KUALA LUMPUR: Producer Datuk A Aida and director Rashid Sibir have urged the Communications Ministry to revive the process of suspending problematic artistes from the big and small screens.
Aida said in an interview with Berita Harian yesterday that artistes involved in immoral activities such as khalwat, drug abuse and intoxication as well as those who were undisciplined at work ought to be severely punished as they were back in the 1990s.
"Back then Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) suspended them for several months or years depending on the severity of their misdeeds. Other television stations followed suit and production companies also declined to work with them," said Aida.
Aida said that the government had to discipline the "black sheep" of the entertainment industry as artistes were widely popular with Malaysians and therefore had to be good role models to their fans at all times.
"Bad-behaving stars should be shut out of television for three years. This will make them always behave themselves."
Rashid said that artistes should always have clean images as their fans were easily influenced by them.
"Just as students who behave badly in school should be severely punished, so should artistes who behave badly on and off screen," he said.
Rashid added that the ministry should reintroduce guidelines for artistes who want to star in RTM dramas and programmes.
"Their track records must be scrutinised, those who have a bad reputation should not be taken. If they commit khalwat or any immoral activities they should be suspended for six months to a year," he said.
As for those with a poor track record, they should not be allowed to act until they turned over a new leaf later.
