Director and Crew of Film Mentega Terbang’s Cars Splashed with Acid & Paint, Receive Death Threats

This week, social media has been abuzz with news of Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win, making Malaysians proud in the international film circuit. Meanwhile, filmmakers based in our country have received death threats instead. Despite premiering in 2021, the indie film ‘Mentega Terbang’ has courted controversy lately after non-governmental organisations lodged police reports against it, saying that it contained scenes that were disturbing to Muslims.

The movie centres around a teenager, Aisyah who questions life after death after her mother has terminal cancer. The Malay language film includes scenes such as discussions about Muslims eating pork and references to the belief in reincarnation, which is rejected by the Quran. The Minister of Religious Affairs Dato’ Mohd Na’im Mokhtar also said that the content of the film goes against Islamic teachings.

Originally streamed on the Viu platform, it has since been taken down as it has also drawn flak from Muslims, with constant attacks being made on the cast and crew online.

Twitter user and writer @HadiAzmi shared on 16 March that cars belonging to the film director Khairi Anwar Jailani and scriptwriter Arjun Thanaraju were vandalised in the morning with a corrosive substance and red paint. The incidents took place in different areas, Ampang and Kajang, just hours apart.

Paint and acid thrown on Mentega Terbang director and actor's cars by assailants who also left death threats against them and family. pic.twitter.com/dvK0y4hWvf

— Hadi Azmi (@amerhadiazmi) March 16, 2023

Five placards were also placed in the cars with threatening messages such as ‘You and your family must die’ and ‘Don’t challenge Islam, Mentega Terbang’.

Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Fahmi Fadzil responded to the incident on Twitter saying, “I strongly condemn these threats and illegal action taken. Malaysians must obey the law, do not take any action that can damage property or threaten lives.”

Saya kecam sekeras2nya ugutan2 ini serta sebarang tindakan di luar batas undang2.Rakyat Malaysia mesti patuh undang2, jangan ambil tindakan yang boleh merosakkan harta benda, mengancam nyawa.Follow the law, don’t take matters into your own hands. https://t.co/8gmq4ZZyoJ

— Fahmi Fadzil ?? (@fahmi_fadzil) March 16, 2023

Muar MP, Syed Saddiq, also chimed in:

This is outrageous!We have the space to disagree on certain matters, but sending death threats and outright damaging people's properties like this is an absolute disgrace.Islam has never condoned violent behaviour as such!Extremists should be stopped at once. https://t.co/PZYtgiIvQz

— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) March 16, 2023

The lawyer of Khairi and Arjun, Zaid Malek told Malay Mail that they had lodged a police report on 16 March. He elaborated that while Khairi was lodging his police report, he received a text from an unknown number saying, “Today it’s your car, after this if I see you on the streets, I’ll get you.” The director then filed a separate police report.

Zaid said, “The thing that is highly concerning about this is because we’ve been cooperating with the police. We’ve given all information as requested and then, we’re not insinuating anything, but we have to ask the question, how did the assailants find out where they live? They even knew which one was their car when they went to the house. This is unacceptable.”

A week earlier, Arjun and Khairi had been summoned by the police following reports made against the film. The members of the cast and crew of the film had also given their statements at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.

Their lawyer also pointed out the fact that government agencies and ministers had made statements regarding the film, but there weren’t any telling the public not to attack or physically harm the cast and crew.

The police have started investigations on this matter as criminal intimidation by anonymous communication under Section 507 of the Penal Code and mischief causing losses under Section 427 of the same law.

Those with any further information about these two incidents can contact the nearest police stations or call the investigating officers of the case Inspector Mu’az Mazlan at 017-3978-8804 who is stationed at the Kajang district police headquarters, or Inspector Alif at 018-9834-211 who is stationed at Ampang district police headquarters.

Image credit: @amerhadiazmi