Minister urges police and MCMC to investigate viral video alleged to insult Rukun Negara
A minister called for police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to probe a widely shared video that he says disrespects the national ideology Rukun Negara.
Following the circulation of a performance video on social media, a minister asked police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to launch a swift and comprehensive inquiry, citing possible breaches of the Penal Code, the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Sedition Act 1948. He described the content as irresponsible and warned that citizens' freedoms come with duties to respect the law and national unity embodied in Rukun Negara.
The video featured actors delivering lines that were interpreted as mocking the national pledge, with one performer wearing only red underwear and body paint. The minister emphasized that artistic expression should not be an excuse for insulting the Malay Rulers, national sovereignty or the country's foundational values. Religious affairs minister Zulkifli Hasan echoed the criticism, labeling the performance a breach of proper conduct and calling for a public apology and decisive legal measures.
Why it matters
The call for an investigation highlights tensions between artistic freedom and respect for national symbols in Malaysia.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTBoth centrist and right-leaning coverage present the minister’s request for a police and regulator probe as a justified response to a disrespectful performance, emphasizing the duty to respect law and national values, with only minor wording differences.
CENTER
Frames the story as a necessary enforcement of legal limits on artistic expression that disrespects national symbols, stressing responsibility and national unity.
RIGHT
Frames the story as a defense of societal norms, portraying the performance as a breach that threatens social cohesion and misrepresents the deeper philosophy of the national charter.
The right emphasises
- "freedom of expression carries the duty to respect legal and societal norms"
- Rukun Negara is a "guiding national philosophy, not merely a ceremonial pledge"
- the act threatens social cohesion and artists should apologize
In this story
Related stories
2 in this thread