After Finas Act misstep, PKR MP urges minister to resign

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil has demanded the resignation of Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah after "three major missteps" including the latest controversy surrounding film licence requirements under the law.

The Lembah Pantai MP in a statement said Saifuddin's clarification of his earlier remarks made in the Dewan Rakyat still fails to answer a key question raised on whether the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) Act 1981 would apply to social media users.

"I think, after three episodes of missteps since being appointed as a minister [...] it is time that YB Communications and Multimedia minister resigns," said Fahmi (photo, above).

Saifuddin was heavily criticised since earlier today after he told the Dewan Rakyat that a licence from Finas is required for all filming activities in Malaysia, even for personal use on social media.

He later clarified the government does not intend to use the Act to stifle personal freedoms and that what he said in Parliament, which was in response to Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi, was merely to explain the Finas Act as it currently stands.

Fahmi, however, said the backlash could have been avoided had Saifuddin clearly explained whether social media users on video-based platforms like TikTok would be subjected to the licence requirements.

"The answer requested was simple: Yes or No. But it was not answered," said Fahmi who reiterated that Saifuddin, who is also Indera Mahkota MP, failed to answer his additional question on whether YouTuber Dr Dustin Pfundheller holds a Finas licence.

Pfundheller (photo), who earlier produced a video praising Malaysia's efforts against Covid-19, had earlier this month published a video rubbishing international news agency Al-Jazeera's documentary which had sparked the current debate on film licences under Finas.

On Saifuddin's clarification, Fahmi said the points, including the ministry's openness to receiving any suggestion to improve laws under its purview, should have been raised earlier in the Dewan Rakyat.

"This is because the Dewan Rakyat is an institution that functions to enact or amend any Act. But this did not happen this morning," he said.

"Therefore, it is my view that the minister's latest statement is intended to find a way out to calm netizens' anger.

"Most regrettably, his statement actually still failed to clearly state that a licence from Finas is not required by social media users on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and others," he said.

Aside from the latest controversy, Fahmi cited two other reasons to call for Saifuddin's resignation.

The first is the termination of lawyer Eric Paulsen as a member of the ministry's advisory council following public backlash, and the second was the cancellation of an order to award communication bands to several companies without an open tender. - Mkini

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