KUALA LUMPUR: The Walt Disney Company was right not to allow the screening of Beauty and The Beast with edits, said Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

He said he supports the company for being firm in wanting to screen the entire movie without edits.

The Umno lawmaker, who is also Padang Renggas MP, said that the movie should be screened in local cinemas without edits.

"If you edit, the plot will not be the same anymore," Nazri said when met at the Parliament lobby Thursday.

"The next time there are Malaysian artists on stage who show characteristics of orang lembut (being effeminate), ban them too.

"Only then will it be consistent," he said, taking a swipe at local censors.

On Wednesday, The Walt Disney Company in the United States said it would not allow the film to be screened with edits.

However, it was reported that the local film distributor, The Walt Disney Co (M) Sdn Bhd, said the movie's release date was merely postponed.

On Tuesday, the Malaysian Censorship Board said it had given the green light for the live-action remake of Disney's classic animated feature to be shown in Malaysian cinemas with a minor edit.

The minor cut concerned a "gay moment" in the film.