal (13 May, The Star)
Bekas polis bantah penerbitan Lelaki Komunis Terakhir (14 Mei, Bernama)
Terus dapat bantahan (15 Mei, Harian Metro)**
'Last Communist' for MPs' eyes only (16 May)
(ii) Kolum, rencana, surat & blog
Lelaki Komunis T... (Garam Gula, 5 Mei)
The last of the Last Communist (Discordant Dude, 6 May)
Approved film on Chin Peng is now banned (James Wong, 7 May)
The Communist that never was (Victor Serge, 7 May)
LPF perlu ada pendirian (Ku Seman Ku Hussain, 8 Mei)
Keranamu, Amir Muhammad (Shagadelica, 8 May)
Amir needs your help (Jerome Kugan, 9 May)
Yeesh. Buta kena pissed off (Lainie, 9 May)
Banning of 'Lelaki Komunis Terakhir' (Jeff Ooi, 9 May)
Please let me watch Lelaki Komunis Terakhir (Sashi-isms, 9 May)
Lelaki Komunis Terlarang (Garam Gula, 9 Mei)
Why isn't 'Last Communist' a Malay? (KTemoc, 9 May)
Film 'tribute' to communist leader banned in Malaysia (Danny Chew, 9 May)
Malaysian censors bans communist movie (Mediaslut, 9 May)
The public has protested? (Jeffrey Chew, 9 May)
The ban on 'Lelaki Komunis Terakhir' (CIJ Malaysia, 9 May)
Ban of Lelaki Komunis Terakhir (Ted, 9 May)
Negara ini bukan ada satu budaya sahaja, tau? (Eyeris, 9 Mei)
Racism and politics (Mac, 9 May)
Malaysian bloggers protest banning of documentary (Global Voices, 10 May)
Boikot Berita Harian (Nizam Zakaria, 10 May)
Will somebody please tell the ministry... (Walski69, 10 May)
The Last Communist banned in Malaysia (Gagwatch, 10 May)
Real vs fake censorship (Kaiju Shakedown, 10 May)
Umno Youth + Berita Harian = the public? (Lucia Lai, 10 May)
Good or bad, we should tell all the stories (Brian Yap, 10 May)**
That commie dude (Haris Zalkapli, 10 Mei)
Banning of Lelaki Komunis Terakhir (Shahriman Latif, 10 May)
Lelaki Komunis Terakhir? (Azlynne, 10 May)
Where a newspaper leads the Ministry... (Desiderata, 10 May)
‘Last Communist’: Why ban history? (Darshan S Khaira, 10 May)
Lelaki Komunis - HARAM (Pojok Maya, 10 Mei)
Komunist Manifesto (Endroo G, 10 May)
'Lelaki Komunis Terakhir' dan jiwa kerdil (Petola1, 10 Mei)
The Last Communist (Ducky, 10 May)
Movie banned because of timing?! (Ahmad Hafidz Baharom, 11 May)
Hyper-sensitive (ireneQ, 11 May)
Amir Muhammad propagandis? (Clarissa Lee 11 Mei)
Lelaki Komunis Terakhir to be shown to MPs? (Howsy, 11 May)
There is no truth, only perception... (Paus Biru, 11 Mei)
May 11 (Jeffrey Chew, 11 May)
Did the levy break? (Justin Guber, 11 May)
Amir’s The Last Communist – can only see abroad? (Lim Kit Siang 12 May)
Something powerful (Joo Khai, 12 May)
‘The Last Communist’ bites the dust (Aliran, 12 May)
Film banning a 'half-past six' decision (Hamdan Ibrahim, 12 May)
T untuk tersedar, terfikir, tersentak ... (Garam Gula, 12 Mei)
State censor overrides film censor (World Censors, 9-12 May)
Using communist censorship tactics (Censor Watch, 12 May)
Whose law is it anyway? (Suanie, 12 May)
A drop of indigo can indeed spoil the milk (Yasmin Ahmad, 13 May)**
The Lost Communist (Sharon Bakar, 13 May)
Why is Lelaki Komunis Terakhir... (BlogsMalaysia, 13 May)
Who is afraid of the Last Communist? (Farish A Noor, 14 May)
Kenapa Lelaki Komunis Terakhir? (Saifullizan Tahir, 14 Mei)
Lelaki Komunis Terakhir yang belum berakhir (Muteaudio, 14 Mei)
My recent article, uncut version (The Story Teller, 14 May)
Laki-Laki Komunis Terakhir and my proposal (ShinShin, 14 May)
The Last Communist (Ampulets, 14 May)
The Last Communist - threat or opportunity? (Tan Siok Choo, 15 May)
Five reasons for banning a film (Chan Kheng Hoe, 15 May)
Better reasons needed to ban films (DPBM, 15 May)
Reasons to watch The Last Communist (Annotated budak, 15 May)
MPs invited to watch 'Lelaki Komunis Terakhir' (Chow Kon Yeow, 16 May)
