Malaysian court rules ‘wounding religious feelings' is a crime
Advertisement
The ruling on Thursday, which came after the filmmakers challenged the law, widens the potential for legal liability in a country beset by issues of race, religion and royalty – known as '3Rs' – which are hypersensitive subjects.
The film, released in 2021 but banned two years later, follows a 15-year-old as she questions ideas of rebirth in different religions.
Director Khairi Anwar and producer Tan Meng Kheng said they would appeal against the decision.
Their lawyer N Surendran had previously argued the 'antiquated … pre-independence legislation' – Section 298 of the Penal Code introduced by the British – should not be wielded against filmmakers.
Advertisement
Thursday's court decision follows a slew of similar controversies pulling in media and culture into '3R' controversies, which many Malaysians fear are now changing discourse and risk eroding free speech.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
HKFP
17 hours ago
- HKFP
2 Hong Kong schools suspended as Education Bureau vows to crack down on ‘shell' institutions
Two private schools in Hong Kong have been suspended as education authorities vow to crack down on 'shell schools' – institutions in the city partnering with mainland Chinese agencies to help non-local students obtain local status. The Education Bureau (EDB) said this week that it rejected the registration application for Inno Secondary School in Kowloon Tong on July 28 and suspended Tsung Tsin Middle School in Cheung Sha Wan on August 8. In a reply to media enquiries, the EDB said it was 'highly concerned' about local schools allegedly partnering with non-local education agencies to operate shell schools, which offer classes to students from outside the city and thus an opportunity to apply for public universities in Hong Kong as local students. Schools in the city are not allowed to let third-party organisations use their names to provide courses and charge parents or students for those unless they have obtained approval from authorities, the EDB warned. The shell school controversy at Inno Secondary School came to light in late July after an award-winning student at the Hong Kong school was also claimed by a Shenzhen school as one of its pupils. Inno Secondary School Principal Thomas Qi told local media earlier this week that the student had transferred to his institution from the Shenzhen school last year and that he believed the whole saga was a 'misunderstanding.' He also acknowledged that Inno was collaborating with a mainland Chinese education agency to operate courses in Shenzhen, but insisted that the programme did not violate regulations. Qi also said Inno would cease collaborations with the mainland Chinese agency due to the 'negative coverage' of such partnerships following the EDB's suspension of Tsung Tsin Middle School. Inno Secondary School offers the British curriculum, including the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) for Year 10 and 11 students and the International Advanced Levels (IAL) for Year 12 and 13 students. Qi said Inno had 40 to 50 pupils and was applying for registration for its new campus in Hung Hom, as the school had to move out of its Kowloon Tong facility due to a rent hike. The EDB told the media that Inno's 'management and financial situation were not satisfactory,' adding that the school's temporary licence would expire on September 30 this year. Inno's Kowloon Tong campus will cease operation after the 2024-25 academic year, and the bureau has not received the application indicating that Inno would move to a new campus in Hung Hom, the bureau said. Ming Pao reported last week that a Shenzhen-based tutorial centre named 'Capture Stars' claimed in recruitment ads that its students can attend the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examination at Tsung Tsin Middle School. The report raised suspicions that Tsung Tsin Middle School offered its local registration as a school for mainland agencies to help non-local students obtain local status. Capture Stars denied the allegations. In a statement, the tutorial centre said it was merely recruiting students on behalf of Tsung Tsin Middle School and that the students would be taught on Tsung Tsin's campus in Hong Kong. The EDB urged parents and students not to be misled by unverified information and illegal promotions. It also urged parents not to 'follow shortcuts' to gain admission to public universities in Hong Kong and register their children with multiple schools in a bid to enhance their prospects for further studies. 'Making children mentally and physically distressed while sustaining unnecessary stress may only cause adverse effects,' the bureau said. Last month, the government said children of non-local talent would be required to live in Hong Kong for two years to be eligible for paying subsidised university fees. The government cited long-standing concerns that some students did not live in Hong Kong but applied for government-subsidised student places at public universities. As a transitional arrangement, the residency requirement will be set at one year for the 2027-28 academic year, while the two-year requirement will be implemented starting from the 2028-29 academic year.
