Malaysia, which practices strict censorship of sex and violence, has banned the video of a concert by Australian pop sensation Kylie Minogue, officials said on Friday.
The Film Censorship Board gave no clear reasons for its decision against Minogue’s “Live in Sydney” video, which was banned along with 194 other video titles.
Videos of top U.S. television serials such as “Ally McBeal ( news – Y! TV)” and “Friends” were also on the blacklist, although both shows are aired regularly on satellite channels.
Board chairman Shaari Mohd Noor said the censors were only adhering to existing guidelines that prohibited distribution of videos containing “bad morals.”
“We imposed the ban after viewing thousands of titles over the last five months,” he told Reuters.
The government strictly vets television and cinema in Malaysia and movies are rated to guide filmgoers on the suitability of the content.
Kissing scenes are sometimes cut and swearing is usually erased from the audio track.
Malaysia’s flourishing video piracy market, however, ensures that sexually explicit content, as well as banned movies, are easily available on the streets.