Ex-IGP Rahim Noor's happy hour with Chin Peng ... (James Wong, 16 May)
Rounding up reactions to Chin Peng film ban (James Wong, 16 May)
Mengulas sebelum melihat... boleh ke? (Edd Vedder, 16 Mei)
I have been called unpatriotic (Eternal Wanderer, 16 May)
Shut up Berita Harian,... (Emilie, 16 May)
Juga lihat di sini, Amir (catatan blog saya sebelum ini, 11 Mei)
>> Selain itu, boleh klik di sini (Lelaki Komunis Terakhir) atau di sini (Last Communist)
Nota: Selain pautan berita, rencana, kolum, surat dan ulasan pemblog seperti disediakan di atas, Utusan Malaysia dan Berita Harian masing-masing turut menerbitkan sepucuk surat pembaca penghujung minggu lalu, isi ceritanya sila ke ruangan komentar pembaca di bawah ini ....
** jika bahan ini telah dimasukkan ke ruangan arkib, tidak boleh lagi diakses, sila ke ruangan komentar pembaca di bawah entri saya ini ...
17 comments:
Amir Muhammad's Thursday column (NST, 11 May)
Linguists seek Harry Potter ban
FRESH from its controversial call to ban The Da Vinci Code (NST, May 4), the Malaysian Linguistic Association (Malas) is once more taking aim at a pop-cultural institution be- loved of bourgeois readers.
Its president Ambi Mohan wants the final Harry Potter book banned. What’s unusual about this is that the book has yet to be published! The seventh and last instalment of British writer J.K. Rowling’s franchise about a boy wizard is due out only in July 2007 and does not even have a confirmed title yet.
"There’s nothing wrong with asking for something to be banned before we can fully ascertain its contents," he says while adjusting his trademark bow-tie. "This read-before-you-judge concept is very Eurocentric and not suited to our tropical climate."
The association’s objection to Harry Potter is not merely linguistic this time, but in the interest of national security.
"As a patriotic Malaysian, it is my duty to speak up," he says. "My sister Anadil, who attended a charity dinner hosted by an anti-drug foundation, told me that ‘pot’ is slang for marijuana. Therefore I suspect that Harry’s surname of Potter indicates that he is a drug addict. Potter means he specialises in pot, just as a ‘fighter’ is someone who fights and ‘forester’ someone who deals with forests. You’d need to be a linguist to figure this out."
Ambi confirms that he has no solid evidence to back this claim "but the data that we have is highly persuasive. Only a drug addict would imagine he is a wizard who can fly and disappear and perform magical tricks.
These things cannot happen in reality as they defy the laws of Physics, which I studied at secondary school. Also his initials are HP which can stand for Hemp Promotion."
He has another theory. "The reason why this final Harry Potter book is shrouded in mystery is that the author does not want to reveal its drug content. She knows this will cause the book to be banned in Malaysia (a very important market for the books) so she is keeping quiet.
I think the final book will reveal that Harry gets his amazing powers by smoking ganja, tooting on joints and firing up doobies!" he says and starts to giggle uncontrollably.
Rowling and her publisher could not be reached for comment although we really tried.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Thursday/Columns/20060511073626/Article/index_html
Just Sayin': Good or bad, we should tell all the stories
[NST 10 May 2006]
Columnist: Brian Yap
THOUGH we’d like to think otherwise, we Malaysians are rarely known for our ability to laugh at ourselves. We’re too insecure and paranoid for the most part, making nearly every issue, from stewardesses to the New Economic Policy, a sensitive issue.
