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FINAS Act 1981

PERBADANAN KEMAJUAN FILEM NASIONAL MALAYSIA ACT 1981

AKTA PERBADANAN KEMAJUAN FILEM NASIONAL MALAYSIA 1981

Act 244 · consolidated to 1 Aug 2013 · 38 pp

Artistic freedomSocio-economic rights
This copy of the Act is 13 years old. Any amendment made since 1 August 2013 is not in this text. Check the AGC record for later amendments.
Why it matters

What this does to artists

Establishes FINAS and, through the licensing provisions, makes it an offence to carry on film production, distribution or exhibition without a licence. This is the provision that has been used against independent documentary makers, and it is the most-criticised barrier to entry in Malaysian film.

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The licensing requirement is the contested part. Track any amendment; reform has been promised repeatedly.

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What to read first

Section numbers read out of the AGC text itself

s.6Functions of the Perbadanan
s.22Activity or combination of activities to be licensed
s.25Offence to contravene any of the provisions of this Part
In practice

Where this one bites

Scenario

Shoot and screen a film or documentary

Approval is the gate, a FINAS licence is the price of admission, and possession alone is an offence.…

Full arrangement of sections 52 sections · show / hide

Extracted from the AGC PDF on this page.

s.1Short title, application and commencement
s.2Interpretation
s.3Establishment of the Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia
s.4Membership of the Perbadanan
s.5Seal of the Perbadanan
s.6Functions of the Perbadanan
s.7Delegation
s.8Directions by the Minister
s.9Appointment of chief executive officer and other officers and servants of the Perbadanan
s.10Duties of chief executive officer
s.11Perbadanan to determine conditions of service of its officers and servants
s.11AEmployment of Government employees
s.11BSalaries, term and conditions of service of Government employees to be taken into account
s.12Public servants for purposes of Penal Code
s.13Committees
s.14No person having interest to be appointed as member, officer or servant of the Perbadanan
s.15Declaration of share or interest and disqualification
s.16The Fund of the Perbadanan
s.17Borrowing powers
s.18Investment
s.19Finance
s.20Statutory Bodies (Accounts and Annual Reports) Act
s.21No person to engage in all three activities of production, distribution and exhibition of films
s.22Activity or combination of activities to be licensed
s.22AGrant of certificate of merit to short subject films
s.23Restriction on partnership or company where person has controlling interest
s.24Person licensed to ascertain that film has come into possession, custody or control lawfully
s.24AImposition of film charges
s.24BPresumption
s.25Offence to contravene any of the provisions of this Part
s.26Persons who shall be deemed to be guilty of offence
s.26AAuthorization of officers to exercise powers under this Part
s.26BPowers of arrest
s.26CSearch with warrant
s.26DSearch without warrant
s.26EList of things seized
s.26FSealing of things seized
s.26GPower of investigations
s.26HConduct of prosecution
s.26IPower of inspection
s.26JObstruction to search, etc
s.26KCompounding
s.26LForfeiture of things seized
s.27Protection against legal proceedings
s.28Appearance in and conduct of civil proceedings by federal counsel
s.29Information of organization, business, finance, transactions and affairs of the Perbadanan not to be disclosed except in certain circumstances
s.30(Deleted)
s.31(Deleted)
s.32Validation of acts done in anticipation of Act
s.33Act not to derogate from other laws
s.34Regulations
s.34AExemption
Full text

Read the law

PDF · 0.4 MB · hosted by ALIM

English text

Open the full text →

Source of record · lom.agc.gov.my/act-detail.php?act=244&lang=BI

Who this reaches
Film & TVContent creation
Important notice

This page is published by ALIM (Art × Law Initiative Malaysia) as general legal information for Malaysia’s creative communities. It is not legal advice. It does not take your circumstances into account, and reading it does not create a solicitor-client relationship with ALIM or with anyone associated with it.

The law changes. Each Act reproduced here is the Attorney General’s Chambers’ consolidated reprint and carries the date it was consolidated to; amendments made after that date do not appear in the text, and the authoritative version of any Malaysian law is the one published in the Federal Gazette. Subsidiary legislation, state enactments and local authority by-laws may also apply to your situation and are largely outside this library.

Please do not act, or decide not to act, on the strength of this page alone. Take advice from an advocate and solicitor on your own facts. To the extent permitted by law, ALIM and its contributors accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this page.

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