Piracy & Malaysia

“Malaysia is the largest exporter of pirated entertainment software in the world according to a 2005 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers by the US Trade Representative’s office.” – quoted from The Star.

Being Malaysian myself, I kinda saw that that coming. But it’s still a ghastly reality. What can we do? At the end of the day, I still think the fingers point back at the government. Here are some evident facts thru my own observation:

1. The National Censorship Board has no concept whatsoever when it comes to movie censorship. The slightest sight of a kiss scene or vulgar words are censored out completely, not only audio is cut out; even the visual has to be edited out. Pirated movies are uncensored, giving viewers a chance to admire its true artistic form. What's the point of having ratings (18SX, 18SG etc) when after censorship, all movies are literally rated 'U' and under-18 kids are allowed inside when it is rated above 18. ('U' means Umum which means everyone can watch it)

2. In the cinemas, subtitles cover almost 50% of the entire screen, and you can’t help but notice the awful and sometime hilarious translation to BM. Pirated movies usually don’t have annoying subtitles, if they do…you have the option to turn it off or on, whichever you like. Subtitles sometimes give out the next scene before it arrives, which can really spoil a good movie.

3. Original VCD and DVD are priced at a ridiculous rate. RM50+ for a VCD and RM100+ for a DVD, that’s asking too much from consumers. Malaysians enjoy their movies a lot and with prices like that, no wonder piracy thrive. Pirated VCD/DVD are priced between RM5 to RM15.

4. Pirated music is another agenda. RM49.90 for a original music CD compared to RM5 for a pirated one. The pirated version might have a more basic packaging, but with that sort of price, who’s complaining?

5. Promote the increase of variety in music CD, apart from all the cheesy commercial junk we get everyday or hear on HITZfm, there’s not much to listen to. The local music labels are murderers, they don’t help local artists to promote their music, but instead they put a high price on their material and do virtually no promo. Don’t they realize the amount of local good talents? Ignorant pigs.

6. An average Malaysian earns around RM2000 a month and buys at least 5-7 CD/VCD/DVD per month. If it’s original, the amount spent on these CDs can easily reach RM1000, there goes half the pay-cheque. With piracy, maybe around RM100.

7. It’s amazing the government isn’t taking any drastic action to curb piracy apart from chasing them, putting them behind bars and steamrolling their CDs in public. Don’t they realize when there’s demand, no matter what is done, they will always find new ways to dodge the cops. Yet again, fingers point back at the government.

8. Just a fact, I’ve seen and known quite a number of pirates myself. They’re tapping in a very lucrative market where the government has failed to see. That’s the entertainment CD business. Expensive CDs equals fewer buyers, cheap CDs will sell themselves. Go figure.

Piracy will continue to thrive locally. Hound them, lock them and punish them as they will, there will always be others waiting in line to succeed where their unfortunate comrades have failed. We’re taking them on the wrong game. It’s time we take them on their own game, which is pricing. Cheap prices to be exact.