Yet we’re not beyond self- deprecation. Whether humour is the intent is debatable, but we certainly like to put ourselves down sometimes.
When our cities flood after a downpour, we say: "Of course lah, Malaysia what!"
Or confronted with an inconsiderate driver, we yell: "These Malaysians ah, don’t know how to drive!" OK, maybe that’s just me.
How about Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin’s recent comments on televising parliamentary proceedings? It was reported that he feels Malaysians still have a Third World mentality, lacking the intellectual capacity to look beyond a racial perspective.
So the august House is too disturbing for Malaysians to watch? That’s a scary thought, but I see the point. Us regular folk might not fully grasp that when the Rantau Panjang MP refers to divorcees as gatal, he isn’t actually being sexist.
Or we might not understand why partisan politics is more important than the questionable action of the Jasin MP in asking the Customs Department to "close one eye".
So for now, the only long speeches short on substance we’ll get to see on TV will be award shows like the Oscars and Anugerah Industri Muzik awards. Malaysians aren’t ready for anything more.
It’s odd, of course, to say Malaysians are this or that, when one is also Malaysian. The Malay saying applies rather well here: When you point one finger, four others are pointing back at you. So when we put down "Malay- sians" (I have to admit, sometimes rightly so) for "their" shortcomings, we’re in effect putting ourselves down. Because, surprise, surprise, we’re all in this together.
We can’t close one eye to the reality that there are many Malaysias and even more Ma- laysians, all inextricably linked, from the Bangsar "liberal" to the pak cik in ketayap (skull cap) in Kota Baru.
Like our present, our history is equally varied and comprises many perspectives. Though to what result is open to debate, there’s little contention that the left-wing movement, including the Communist Party of Malaya’s armed struggle, left a mark on the national psyche.
It’s hard for any nation not to be affected by what was arguably a full-blown war that left thousands dead. Such an important part of our history cannot be erased.
Which is why I think it’s a backward decision to ban Amir Muhammad’s The Last Communist. The documentary, which was passed with no cuts by the Censorship Board and originally scheduled to open on May 18, is a road movie that visits the towns where the ex-secretary-general of the CPM, Chin Peng, once lived.
From my understanding of it, Lelaki Komunis Terakhir features interviews with people in towns like Sitiawan, Bidor and Sungai Siput, as well as a few members of the now-defunct communist party living in southern Thailand.
Though a central figure in the film, Chin Peng doesn’t appear in the documentary.
I’m not defending the film. I can’t, because I haven’t seen it. I am, however, of the opinion that there are many stories to be told about Malaysia, and no one has a monopoly on stories. Some are like Entrapment,that is non-threatening and boring.
Still, that movie wasn’t exactly free of controversy either. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad objected to the way the filmmakers digitally juxtaposed two very different parts of Malaysia.
Others like The Last Communist are bound to provoke stronger reactions. Why Amir chose Chin Peng as a subject, I don’t know. He’s the filmmaker, it’s his film, so it’s his prerogative. Who am I to ask him why The Last Communist and not "The First Capitalist"?
It was a pleasant surprise when the Censorship Board passed both this film and Yasmin Ahmad’s Gubra. After all, it wasn’t exactly known for moving with the times. Both films, however, have since been attacked by various parties.
One Bahasa Malaysia daily, for instance, published reports on The Last Communist three days in a row. I think it’s unfair to condemn the film simply by reading its synopsis.
I will now point out the obvious, which is that for years, Amir Muhammad has been making films few Malaysians have ever heard of, and fewer have ever seen. And with this ban, he and his film will get more publicity than they normally would have. I mean, here I am, writing about it. And there you are, wondering, "Where can I find the DVD for The Big Durian ah?"
Or maybe not. In any case, the hoo-ha surrounding The Last Communist again proves that films are often regarded as more threatening than, say, books. After all, you can sit back and eat popcorn while a movie is playing, but books actually require you to, ugh, read. That’s why, while The Da Vinci Code was a controversial book, it’s the movie that has prompted widespread action among Catholic churches the world over. Or why United 93 had people wondering if it was too soon for a 9/11 movie, despite the countless TV programmes, books and magazine articles.
