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by Mansor Puteh (Come to the full-day film seminar on 7 August 2008, at Balai Seni Lukis Negara, organised in conjunction of the Malaysian Film Festival.)
Hey, Claude, it's not about me! It's about Finas, the bank and the ministry. I am really surprised with everybody; they like to look at 14 Mercedes Benzes that cost RM3.4 million and the other issues that deal with smaller amounts of money, and cry foul and put it on the front-page of the newspapers. And crowed like a pack of fowl! Is this their level of intelligence? Maybe I should not be surprised anymore and that is why I decided to take the matters to the police station for them to look at what I have written. It may not be entertaining to many.
Here is RM50 million that the government had given to the ministry of culture, arts and heritage, yet, no one seems to care.
And this is just one issue I have raised in my police report. What the others have raised on my report is nothing. There are many more.
The reason why I had to write a bit on my background so the police know that I am not talking nonesense. I have been to court and the magistrate started to ask about who I am and that took a while to say. It is therefore, better to tell them beforehand, so they do not ask the same questions.
This proves that the social and other critics in Malaysia who say they want to ensure proper government spending by even questioning issues that are petty, have all failed to realize a bigger scandal is looming only if they care to look elsewhere for a while -- at Finas. And there is a senator of Dewan Negara, Tan Sri Jins Shamsuddin who is also chairman of Finas. Why is he there as chairman and senator? Is it not for Finas and the ministry to ensure that no one questions Finas and them in parliament? Finas and the ministry are able to do whatever they like by appointing people who are not qualified and especially when everybody is unaware of what they are doing. Why talk about me? I am raising issues of national importance and these are the things that all those commentators ought to talk about, if they know what to say in the first place. I am lucky because my personal dealing with Finas, the bank and ministry has allowed me access into their system. The Public Ali can only get to as far as the main entrance, while I can get into their boardrooms and their attention. And from this I had got information which I would otherwise not have got now. Look at what RM50 million can do to the industry if only it is managed well. And Finas has been spending so much money since they are not an income-generating agency but one that exists by full government funding. It is your money. And I do not have to direct films. Do you care?
They constructed studio which are very expensive, yet the human capital and activity in the film industry does not demand it. Who did they consult before they agreed to spend RM90 on their new studio which is being constructed at the Finas headquarters in Hulu Kelang?
Couldn't they have sent some of their staff abroad to study film so it will be easy for anyone to relate to them? Every July since Finas was formed in 1980 they had a bash at expensive hotels by spending around RM200,000. But this July there nothing of that sort. I had to write to point them that Finas is just a small agency so why the need to celebrate its formation? They like to organize small shows in expensive hotels to give cerftificates. Those who criticize me, can do so, but it reflect badly on your own self. I am in the industry and I know. They can guess and sympathize to those who should be challenging me. Why do I have to bother with them and what they say about the industry for they do not have a real vision for it. My reviews of Yasmin Ahmad's film reflect my integrity. She knows what I have said and had acted accordingly. Damn woman! Can't even say thanks. She is not showing any more Malay man slipping his kain and showing him underwear or Malay couples sleeping in bed. Why chose this location to show the romantic couple engaged in a conversation when they can be doing something else that is more pleasant? Have you met and heard Yasmin speak in public forums? I have. Have you studied Finas and the ministry and know their officers? Malaysia deserves a better cinema, that can bring joy and jobs to many; and I am not mentioning how it can also be used to showcase of unusual character. Anyone dares to have a public forum so we can discuss all these openly, in a civilized and intelligent manner? What is America and the West without Hollywood? The whole country would be in chaos as there is no sponge to absorb their excessive emotions. Do we expect qualified filmmakers to finance their own films all the time, especially for their first two one?
Do we expect our qualified doctors, scientists, astronauts to find money to build their own hospitals, laboratories and space stations so that they can practise what they had studied?
What's the point for the government to set up film schools at the many universities and academies if Finas chooses to ignore those who have studied there and graduated? No wonder many of them become minor staff of some companies dealing with IT and other related activities, when they should be producing and directing films. Lecturers are lucky, they can find employment at many of the universities. Newspaper editors, are also lucky that there are papers where they can apply to work at.
Qualified filmmakers are not so lucky that there is no government agency which is sympathetatic and supportive of them.
Those who criticize me do not have any clue of what they are saying and of what is happening in the industry.
Now Finas is trying to show six Malaysian films and bring along their actors and directors to London. I organize the mini-film festival in London in November 1988 and in Manila in September 1989.
Finas is definitely so far backwards. To my critics, I say, you grow up. Film criticism is a legitimate profession and there are degrees that one can take on this. But there is no degree on criticism of film critics. You say whatever you want on any film and the cinema, and let the others decide whether they agree with you.
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The shame stinks higher than where the roti-canai-eating-taxi passenger astranout went
god bless us
cheers