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 The ban was announced on the government's Radio
Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) on Wednesday by Salleh Said Keruak,
the communications and multimedia minister, but the song can
still be played on private stations and online platforms.
"As such, RTM will not be airing the song on any of its
television or radio stations with immediate effect," the
minister said in a statement to Reuters, adding that the
decision followed complaints from the public.
"This decision applies only to RTM," he added. "All other TV and
radio stations are guided by their own evaluation processes
against the Communications and Multimedia Content Code."
The women's wing of a Malaysian Islamist party, Amanah, had
called for a ban over the song's "obscene lyrics".
"I see this as a serious matter as the song is being sung by
young people without knowing the real meaning of the words,"
Amanah official Atriza Umar said in a statement.
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The song, first released in January in Spanish by Puerto Rican
singer Luis Fonsi and rapper Daddy Yankee and then in a remixed
version featuring Justin Bieber, has topped charts in 35 countries
around the world and dominated radio.
Its 4.6 billion streams on leading platforms make it the most
successful Spanish-language pop song of all time.
Malaysia has previously blocked the release of Hollywood movies
deemed offensive to religious values. The release of Walt Disney's
"Beauty and the Beast" was postponed this year after censors cut a
"gay moment" in the film.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Emily Chow; Writing by Darren
Schuettler; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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