In the case of Chin Peng, a more detailed, personal account of his life has been available on local bookshelves for years. But it’s a really thick book, which means that the most likely damage it would cause is when it is thrown at someone’s face. Because you Malaysians, ah, very lazy. Never want to read.
The columnist is a writer at a monthly Klang Valley magazine, KLue.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Wednesday/Columns/20060510081628/Article/index_html
Congratulations sir, on compiling various articles about various thoughts about the matter. I am quite surprised to see my own article regarding the matter. I am honored.
The Storyteller:
A drop of indigo can indeed spoil the milk
Yasmin Ahmad's column (NST 13 May 2006)
SATURDAY, April 22, was a sad day for the Malaysian arts.
That evening, a national television channel ran a forum which, with great aplomb, singled out one filmmaker’s work in what was to be nothing short of a public flogging. The topic chosen was woolly at best, and damning beyond reason.
"Sepet and Gubra — corrupters of Malay culture?"
The films were mine, of course, but in truth, the forum actually did my films and me a favour. At a time when audience numbers were beginning to wane, the day after the forum, saw the cinema halls packed again. So thank you, sirs.
So no, that day wasn’t sad for me at all. What shocked me were the statements made by two panel members — a journalist and a film producer who clearly took his side.
Film producer: "Malaysia Melayu punya." (This land belongs to the Malays.)
Journalist: (translated) "How can a good Muslim girl who prays and reads the Quran fall in love with a Chinese infidel?"
Worse still, neither of the statements received any public reprimand from any authority, despite their blatantly incendiary and belligerent nature.
What signals are we sending out? That it’s OK to make racial slurs at a public forum? That it’s perfectly cricket to label a member of another race infidel? (This one’s ironic, given that there are only 18 million Muslims in Malaysia, and up to 40 million in China!)
It seems some people in this country have scaled new heights of paranoia. So much so that Amir Muhammad’s Lelaki Komunis Terakhir has now been banned by people who have not even seen the film. The decision came on the heels of some articles criticising the film. They were written by, surprise surprise, the same journalist who appeared on the earlier-mentioned forum.
Coincidence? You tell me.
And so the world sits back and observes this embarrassing turn of events. All hopes we ever had of becoming the filmmaking hub of Southeast Asia can now be stashed away in the dusty cupboards of Vision 2020.
Lelaki Komunis Terakhir, a documentary that made no attempt whatsoever to glorify Chin Peng, has delighted the audience at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival, and opened in Singapore two days ago.
Rain Dogs, a film by Ho Yuhang, will open at selected theatres in Tokyo and Singapore. It will also grace several television channels across the Asian continent. Ho has expressed doubts that any of his future films will ever be shown here.
The Beautiful Washing Machine, James Lee’s bittersweet contemplation of feminine alienation, won the Best Asean Feature award and the Fipresci prize at the 2005 Bangkok International Film Festival. It hasn’t, in any big way, seen the light of day here.
And Sepet, winner of the Best Asian Film award at last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival, did hit the cinemas here, but as we know, has since been deemed a "corrupter of Malay culture".
If I were the head of a foreign film company contemplating investing here, I would have to observe the Malaysian cultural climate before committing. And one observation I might make would be that the culture here is a culture of punishment. Make any attempt to do things differently, however mildly, and you run the risk of having your knuckles rapped publicly, or worse, face outright banning.
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything," said George Bernard Shaw.
And for a while, changes were indeed happening. A group of 10 to 15 new film directors made a more or less collective decision to raise the bar a little. Subsequently, films were made, and awards won. And everyone was supportive, or so it seemed.
"One bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch," you might say. Oh, but sadly, it does. And perhaps, in the end, it is the old Malay adage that rings more true than the English one. Setitik nila boleh merosakkan susu sebelanga. One drop of indigo is all it takes to spoil an entire urn of milk.
In 2005, following an incessant diatribe from some members of the mainstream cinema, and some film academicians of dubious credibility, I vowed never to submit any of my films to Festival Filem Malaysia, ever again.
As for Amir, I can only pray that his beautifully innovative films can one day be seen, not just by people of foreign shores, but ours as well. And let’s just hope that the present sentiment towards non-conformist cinema does not lead to a state where Lelaki Komunis Terakhir will, in fact, become "Filem MALAYSIA Terakhir".
