A TOTAL of seven films were not approved by the Film Censorship Board (LPF) – six were banned last year and another banned this year, says Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Mohamed Said.

       The sole film that was not approved to be screened in local theatres this year was Chinese war movie The Battle at Lake Changjin.

       Ismail said LPF did not approve six films last year, which were Bollywood movies Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and Paliu Padama Paathuka, White Eye from Israel, Boluomi from Taiwan, Real Love from France and locally-produced Daulat, which was eventually released on iFlix.

       The board evaluates films for local screening based on four factors – security and public order, religion, socio-culture, as well as manners and decency.

       “It is clear that security and public order are the main aspects in LPF’s priority in evaluating the contents of a film before it is publicly screened,” he said.

       “LPF is only in charge of the censorship of movies for public screening. LPF isn’t involved in filmmaking,” he added.

       The board falls under the Home Ministry’s purview and film production is regulated by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) under Finas Act 1981.

       Ismail was responding to Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong), who asked how many movies were not approved by LPF for screening since last year.

       Daulat, which was released in April last year, tells a fictional story of a Machiavellian politician plotting a comeback after being defeated in the general election.

       It was reported that the movie initially opted for a theatre release but was eventually released on streaming platform iFlix due to difficulties in getting LPF approval.

       The Battle at Lake Changjin was not approved due to outrage on social media claiming that the film promotes communist ideology.