Display of Trailers for Horror or Violent Movies in Public Places

2 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether measures can be taken to prohibit trailers for horror or violent movies with ratings of PG13 and above, like "Pay the Ghost", "The Activity" and "Crimson Peak", from being displayed in public places which are frequented by young children such as MRT stations.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Similar to films, trailers of films meant for exhibition must be submitted to the Media Development Authority (MDA) for classification. The trailers will be classified under one of the film classification ratings, i.e., General (G), Parental Guidance (PG), Parental Guidance 13 (PG13), No Children Under 16 (NC16), Mature 18 (M18) or Restricted 21 (R21).

The rating for a trailer may differ from rating for the film itself because a trailer comprises snippets of the film, which collectively may have a different overall impact on viewers. Where a trailer may not be suitable for children, a higher rating is imposed so that children are not exposed to them. MDA disallows trailers classified PG13 or higher, such as the trailer for "Pay the Ghost", to be shown prior to the screening of films rated G or PG, or in public places such as video walls. MDA is investigating the matter and will take action if there has been a violation.