Kami, yang menandatangan di bawah, menulis kenyataan ini sebagai balasan terhadap pertuduhan yang dikenakan ke atas Mohd Khairi Anwar Jailani dan Tan Meng Kheng, dan filem mereka ‘Mentega Terbang’ yang telah mencetuskan dialog mengenai isu agama. Sangat mendukacitakan apabila mereka menghadapi tuduhan ‘melukakan perasaan agama,’ kerana ia bertentangan dengan prinsip asas kebebasan kreatif dan artistik.
Seni telah lama menjadi medium yang berkesan untuk meneroka dan memahami pelbagai aspek masyarakat kita, termasuk kepercayaan agama. Seniman, melalui karya mereka, berkeupayaan mencetuskan persoalan, mencabar norma, dan menggalakkan dialog. Mengenakan pertuduhan undang-undang terhadap mereka bukan sahaja menyekat ekspresi kreatif tetapi juga menetapkan duluan berbahaya yang mengancam intipati kebebasan.
Pemikiran dan ekspresi peribadi merupakan asas masyarakat demokratik, memberikan individu hak untuk menyatakan idea, kepercayaan dan perspektif mereka. Karya seni, khususnya, memainkan peranan penting dalam memupuk kepelbagaian pemikiran dan menggalakkan pemahaman di kalangan masyarakat yang beragam. Melalui penerokaan pelbagai tema, termasuk yang menyentuh topik sensitif seperti agama, pemikiran masyarakat menjadi matang dan berkembang.
Adalah penting untuk menyedari bahawa pembikin filem, seperti semua seniman, tidak seharusnya memikul tanggungjawab untuk memastikan karya mereka tidak menyinggung perasaan atau mencabar sensitiviti penonton mereka. Menonton filem adalah tindakan sukarela, dan penonton harus menggunakan kebijaksanaan mereka sendiri apabila memilih karya yang hendak mereka tonton. Sama seperti kesusasteraan, seni visual dan muzik, filem mempunyai kuasa untuk membangkitkan pelbagai emosi dan pendapat, dan menjadi tanggungjawab penonton untuk mentafsir dan bertindak balas dengan cara yang berakhlak, beretika dan adil.
Jika, sebagai sebuah masyarakat, kita menghargai kebebasan yang telah lama diperjuangkan oleh nenek moyang kita, adalah penting untuk menekankan keberdayaan individu dan autonomi penonton. Daripada mengenakan sekatan ke atas ekspresi artistik, kita harus menggalakkan dialog terbuka dan membina, membenarkan individu terlibat dengan pelbagai perspektif dan membuat pilihan termaklum tentang media yang mereka gunakan.
Sebagai komuniti yang memperjuangkan kebebasan kreatif dan artistik, kita mesti bersatu padu dalam mengecam sebarang percubaan untuk meletakkan sekatan yang tidak wajar kepada pembikin filem atau mana-mana seniman. Marilah kita meraikan kuasa seni untuk mencabar, memberi inspirasi dan mencetuskan renungan yang bernas, mempercayai keupayaan penonton untuk mengemudi landskap kompleks ekspresi kreatif dengan kecerdikan mereka sendiri.
Kami menggesa pihak berkuasa untuk mempertimbangkan semula tuduhan ini dan mengiktiraf kepentingan memupuk persekitaran yang memupuk kebebasan artistik. Marilah kita meraikan kehebatan karya seni untuk mencabar, memberi inspirasi, dan akhirnya menyatukan melalui nilai manusiawi yang sama kita miliki.
