SHAH ALAM – The influx of foreign digital dramas and films through streaming platforms is increasingly seen as worrying, as some of the content contains deviant elements that contradict the religion, values and culture of Malaysian society.
It is estimated that, on average, about five out of every 10 foreign digital content offerings on streaming platforms contain such elements, raising concerns as they are easily accessible to all age groups, including children and teenagers.
Malaysian Film Professional Workers Association (Profima) president Khalil Saleh said the trend has become more pronounced as content is aired without specific censorship and operates within a looser regulatory space compared with conventional media.
He said Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platforms - digital entertainment services delivered directly to devices via the internet - appear free to broadcast content without clear regulatory guidelines.
“Dramas and films from abroad often display deviant values such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ), as these have become part of the agenda and a selling point for their digital content.
“At present, perhaps around five out of 10 content offerings on OTT streaming platforms contain such deviant elements and this development is worrying,” he told Sinar.
Khalil said Profima is concerned that continuous exposure to deviant elements through foreign dramas and films could lead to their normalisation within society, despite being clearly contrary to religious teachings as well as local norms and culture.
“In terms of the future of the film industry, I am worried that the influence of these deviant elements could seep into our own films and dramas, potentially damaging the industry and its practitioners. We fear our artists may be influenced to produce such works,” he said.
He stressed that progress in the content industry does not necessarily depend on following global trends that violate religion, customs and moral values.
“People around the world want to see the uniqueness of our cultural heritage. Even without LGBTQ elements, that does not mean our content industry cannot progress,” he said.
These concerns are seen as aligned with global developments, where several international films that sparked controversy and were banned from cinema screenings in certain countries later became available through streaming platforms.
For example, the animated film Lightyear was not screened in cinemas in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, due to scenes involving a same-sex couple, but later became available for viewing on streaming platforms.
Similar situations involved Eternals and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which were either not approved or withdrawn from cinema screenings in several Gulf countries before eventually becoming accessible digitally.
In this regard, Khalil urged the government to establish more effective mechanisms to regulate content on streaming platforms, including laws that would allow action to be taken against platform providers that broadcast content deemed contrary to moral values.