"Mentega Terbang" filmmakers accused of hurting religious sentiments

19 Jan - The producer and director of the film "Mentega Terbang" were charged in two magistrate courts for deliberately hurting religious sentiments.

The accused, scriptwriter Mohd Khairi Anwar Jailani, 32, and producer, Tan Meng Kheng, 37, have pleaded not guilty before Magistrates Noorelynna Hanim Abd Halim and Aina Azahra Arifin.

During the proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor, Nor Azizah Aling proposed that each accused be granted bail of RM10,000 as well as the additional condition of imposing a gag order until the case is completed.

"The prosecution wants the case to be tried in court and not be debated on social media as we are worried that it can disrupt the proceeding of the case," she said.

However, N Surendran, who represented the two defendants, objected both the bail amount and the gag order, saying that it would be unlawful due to the lack of evidence presented by the prosecution.

Both cases will have a mention on 14 March.

"Mentega Terbang" tells the story of Aisyah, who embarks on a spiritual journey to understand the concept of life after death following her mother's terminal cancer diagnosis.

The film, which streamed online, was taken down after it received criticisms from the public.

(Photo Source: Cinema Online, Utusan Malaysia)