Kenyataan ditulis oleh Badrul Hisham Ismail, pengarah filem
Disokong oleh:
- A. Samad Hassan, Head of Operations, KLPost
- A. Ahmad, Writer, Editor
- Abdul Shakir, Digital Artist
- Adam Jay (Titikmerah Collective)
- Adam Zainal, Film Director
- Adeleena Lim, Trauma Therapist
- Adriana Nordin Manan, Playwright, Writer
- Agilan Sethu, Line Producer
- Aina Marlisa, Writer (Sinema Awan Mendung)
- Al Jafre, Film Director, Scriptwriter
- Alena Nadia, Journalist
- Ali Alasri, Artist
- Alina Wong, Writer, Director
- Aliran (Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara)
- Alison Khor, Arts Practitioner
- Amalia S., Film Event Organiser (Indonesia)
- Amanda Nell Eu, Filmmaker
- Amir Muhammad, Writer, Publisher, Filmmaker
- Amy Len, Dance Artist (Kwang Tung Dance Company)
- Amy Lim, Producer
- Ananth Subramaniam, Film Director
- Angelina Marilyn Bok, Film Producer (Singapore)
- Anis Majida, Producer, Writer
- Anne James, Actress, Educator (Five Arts Centre)
- Anwar Johari Ho, Filmmaker (Zi An Pictures)
- Arief Hamizan, Theatre Practitioner
- Arts-ED (Persatuan Pendidikan Seni Pulau Pinang)
- Azmyl Yunor, Singer-songwriter, Educator
- Bea Tanaka @ Tan Chooi Bea, Producer
- Bernadette Anne Carpio, Actor
- Beverly Yong, Arts Worker (RogueArt)
- Boyz Chew, Artistic Director (Orang Orang Drum Theatre)
- Chacko Vadaketh, Actor, Host, Voiceover, Artist
- Chandrawati Abdullah, Producer
- Chen Yoke Pin, Arts & Cultural Worker
- Chew Kinwah, Actor
- Cheyenne Tan, Director, Producer
- Chi Too, Arts Worker
- Chia Chee Sum, Filmmaker
- Chloe Yap Mun Ee, Filmmaker, Video Artist
- Choo Mun Bel, Film Producer
- Chua Jing Xuan, Filmmaker
- Dabble Dabble Jer Collective
- Dain Said, Film Director
- Danny Lim, Writer, Journalist
- Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican, Co-Founder, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac)
- Dato’ Zahim Albakri, Actor, Director of Film & Theatre
- Deena Dakshini, Filmmaker
- Dhinesha Karthigesu, Artistic Director (Theatresauce)
- Diffan Norman, Producer, Writer, Director
- Dr. Fiona Lee, Academic
- Eddie Wong, Artist, Filmmaker
- Eleanor Teh Zi Xian, Filmmaker
- Elise Shick, Producer
- Elroi Yee, Journalist
- Emily Thomas, (ReformARTsi)
- Ezrena Marwan, Cultural Worker
- Faiq Syazwan Kuhiri, Arts Pracitioner (Five Arts Centre)
- Fairuz Sulaiman, Artist (Sekolah Main Wayang)
- Fara Omar, Producer
- Farah Rani, Actor
- Feisal Azizuddin, Filmmaker
- Five Arts Centre
- Foo Fei Ling, Producer
- Foo May Lyn, Art Maker
- Freedom Film Network
- Gan Siong King, Visual Artist
- Gogularaajan Rajendran, Filmmaker
- Goh Lee Kwang, Artist
- Grace Ng, Actress
- Gunung Cherita
- Hadi M. Nor, Scriptwriter
- Hariati Azizan, Journalist
- Ho Lee Ching, Theatre Practitioner
- Hoe Hui Ting, Company Manager (Five Arts Centre)
- Hoo Fan Chon, Visual Artist
- Ian Yee, Journalist
- In Between Cultura
- Instant Cafe Theatre
- Ista Kyra, Writer, Editor & Co-Founder (Eksentrika)
- Ivy Josiah, Women’s Rights Advocate, Producer (Five Arts Centre)
- Jean Chang, Producer
- Jefry Musa, Filmmaker
- Jen Nee Lim, Writer, Director (Singapore)
- Jentayu
- Jillian Ooi, Gamelan Musician (Rhythm in Bronze)
- Jo Kukathas, Theatre Maker
- Joanna Lee, Producer
- Joe Hasham, Co-Founder, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac)
- Juliet Jacobs, Journalist
- Junad M. Nor, Director
- June Tan, Scriptwriter
- Justin Ong, Director
- Kakiseni
- Kalash Nanda Kumar, Film Critic, Journalist
- Kamini Senthilathiban, Artist (LexisNexis)
- Kee Thuan Chye, Actor, Dramatist
- Keenen Yong, Lecturer
- Kelvin Wong, Theatre Director (Theatresauce)
- Ken Kin, Filmmaker
- Kenneth Wong, Founder, People Ideas Culture
- Khairun Lamb, Director of Photography