RTHK
6 days ago
- RTHK
UK arrests hundreds backing banned pro-Palestine group
UK arrests hundreds backing banned pro-Palestine group Police in London arrested hundreds for supporting Palestine Action, at the latest protest backing the group since it was banned last month under anti-terror laws. Photo: AFP London's Metropolitan Police arrested more than 365 people at a protest against Britain's decision to ban the group Palestine Action, the force said. Protesters, some wearing black and white Palestinian scarves and waving Palestinian flags, chanted "hands off Gaza", and held placards with the message "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action", video taken by Reuters at the scene showed. Israel denies allegations of being responsible for genocide in Gaza. The Reuters video showed demonstrators who had gathered in Parliament Square by the Houses of Parliament being carried away by police. The crowd chanted "shame on you" at the police. In a post on X, the police force said it had arrested 365 people for supporting a proscribed organisation. It also arrested seven people for other offences including five for assaults on officers, adding none was seriously injured. In July, British lawmakers banned Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged planes in protest against Britain's support for Israel. The ban makes it a crime to be a member of the group, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, last week won a bid to bring a legal challenge against the ban. (Reuters)
HKFP
7 days ago
- HKFP
HKFP Monitor August 9, 2025: Ex-protester drops case against ban on overseas study; HK$233-million by-elections largely uncontested
Welcome back to HKFP Monitor. This week: A former protester dropped his legal fight against a travel ban that stopped him from studying abroad – a move that may signal Hong Kong authorities are becoming more cautious about allowing ex-prisoners or people on bail to leave the city. Meanwhile, next month's HK$233 million Election Committee by-elections are set to be mostly uncontested, with a pro-establishment commentator saying it's all about avoiding in-house clashes. Also, a diaspora media merger has quickly drawn fire from Beijing-backed press, and a lawmaker has walked back his comments after publicly accusing a minister of 'threatening' him over the controversial same-sex partnerships bill. University of Hong Kong graduate To Kai-wa, jailed for five and a half years in 2021 for biting a police officer's finger during a 2019 protest, has dropped his legal challenge against a post-release order barring him from studying in the UK. To, who was released in October, told local media on Tuesday that he had withdrawn his judicial review against the Correctional Services Department's (CSD) decision to reject his April request to study law at the University of Birmingham. Asked why, he said: 'There are many things I cannot answer.' The case highlights growing caution from Hong Kong authorities in allowing released prisoners to travel abroad, following incidents where prominent activists failed to return. The CSD's Supervision Case Review Committee said To had not shown 'sincere remorse' or completed 'rehabilitation and de-radicalisation.' They also flagged his British National (Overseas) passport, warning he could abscond from supervision. The CSD also told To that, if he broke his supervision order, British authorities would not cooperate with extradition. The refusal referenced a recent case in which the British government met with a wanted individual who had breached a supervision order – believed to be pro-independence activist Tony Chung, who fled to the UK in December 2023 after being allowed to travel to Japan. Chung was put on a wanted list in December 2024 for alleged incitement to secession and foreign collusion, with a HK$1 million bounty on his head. Moreover, there is the case of former student leader Agnes Chow, who jumped bail in 2023. After being released from prison in June 2021 for protest-related offences, Chow was still subject to a list of bail conditions because she was arrested in a 2020 national security case involving pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Police approved her travel to Canada to study on the condition that she first visit Shenzhen with them and write letters praising the 'great development of the motherland.' She left in September 2023 but refused to return that December as agreed. Police condemned her move as 'challenging the rule of law' and said she would carry the 'fugitive' label for life if she stayed away. An official arrest warrant for Chow was issued in February last year. Hong Kong's powerful Election Committee – the body that picks the city's leader – is set to fill 93 vacancies in by-elections next month, which the government estimated in February will cost HK$233 million. The government said on Monday it had received 101 nominations from 28 sectors. But local media found that 72 seats