A drop of indigo can indeed spoil the milk (English)
Kerana setitik nila, rosak susu sebelanga (Bahasa Malaysia)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm honoured to see my thought (blog post) listed in the compilation.
Majulah Kebebasan Untuk Negara,
endroo G
Surat, BH 13 Mei 2006
Kita kena tegas tolak tafsir semula darurat
SAYA menyokong saranan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi seperti dilaporkan dalam akhbar ini, Rabu lalu supaya generasi muda memahami peristiwa darurat dan mengambil iktibar kejadian berkenaan agar kita tidak terjerumus lagi dalam konflik.
Sesungguhnya era darurat (1948 hingga 1960) meninggalkan titik hitam dalam susur galur sejarah negara. Sepanjang 12 tahun 45 hari tempoh penuh tragik itu, pengganas komunis membunuh 4,338 orang tidak berdosa dan mencederakan 3,945 yang lain.
Daripada jumlah yang terkorban, 2,473 adalah orang awam, manakala 1,865 lagi adalah anggota pasukan keselamatan, manakala di kalangan yang cedera, 2,560 adalah anggota pasukan keselamatan dan 1,385 orang awam, 807 orang lagi dilaporkan hilang.
Darurat kedua pula adalah darurat yang tidak diisytiharkan secara rasmi melanda negara dari 1968 hingga awal 1980-an apabila berlaku kebangkitan semula kegiatan keganasan oleh Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM).
Tempoh ini menyaksikan pembunuhan kepemimpinan Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) seperti Allahyarham Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Hashim mantan Ketua Polis Negara dan mendiang Tan Sri Jimmy Koo Chong Kong mantan Ketua Pegawai Polis Negeri Perak.
Berdasarkan statistik dan fakta ini, sebagai anak muda saya tidak faham kenapa hari ini harus ada gerakan untuk mentafsir semula sejarah dengan dakwaan pelik PKM pejuang kemerdekaan negara serta usaha halus memutihkan tokoh komunisme melalui filem dokumentari seperti Lelaki Komunis Terakhir yang dilarang penayangannya oleh Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri walaupun diluluskan Lembaga Penapis Filem (LPF).
Saya khuatir jika kita berlembut dan membenarkan gerakan menafsir semula sejarah, apakah satu hari nanti akan tiba keadaan pemberontakan PKM akan diiktiraf sebagai peristiwa penting dalam usaha membebaskan negara daripada penjajahan, bahawa Chin Peng, Rashid Maidin dan Abdullah CD tokoh perlu dianggap perwira negara yang layak mendapat kurniaan pingat seperti Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP) atau Pingat Gagah Berani (PGB) yang selama ini menjadi kurniaan kepada anggota pasukan keselamatan yang menunjukkan keberanian luar biasa menentang musuh.
Jika sejarah darurat ditafsir semula, bagaimana kita hendak menerangkan kepada balu dan anak beribu-ribu nyawa patriot negara yang terkorban dan anggota pasukan keselamatan yang cedera dalam tempoh empat dekad dari 1948 hingga 1989 apabila PKM meletakkan senjata.
Bukankah dengan berlembut kita hanya membuka jalan kepada tercemarnya memori keberanian mereka yang gugur demi agama, bangsa dan negara.
Mungkin ada yang menyifatkan ia sebagai igauan tidak bertempat atau terlalu emosional, namun percayalah jika hari ini segala usaha ini tidak ditentang dengan keras maka akan menjadi barah pada masa depan, barah yang akan menghakis jati diri bangsa.
Jika kita membiarkan barah ini melarat adakah lagi mereka yang sukarela mempertahankan agama, bangsa dan negara dengan jiwa raga mereka kalau mereka tahu satu hari nanti jasa mereka diperlekeh, diperkecil dan seterusnya dilupakan.
Hari ini mereka perwira tetapi apabila sejarah ditafsir semula mereka pula yang menjadi petualang.
Sebenarnya masih ada banyak lagi wira bangsa kita yang tidak didendang, walaupun jasa bakti mereka tidak banyak diketahui umum. Namun jasa bakti mereka tetap penting kepada kebebasan, pembangunan dan kemajuan negara.