- Kiew Suet Kim, Theatre Practitioner
- Koh Aun Qi, Producer
- KOMFIT
- KongsiKL
- Kubhaer Jethwani, Filmmaker (Five Arts Centre)
- Lau Kek Huat, Filmmaker
- Lau Kok Rui, Film Director
- Laura Low, Filmmaker
- Lee Ren Xin, Performance Maker
- Lee Yve Vonn, Producer
- Lena Srinivasan, Filmmaker
- Leong Siew Hong, Scriptwriter, Director
- Leow Puay Tin, Playwright
- Lian Kian Lek, Creative (Nowhere Kitchen)
- Liew Seng Tat, Filmmaker
- Liishvaar Jagathes Kumar, Filmmaker
- Lim Boon Siang, Screenwriter
- Lim Chung Wei, Drama Teacher (Trio Drama Academy)
- Lim Han Loong, Filmmaker
- Lim Kok Yoong, Academician, Artist
- Lim Ying Xian, Producer
- Lina Teoh, Documentary Producer
- Ling Tang, Artist, Producer
- Loganathan Kanabathy, Actor, Editor, Writer, Director
- Loh Jo Yee, Producer
- Low Pey Sien, Cultural Worker
- Luvenia Kalia, Dancer
- Mah Jun Yi, Producer
- Mahen Bala, Filmmaker
- Mahi Ramakrishnan, Documentary Filmmaker
- Marion F. D’Cruz, Performance Maker, Educator (Five Arts Centre)
- Mark Teh, Performance Maker (Five Arts Centre)
- Martin Vengadesan, Associate Editor (Malaysiakini)
- Mary Grace Liew, Filmmaker (Foreground Pictures)
- Mee Quin, Filmmaker
- Meshalini Muniandy, Theatre Worker
- Mickey Lai, Filmmaker
- Miriam Devaprasana, Writer
- Mogan Selvakannu, Documentary Filmmaker
- MoOne Drama
- Muqri Azlan, Filmmaker
- Nadira Ilana, Filmmaker
- Nadirah Zakariya, Visual Artist
- Namron, Actor, Director
- Nandita Solomon, Film Worker
- Noor Anwar Hadi bin Noor Azman, Scriptwriter
- Nora Nabila, Filmmaker
- Nur Amalia binti Mohd Azmi, Producer
- Octo, Artist
- Okui Lala, Arts and Culture Worker
- Omar Ali, Arts Practitioner
- Othman Hafsham, Director
- Persatuan Penulis Berbilang Bahasa (PEN Malaysia)
- Peta Khan, Producer, Maitree House
- Philip Chai, Theatre Practitioner
- Pun Kai Loon, Artistic Director
- Rachel Yeoh, Writer
- Rafidah Abdullah, Scriptwriter
- Rahmah Pauzi, Filmmaker
- Raja Adam Iskandar, Filmmaker (Arja Films)
- Ravi Navaratnam (Five Arts Centre)
- Razlan Saharudin, Producer (Denhouse)
- ReformARTsi
- Riani Singgih, Producer (Indonesia)
- Rimbun Dahan
- Roshan Ravi, Producer
- Rosheen Fatima Mutalip, Arts Practitioner
- Rupa Subramaniam, Artist, Organiser
- Saidah Rastam, Artist
- Seksan, Landscape Architect
- Shamaine Othman, Writer, Comedian
- Shamila Othman, PR Manager
- Shamyl Othman, Director
- Shaq Koyok, Artist, Activist
- Sharmilla Ganesan, Culture Writer & Critic
- Sharon Chin, Artist
- Sharon Chong, Video Editor
- Shawna Scully, Drama Student
- Sheau Yun, Writer
- Sherman Ong, Filmmaker, Visual Artist
- Shufitri Mohd Shukardi, Performer, Visual Artist
- Shufiyan Shukor, Video Producer
- Simon Soon, Academic
- Siring Siring Production
- Sofea Izrin Lee, Writer
- Soh Chong Hong (CloudJoi)
- Stagebox Ventures
- Suhaila Merican (Five Arts Centre)
- Sukhbir Cheema, Writer & Co-Founder (Eksentrika)
- Sunitha Janamohanan, Arts Manager, Educator
- Susie Kukathas, Producer
- Suzanne Ong, Scriptwriter
- Svara
- Syalikh Nazrul, Filmmaker
- Taha Long, Filmmaker (Tapir Studio)
- Tan Bee Hung, Dance Practitioner
- Tan Cher Kian, Producer
- Teck Tan, Producer, Director (Spinning Gasing)
- Teo Wey Yinn, Filmmaker, Composer
- Terence Toh, Author, Writer
- The Cooler Lumpur Festival
- Theatresauce
- Thiyagu Govindan, Filmmaker
- Umi Salwana Omar, Director
- Usen Leong, Senior Lecturer (NEUC)
- Uthaya Sankar SB, Writer, Researcher
- Wyn Hee, Theatre Producer (Stagebox Ventures)
- Yap Sau Bin, Visual Arts Curator
- Yasu Tanaka, Director, Writer
- Yati Kaprawi, Artist, Documentary Filmmaker
- Yee Heng Yeh, Writer
- Yong Keenen, Lecturer (MMU)
- Zan Azlee, Documentary Filmmaker
- Zarul Al Bakri, Producer
- Zyee Leow, Performer (Orang Orang Drum Theatre）