in 22 sectors – almost 80 per cent of the total – would go uncontested. Those candidates will be automatically elected once they pass national security checks. Pro-establishment commentator Lau Siu-kai told Ming Pao that the short term for the seats won in by-elections – they have to serve only until October 2026 – means few people are interested. He called it an 'elite-type election,' where potential rivals avoid going head to head to prevent friction and keep the pro-Beijing camp united. Winners next month will get a say in the Legislative Council elections in December – a new power given to the committee after a 2021 electoral overhaul. The revamp also saw the committee expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members. The revamped system, built to ensure only 'patriots' run Hong Kong, has effectively shut out nearly all pro-democracy candidates. Political circles are now buzzing over which of the 90 sitting lawmakers will keep their seats. Some say top government officials may have a say – an unusual twist if true – while pro-Beijing outlets quote unnamed heavyweights claiming Beijing still wants legislators who are 'vocal.' STATE MEDIA MONITOR 'Anti-China' diaspora outlet: Pulse HK, a new digital platform to be launched out of the merger of two Hong Kong diaspora media groups, has become the latest target of Beijing-backed newspaper Ta Kung Pao. In a Monday op-ed, Ta Kung Pao labelled Pulse HK an 'anti-China' platform aiming to spread ideological propaganda against mainland China and Hong Kong. Pulse HK emerged from the merger of The Chaser and Photon Media – both founded overseas after the 2021 national security crackdown that shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and independent outlet Stand News. The Chaser was started by ex-Apple Daily reporter Shirley Leung in Taiwan in 2023, while Photon Media, launched in the UK in 2022, is run by veteran Hong Kong journalists. Wu Lik-hon – former head of RFA's Cantonese unit, which recently halted service due to funding cuts by US President Donald Trump – will become Pulse HK's editor in chief. Last week, Pulse HK announced a crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise HK$4 million to build a 16- to 18-person team across Taiwan, the UK, and North America, targeting 4,000 subscribers in its first year. Ta Kung Pao questioned the merger's timing, claiming Pulse HK is trying to 'integrate public opinion forces' for an 'upcoming confrontation.' The op-ed accused the outlet of planning to publish biased reporting, doctored images, and smear campaigns to undermine Hong Kong's progress. At a press conference last week, Wu said the journalists, despite being away for years, remain deeply connected to Hong Kong. Co-founder Edward Li, formerly with Apple Daily, called for diaspora media to unite and pool their strengths. Leung added, 'In these dark times, with press freedom collapsing, we want to be a ray of light.' When asked if he was worried about being labelled as engaging in 'soft resistance,' Wu said Pulse HK does not promote any political agenda and aims to be a neutral news organisation. Legislator backtracks after fiery Facebook post: The Hong Kong government's proposal to register same-sex partnerships has sparked rare pushback from the city's 'all-patriots' legislature since the bill was tabled last month. Officials want it passed by October to meet a 2023 Court of Final Appeal deadline, but some conservative lawmakers stand firm in opposing it. Tensions between the executive and legislative branches hit a new high last week when Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) chairperson Stanley Ng publicly blasted Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, the bill's lead advocate. In a Facebook post on the late evening of July 31, Ng said he had met Tsang that morning and that the minister had 'almost begged' and 'threatened' him to ensure 'safe passage' of 'his bill' – without naming which one. Ng claimed Tsang warned he would 'bear the consequences' if he refused, but stressed the FTU's position 'would not be swayed.' 'I urge him to save his breath!' Ng added. Around two hours later, Ng edited the post – visible in the edit history – removing Tsang's name. He still alleged facing 'threats' and kept the 'save his breath' line, but left the source vague. The following afternoon, Ng apologised to Tsang on Facebook, admitting his earlier remarks 'went too far' and saying he respected Tsang's 'dedication and sense of responsibility.' Hong Kong was drenched on Tuesday as record rainfall saw the black rainstorm warning raised for the fourth time in a week – a first in the city's history. Torrential downpours triggered flash floods and landslides, causing part of Bride's Pool Road in Tai Po to collapse. Authorities fielded over 480 calls for help, a quarter of them flood-related, while more than 30 trees were brought down. expect more extreme weather due to the impact of climate change.