Merekalah yang lebih layak diagungkan. Marilah kita membudayakan mengenang budi dan jasa patriot dan nasionalis terdahulu kerana jika kita tidak berbuat demikian maka kita tidak berjaya menjadi bangsa besar kerana setiap generasi baru akan hanya sibuk menghitamkan generasi terdahulu bukan membina di atas kejayaan mereka.
IRMOHIZAM IBRAHIM,
Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya.
Generasi muda perlu fahami peristiwa darurat [BH, 9 Mei 2006]
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berkata, keamanan dan kestabilan dinikmati rakyat Malaysia sekarang adalah satu daripada tiga pengajaran penting yang dapat mereka peroleh daripada peristiwa darurat.
Perdana Menteri berkata, rakyat Malaysia perlu mengambil iktibar daripada keadaan darurat 1948-1960 dan memastikan kita tidak terjerumus lagi dalam konflik.
“Golongan muda terutama yang tidak pernah menyaksikan konflik bersenjata, mungkin mengambil mudah dan tidak sedar nilai sebenar keamanan yang kita kecapi selama ini.
“Malaysia sebenarnya sudah melalui tidak kurang empat episod konflik serius dalam abad lalu iaitu pendudukan Jepun, ancaman Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM), Konfrontasi dan rusuhan kaum 13 Mei (1969),” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian selepas melancarkan buku The Malayan Emergency Revisited 1948-1960: A Pictorial History di Kuala Lumpur, semalam. Buku itu dikarang oleh Lt Kol (B) Mohd Azzam Mohd Hanif Ghows.
Sejumlah 3,000 naskhah cetakan awal buku itu diedarkan kepada semua kementerian, syarikat dan institusi awam dan pejabat perwakilan Malaysia di seluruh dunia. UEM Group menaja RM200,000 bagi menerbitkan buku itu.
Mengulas lanjut mengenai penerbitan buku itu, Abdullah berkata, buku itu mengembalikan ingatan kepada tempoh benih nasionalisme bercambah berikutan pendudukan Jepun dan gerakan mendapatkan kemerdekaan.
Beliau berkata, Malaysia yang stabil dan makmur hari ini dibina daripada pengorbanan pejuang negara dan kecekapan pasukan keselamatan negara.
“Tanpa pengorbanan mereka, kita tidak akan dapat mengamalkan demokrasi cara kita yang diancam Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM).
“Kita terus berjuang menentang jenayah dan rasuah serta kita fokus untuk menambah baik mutu dan kewibawaan pasukan keselamatan,” katanya.
Abdullah berkata, pengajaran kedua daripada darurat dan kejadian keganasan di seluruh dunia ialah keganasan dan pengganas bukan terdiri daripada kumpulan etnik, agama atau negara tertentu.
Pengajaran ketiga daripada darurat ialah keganasan tidak boleh dikalahkan dengan langkah ketenteraan semata-mata.
“Sehubungan itu, pengajaran daripada darurat sangat relevan dengan kempen antikeganasan antarabangsa yang mana Malaysia memberi sokongan padu,” katanya.
Beliau berkata, Malaysia dapat mengekang ancaman PKM apabila memberi dua perhatian kepada dua faktor politik utama yang dieksploitasi mereka iaitu mendapatkan kemerdekaan dan memberi kerakyatan kepada orang Cina.
Jangan tonjol komunis pejuang kemerdekaan [UM, 12 Mei 2006]
KETIKA kita merayakan ulang tahun ke-60 penubuhan UMNO di Istana Besar, Johor Bahru dan para pemimpin berusaha meletakkan perjuangan Datuk Onn Jaafar sebagai ‘Perjuangan membina sebuah negara, bangsa’, saya dapati terdapat usaha untuk mengangkat perjuangan komunis sebagai pejuang-pejuang kemerdekaan.
Ini tergambar melalui beberapa buah buku yang telah diterbitkan hasil wawancara dengan Abdullah CD, Rashid Maidin dan Abu Samah yang diterbitkan oleh sebuah penerbitan di Selangor.
Saya lihat tulisan-tulisan ini boleh memesongkan sejarah perjuangan bangsa, hingga nantinya generasi muda akan kabur siapakah sebenarnya para pejuang kemerdekaan.
