Finas orders GSC to remove Indonesian horror film poster over sensitivity issue

Malay Mail
Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 — The National Film Development Corporation (Finas) has ordered cinema operator GSC to remove an Indonesian horror film poster.

This is after deeming it to touch on the sensitivity of the Muslim community in Malaysia.

The official poster for the horror film Sijjin featured a possessed woman clad in a black cloth with some Arabic verses, including the word Allah written on it.

It has caused uproar in the Muslim community with many taking to social media to point out the insensitivity of the poster.

Finas CEO Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib told Berita Harian that Finas has since got in touch with GSC regarding the matter.

“Finas has looked into the matter and we have ordered GSC to recall the official poster and asked them to replace it with a new one,” Azmir said.

Previously, the film had also been criticised by social media users for their gimmick during its premiere on December 22.

This is after several individuals shrouded in telekung (prayer garment worn by Muslim women) were seen sitting around a ‘corpse’ already encased in a white shroud.

The gimmick drew criticism that it could give the wrong impression of women in telekung to non-Muslim moviegoers.

Sijjin is a horror film produced by Rapi Films in collaboration with Sky Media and Legacy Pictures which was adapted from the Turkish box-office hit horror film Siccin which centres around black magic.

The film will be hitting local cinemas from December 28.