Abominable won't be screened in Malaysia over South China Sea map

Oct 22, 2019 06:00 am

KUALA LUMPUR: Animated film Abominable will not be shown in Malaysia after its distributor United International Pictures Malaysia said it could not comply with censors' demands to cut a controversial scene showing Beijing's disputed claims in the South China Sea.

The decision comes after Vietnam pulled the Universal Pictures movie from theatres days ago and the Philippines' foreign secretary called for the segment to be excised. It is opening in Singapore on Nov 7.

Abominable, about a Chinese girl helping a yeti return to his home, shows a chart featuring the "nine-dash" line which sets out Beijing's expansive claims to the flashpoint waters.

By including the U-shaped line, the movie - a joint production by Universal Pictures subsidiary DreamWorks and China's Pearl Studio - has stumbled into a festering row that has long been a source of friction between Beijing and South-east Asia. - AFP