Mengangkat pengganas komunis sebagai hero dan srikandi adalah tidak wajar sama sekali.
Kita telah diajar betapa Datuk Onn menggembelingkan usaha mengumpulkan semua suku kaum yang ada di Malaysia untuk berjuang menentang Malaysian Union dan menuntut kemerdekaan.
Kemudian Tunku Abdul Rahman menyambung perjuangan itu hinggalah tercapainya kemerdekaan negara.
Siapakah Rashid Maidin, Abdullah Sidi dan Abu Samah? Siapakah yang dimaksudkan Serikandi Suriani Abdullah?
Wajarkah kita mengangkat orang yang berbuat huru- hara dan keganasan sebagai hero? Ramai anggota keselamatan dan rakyat Malaysia telah terseksa angkara mereka semua.
Kita perlu melihat hal-hal begini sebelum terlambat. Usaha segelintir puak yang cuba menyanjungi golongan ini harus dipatahkan secepat mungkin.
Sejarah perlu ditafsirkan dengan benar, penyelewengan terhadap sejarah akan memusnah impian negara untuk melihat perpaduan yang erat di kalangan semua kaum.
- GUNAWAN MAHMOOD, Johor Bahru
wow! suddenly i'm on par with all these people hahah. i think i could be the youngest of these bloggers here. thanks for including my humble thoughts.
excellent putting together of related articles ... *and* blogs: thanx for adding me to the list :-) (i'm guessing you found me thru technorati or equivalent?) Will link to this in case readers are interested, thanx! cheers, *lynne*
Malaysian government bans The Last Communist [Screendaily.com, 10 May 2006]
Silvia Wong in Singapore
Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs has banned the release of Amir Muhammad’s The Last Communist, about former Communist leader Chin Peng, over-ruling an earlier decision of the Film Censorship Board which passed the film uncut last month.
According to a spokesperson of Red Films, the co-producer and distributor of the film, the ministry issued the company a letter last Friday to ban the film “in the interest of the public” with no further details given. It has since filed an appeal to the ministry.
The digital film, which premiered at the Berlin film festival in February, was originally scheduled to open on May 18 on three digital screens through Golden Screen Cinemas.
In response to the ban, Muhammad today writes in his blog that he knows “the subject of communism is taboo in Malaysia” and “it is not a propaganda film”.
In his words, the film is “a semi-musical road movie documentary tracing the towns in which Chin Peng (exiled leader of the banned Communist Party of Malaya) lived... It does not include any interviews with, or even photographs of, Chin Peng himself. The documentary features interviews with people who live in those same present-day towns”.
Muhammad, a pioneering Malaysian film-maker, is currently attending the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival where The Last Communist is being screened. Following its Berlin premiere, the film has been invited to 14 international film festivals.
Meanwhile, the film will open in neighbouring Singapore this Thursday through Cathay. It was passed clean with a PG rating by the Singapore censors when it was screened during the Singapore International Film Festival last month.
Terus dapat bantahan
Oleh Meor Riduwan Ahmad [Harian Metro, 15 Mei]
mriduwan@hmetro.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Filem separa muzikal berjudul ‘Lelaki Komunis Terakhir’ yang diharamkan penayangannya di pawagam tempatan atas komen negatif pelbagai pihak, terus menerima bantahan.
Persatuan Bekas Polis Malaysia (PBPM) menyifatkan penerbitannya menyentuh sensitiviti masyarakat, khususnya warga bekas polis yang banyak berjasa ketika zaman darurat.
Presidennya, Shafie Bakri berkata persatuan itu sebulat suara membantah penerbitan berkenaan.
Menurutnya, biarpun belum berpeluang menonton, kandungan filem separa muzikal 90 minit itu seolah-olah mengagungkan perjuangan komunis, tanpa memberi fokus terhadap perjuangan polis mempertahankan kestabilan dan keamanan negara.
“Kami berkecil hati dan tajuk dokumentari itu menyentuh perasaan sebagai pejuang negara. Persoalannya mengapa penerbit itu seolah-olah mengagungkan kredibiliti perjuangan komunis dan mengapa tidak ceritakan pahit getir kami ketika darurat,” katanya kepada media selepas mesyuarat PBPM ke-35 di Hotel KL International semalam.
