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Iman Muttaqin Yusof

Malaysia’s state broadcaster has suspended the animated Nickelodeon children’s series Santiago of the Seas following viewer complaints that an episode contained an LGBTQ scene.
The controversy erupted after viewers reported seeing the character Rio, a mermaid, kiss his partner Martin on the cheek in an episode that aired on Sunday on TV2.
RTM, which operates the channel, said an internal review had found no evidence of any such display of same-sex affection but halted the show “to avoid public sensitivities” while a detailed review into the series was carried out.
Santiago of the Seas is an animated action-adventure series aimed at preschoolers that centres on the titular Santiago, an eight-year-old pirate, and his crew defending their Caribbean home.
“Based on our content assessment and checks, there were no actions or displays of affection suggesting same-sex relationships,” RTM said in a statement on Monday. “However, to ensure there are no elements that raise doubt or sensitivities, RTM has halted the broadcast for a detailed review.”

‘Serious threat to society’
Malaysia enforces strict censorship laws, including the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, that ban depictions of LGBTQ relationships across film, television and print.
Same-sex relations are criminalised under colonial-era legislation, with penalties including up to 20 years in prison, fines and caning.
The suspension of Santiago of the Seas is the latest in a series of actions taken against content deemed to contravene “local values”.
Authorities have previously blocked Pixar’s Lightyear for a brief same-sex kiss and refused to screen Marvel’s Eternals or Thor: Love and Thunder after the studio declined to cut LGBTQ references.


In 2023, Swatch watches featuring Pride colours were seized and children’s books featuring gender-nonconforming characters have been withdrawn from shop shelves.
The government has also formalised having a “kill switch” at live concerts, allowing regulators to cut performances if content is deemed objectionable, following criticism of Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ laws by British band The 1975 live on stage in 2023.
Neighbouring nations Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei have similar restrictions on LGBTQ representation, but activists argue Malaysia has taken a harder line in recent years, especially as Islamist parties have gained political ground.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been accused of pandering to conservative voters as Islamist parties become an electoral threat.

Islamist party PAS’ Dewan Ulama council, its senior clerical wing that issues religious guidance, on Monday condemned Santiago of the Seas for allegedly promoting LGBTQ “ideology” and called for tighter screening of foreign animation.
Its spokesman, Mohd Nor Hamzah, labelled the content a “serious threat to the moral fabric of our society”.
This claim drew widespread mockery online, with some users pointing out the absurdity of equating a kiss on the cheek with moral decline. “No one becomes gay because they saw a boy peck a boy on the cheek,” said one commenter.


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Santiago of the Seas main characters (from left) Lorelai, Santiago and Tomas. Photo: YouTube/nickjr

A scene showing mermaids from an episode of Santiago of the Seas. Photo: YouTube/nickjr

A screengrab of the offending kiss on the cheek that was shared on social media. Photo: Threads/pusyed_official

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Participants of Keretapi Sarong 2023 at Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Ultron90 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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State broadcaster RTM pulled ‘Santiago of the Seas’ after viewers claimed two animated mermaids had shared a same-sex kiss on the cheek


State broadcaster RTM pulled ‘Santiago of the Seas’ after viewers claimed two animated mermaids had shared a same-sex kiss on the cheek.


LGBTQ

Religion

Malaysian politics

Censorship

Malaysia pulls US children’s show off the air over LGBTQ kiss

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}State broadcaster RTM pulled ‘Santiago of the Seas’ after viewers claimed two animated mermaids had shared a same-sex kiss on the cheek

State broadcaster RTM pulled ‘Santiago of the Seas’ after viewers claimed two animated mermaids had shared a same-sex kiss on the cheek