THE Government will appoint an independent committee soon to update policies on censorship of the media and the arts.
The review will result in citizens getting more choices without compromising racial harmony, social cohesion and family values, said the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica) on Thursday.
It announced the reconvening of the Censorship Review Committee (CRC) in its addendum to the President's Address in Parliament on Monday.
Mica said the CRC will look into updating content regulations in broadcast media, films, videos, publications, audio materials, the arts and new media.
It also said industry players want the CRC to look into fine-tuning film and video classifications, as well as rules on the distribution of videos and entertainment and lifestyle publications.
In addition, observers think the CRC will have to reassess the current approach of having more stringent rules for certain types of media with an ostensibly wider audience. This is because the same content can now proliferate over multiple media platforms, thanks to digital technology.
The review is the third, with the first done in 1992. It was followed about 10 years later by a second review in 2003.
Mica explained that the current CRC is being formed ahead of the 10-year interval to help the ministry and Media Development Authority keep pace with the rapidly changing media environment and societal developments.
The CRC chairman and members will be announced soon. They are expected to start work in the third quarter of the year and complete the review by the middle of next year.
Mica also pledged on Thursday to continue to invest in the arts despite the economic downturn.