Pada mesyuarat kali ke 35 persatuan itu, senarai ahli jawatan kuasa bagi 2005 hingga 2007 turut diumumkan.
Selain itu PBPM turut menerima sumbangan berupa 14 peti televisyen 29 inci; 60 kerusi roda; 280 tongkat; 14 bingkai gambar Perdana Menteri yang disumbangkan oleh syarikat Kiara Semarak Sdn Bhd.
Shafie berkata, filem dengan kos penerbitan kira-kira RM80,000 itu juga disifatkan tidak memberi faedah kepada pembangunan mentaliti masyarakat terutamanya remaja yang tidak mengenal pahit getir darurat.
Difahamkan dokumentari 90 minit yang memuatkan temubual dengan individu tertentu mengenai bekas Setiausaha Agung Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM), Chin Peng itu menimbulkan kontroversi apabila diluluskan Lembaga Penapisan Filem (LPF) Mac lalu, tanpa suntingan untuk tayangan di tiga pawagam, di Pulau Pinang dan Kuala Lumpur.
Bagaimanapun, filem itu ditarik balik kelulusan tayangannya selepas pihak tertentu termasuk polis yang menonton filem itu di Finas pada 2 Mei lalu mengemukakan bantahan selepas mengambil kira kepentingan awam.
Penarikan balik kebenaran tayangan terhadap filem arahan Amir Muhammad itu dibuat mengikut Seksyen 26 Akta Penapisan Filem 2002, kira-kira dua minggu sebelum tarikh tayangannya yang dijadualkan pada 18 Mei ini.
Sementara itu Pengurus Media PBPM, Ishak Mohd Yusof pula berkata pihaknya terkilan apabila pratonton ataupun proses pembikinannya langsung tidak merujuk persatuan untuk mendapatkan maklumat tepat.
“Ahli PBPM ini kira-kira 90 peratus daripada 85,0000 orang di seluruh negara, adalah pejuang menentang komunis ketika darurat.
“Malah ada yang putus tangan dan sebagainya. Jadi kita kecil hati dengan Finas kerana tak pelawa tonton filem itu. Harapan saya pelawa kami ini, yang nak mati tidak lama lagi,” katanya yang tiba-tiba sebak mengenangkan pengalaman ketika darurat.
Beliau mendakwa dengan lain perkataan langsung tiada pandangan PBPM diminta untuk pembikinan filem itu, berdasarkan siasatan sendiri yang dibuat.
hi, fathi. excellent effort. i had this idea sometime back, but found no takers, to galvanise members of civil society to each take up a pet pieve/issue of their own and keep track of developments, post them on a searchable website, so that all wired citizens have an instant source of information about all issues. and no more 'malaysians have short memory' problems come the next general election or big hoohaa. you've done it for lkt. hope others will take up one issue each. and we can have a blog to unite all blogs. informed and empowered citizenry.
Thank you so much for this painstaking effort to compile all the articles and comments made about this issue, Encik Fathi! Hats off to you sir!
And thanks for including me in the post too! I am honoured that my thoughts account for something as well. I will certainly make a link to this page in case anyone who reads my site would know about this list of articles on this issue.
Onwards we move to a more freer and creatively open-minded Malaysia!
well, ingat melayu terakhir jer ada.. komunis pun ada yang terakhir
i cant understand why the gov is banning a film that tells the truth. this is unfair..
A great blog, it has a lot of useful information to me
Village Talkies a top-quality professional corporate video production company in Bangalore and also best explainer video company in Bangalore & animation video makers in Bangalore, Chennai, India & Maryland, Baltimore, USA provides Corporate & Brand films, Promotional, Marketing videos & Training videos, Product demo videos, Employee videos, Product video explainers, eLearning videos, 2d Animation, 3d Animation, Motion Graphics, Whiteboard Explainer videos Client Testimonial Videos, Video Presentation and more for all start-ups, industries, and corporate companies. From scripting to corporate video production services, explainer & 3d, 2d animation video production , our solutions are customized to your budget, timeline, and to meet the company goals and objectives.
As a best video production company in Bangalore, we produce quality and creative videos to our clients.
Post a Comment