“Abominable” was originally slated to premiere in Malaysia on 7th November 2019. However, we’ve now received word that it won’t be screening here.
This comes after The Star reported yesterday that our film censor board (Lembaga Penapis Film) had ordered one particular scene to be censored from “Abominable”.
The scene in question revolves around China’s “nine-dash line” in the South China Sea. “The U-shaped line is used on Chinese maps to illustrate its territorial claims over vast expanses of the resource-rich South China Sea, including areas claimed by other countries,” the publication explained.
This is controversial because the South China Sea territorial conflict has been an ongoing issue for many years. To quote Lowyat in layman terms, “China is basically increasing claims in the South China Sea without permission from neighbouring countries”. Vietnam pulled the film from cinemas earlier on Monday while The Philippines have ordered the scene to be cut (and people are encouraged to boycott it).
The synopsis reads:
“After discovering a Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, teenage Yi and her two friends embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family. But to do so, they must stay one step ahead of a wealthy financier and a determined zoologist who want to capture the beast for their own gain.”
Since our country won’t be screening it in cinemas, United International Pictures Malaysia (UIP Malaysia) has deleted the trailer from their YouTube channel. It’s possible that LPF felt that “Abominable” was too controversial to be released in Malaysia.
Were you planning to watch this animation?
Update: We stand corrected. “Abominable” isn’t banned, but the distributor won’t be releasing it here.
