UKM Professor Has This To Say About "Immoral" Stuff Aired On Malaysian TV
Goodbye, Game of Thrones.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 04 Aug 2016, 07:07 AM
Did you know that kids can easily spend about 35 hours a week watching television? That's almost the legal time most people work in a week!
Concerned, UKM lecturer Prof Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal said yesterday, 3 August, that Malaysian kids will be more susceptible to foreign culture if local TV stations continue to air programs with "immoral acts"
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Family, Women and Community Law lecturer Prof Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal
Image via Saw Siow Feng via The Malay Mail OnlineThe local academic also mentioned that these television stations must be more sensitive and aware of the people and must not air programmes that are against the local beliefs and culture.
Noor Aziah is a Family, Women and Community Law lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
So, what does she mean by "immoral acts"?
Any "unscrupulous" television programmes with obscene elements, abusive language and/or promotes "inverse" LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) practices, should not be shown on the TV.
Popular TV show Grey's Anatomy features LGBT couples in its show. It was previously aired on Star World which is part of local paid network, ASTRO.
Image via After EllenAziah is under the opinion that television programmes with these elements do not coincide with the local culture and has the potential to create social problems.
This sudden TV censorship issue comes after the lecturer was asked about a certain WhatsApp message that has been circulating locally.
It talks about a cartoon programme aired on a certain paid local TV network that portrays the life of a gay married couple.
"More importantly when it involves shows like cartoons which will definitely be watched by children as they are very susceptible to negative elements, especially when they watch (such programmes) without adult supervision," said Aziah, when contacted by Bernama for comments, as reported by The Malay Mail Online yesterday, 3 August.
"It is feared that it might give implications on children’s thinking, behaviour and emotions who are exposed to programmes with such elements," added Aziah to Bernama.
American cable network Nickelodeon recently introduced a new animated show, The Loud House featuring a bi-racial couple. They are the first same sex married male characters to be featured in a children's programme.
In Malaysia, Nickelodeon is part of the popular direct broadcast satellite Pay TV service, ASTRO. It falls under the "Fun" package which features other channels like Disney, Cartoon Network and the Playhouse Disney channel.
In Malaysia, The Loud House airs on Nickelodeon, on weekdays at 11:33am on channel 612.
Noor Aziah seeks for the withdrawal of programmes like this.
"This allegation must be taken seriously as we do not want things like this to turn into a cancer by damaging the moral and personality of people in the country, especially young children."
If taken into serious consideration, Aziah's calls for stricter cencorship could potentially see the end of popular series like the Game of Thrones, Californication, True Blood and Mad Men on local television channels.
Do you think programmes like this should be censored, removed or allowed on TV as it is? Let us know in the comments section below!
