Malaysia Bans 'Fifty Shades of Grey' For Being "Pornography"

Malaysia’s film censor has banned Fifty Shades of Grey from release in the country, describing the erotic drama as "sadistic," and more like "pornography than a movie," reports The Star.

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The Malaysian Film Censorship Board’s chairman, Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid, said the film was unfit for a Malaysian audience, adding: "[t]he board made a decision in view of the film containing scenes that are not of natural sexual content. The content is more sadistic, featuring scenes of a woman being tied to a bed and whipped."

The Star reports that United International Pictures, the local distributor of the film, has confirmed that the film would not show in Malaysian cinemas.

Malaysia is a predominantly conservative Muslim country and the ban on Fifty Shades isn’t wholly surprising given in the past the country’s censor has banned the film Bruno for promoting homosexual lifestyles, banned Darren Aronofsky’s Noah for depicting a prophet and stopped artists such as Kesha from playing the country.