BBC News Online: Entertainment: Film

Ben Stiller comedy upsets Malaysia

Ben Stiller plays a clueless supermodel

The Home Affairs Ministry's Film Censorship Board has viewed the Zoolander and called it "definitely unsuitable".

A spokeswoman for the department said no official ban had yet been imposed but local distributors would be expected to exercise "discretion".

In the film Stiller plays brainless supermodel Derek Zoolander who is talked into killing the Malaysian leader.

The murder is to retaliate against plans to ruin the fashion industry by raising the minimum wage for workers in the country.

The film is due for release in the US on Friday, where it has been given a 13-rating.

But Malaysia's main cinema operator, Golden Screen Cinemas, said they had not picked up the rights to the film.

Malaysia has a history of banning or heavily editing films which it considers offend its political or religious sensibilities.

In 1994, the Oscar-winning Schindler's List was blacklisted, sparking criticism from US Jewish groups.

Steven Spielberg's animated epic The Prince of Egypt was barred so as not to offend the country's majority Muslim population.

Malaysia also outlawed the second instalment of Mike Myers' spoof secret agent Austin Powers.

The international man of mystery was withdrawn because the Censorship Board says The Spy Who Shagged Me contained too much sexual innuendo.

The ban applied to cinemas, television, video compact discs and video tapes.