Malaysia's film industry must be given greater freedom and openness to produce more creative works, while remaining grounded in the country's culture, values and morality.

When Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stood at the new FINAS Tower on Monday and called for a more open and creative film industry, he was not just making a policy statement. He was acknowledging a truth that filmmakers, artists and audiences have known for years: Malaysia's film industry has been suffocating under the weight of its own conservatism.

Not the conservatism of culture or values. Those are important. They ground us, define us, and give our stories meaning. But the conservatism of fear. The fear of saying the wrong thing. The fear of offending the wrong people. 

The fear that has turned Malaysian cinema into a shadow of what it could be.

The Eastern Model Doesn't Mean Closed

Anwar drew a crucial distinction that deserves attention. Malaysia's development model should draw strength from Eastern values without being confined to neoconservative thinking.

For too long, the argument has been framed as a binary: either we are "Western" and liberal, or we are "Eastern" and conservative. Anwar is rejecting that false choice. He is saying that Malaysian culture with its richness, its diversity, its deep moral foundations can be open without being unmoored. It can be creative without being reckless. It can be critical without being disrespectful.

The Cost of Restriction

Malaysian filmmakers have spent decades navigating a labyrinth of censorship, self-censorship, and bureaucratic hurdles. They have learned to tell stories in code, to soften edges, to avoid topics that might be deemed sensitive. The result is an industry that has produced moments of brilliance despite the system, not because of it.

Compare Malaysia to its neighbours. Indonesia has produced films that grapple with its political past, its religious dynamics, and its social inequalities. Thailand's cinema is celebrated internationally for its daring and originality. Even Vietnam, with a far younger film industry, has produced works that have won global acclaim.

Malaysia has talent. It has resources. It has stories that deserve to be told. What it has lacked is permission — permission to tell them honestly.

The Young Are Already Leaving

Anwar's concern about younger generations becoming disconnected from Malay films and culture is well-founded. But the solution is not to force-feed them classics or shield them from foreign influences. The solution is to create a local film industry that speaks to them on their own terms.

Young Malaysians are not rejecting Malaysian culture. They are rejecting Malaysian culture that feels stale, safe, and disconnected from their lives. They watch Korean dramas, Indonesian films, and Hollywood blockbusters because those stories feel relevant, exciting, and honest. They are not the problem. The industry that fails to reach them is.

Anwar's anecdote about introducing his grandchildren to P. Ramlee films is telling. They were reluctant at first — because they assumed it was just "grandfather's old stuff." But when they actually watched, they were captivated. 

The point is not that old films are the answer. The point is that quality, honesty, and craft transcend generations. The industry needs to produce more of that.

The Conservative Pushback

Navigating Malaysia's conservative influences is not easy. There will be pushback. There always is.

The same voices that oppose greater openness in the arts will argue that it threatens moral values, undermines national identity, or promotes Western decadence. These arguments have been made for decades. And they have been wrong for decades.

Culture is not preserved by locking it in a box. It is preserved by allowing it to evolve, to engage with the world, and to reflect the lives of the people who create it. A culture that is afraid of its own artists is a culture that is already in decline.

The Bottom Line

Anwar's call for a more open film industry is not just about cinema. It is about what kind of country Malaysia wants to be. A country that trusts its artists is a country that trusts its people. A country that allows critical and creative works to flourish is a country that is confident in its own values.

The foundations of culture, morality and values cannot be sidelined. But neither can the need for change, innovation, and openness. The industry must embrace both. And the government, as Anwar has signalled, must create the space for that to happen.

Malaysian cinema has been waiting for permission to breathe. Anwar has just given it. Now it is up to the filmmakers, the audiences, and the institutions to make sure that breath is not wasted.

Because if Malaysia can get this right, it will not just have a better film industry. It will have a richer, more confident, and more honest culture. And that is something worth fighting for.