MELAKA, Dec 10 — The Home Ministry will carry out a study to impose heavier penalty on VCD and DVD distributors and traders who violate the Film Censorship Act 2002.

Its deputy minister, Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop, said the ministry, through its Control and Film Censorship Division, found that the current sentence of a fine of up to RM50,000 or five years’ jail or both on distributors and traders of pornographic VCDs and DVDs did not commensurate with the offence committed and not keeping up with time.

“The ministry is in the process of evaluating provisions in the existing Film Censorship Act to make the law more effective,” he told reporters after launching a educational programme organised by division ere today.

He said the study would be carried out with a view of amending the law to provide for a heavier sentence on offenders.

Abu Seman said that the ministry’s Control and Film Censorship Division had conducted 12,509 operations since 2005, involving seizure of about 2.8 million films in the form of VCDs and DVDs, worth RM22 million, and arrest of 3,326 people.

“The fine collected for various offences under the Act was RM1.8 million,” he added.

At the function, 700,000 units of VCD and DVD, worth RM5.5 million, were disposed off.  — Bernama