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Malaysia Bans Books

Written by Our Correspondent

Thursday, 14 July 2011

This is a watchbird, watchng you

Making fun of the government is not allowed

A Malaysian High Court judge has upheld the banning of books by a popular political cartoonist for the online news site Malaysiakini and by a columnist closely connected to the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

The ban, requested by Home Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Hussein under the country’s Printing Presses and Publications Act, is on two books by the cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaq, known by his pen name Zunar, and a third by columnist Yong Thye Chong, who writes under the pen name Kim Quek.

The authors’ lawyers argued that the ban violated the right to freedom of speech, which is guaranteed under the country’s federal constitution, was not implemented fairly because the authors weren’t given the chance to explain themselves before the ban was made, and weren’t told the reasons for it.

However, Justice Rohaya Yusuf, in delivering her decision, said Hishammuddin was correct in banning the books if the court “takes into view the sensitivities surrounding the country.”

The Printing Presses and Publications Act, passed in 1984, has long been under fire by press critics who say it has curtailed freedom of speech, restricted political discourse and silenced political opponents. The critics say the act allows the home affairs minister virtually total control over the print media.

Newspapers and other periodicals must apply for the renewal of their licenses annually, giving the minister the power to ban them according to his discretion. All of the conventional media are owned by political parties, with the biggest newspapers owned by the United Malays National Organization and the Malaysian Chinese Association, the two biggest components of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. While opposition parties also own newspapers, they are not allowed to circulate freely.

As a result, the country ‘s bloggers have developed one of the strongest online presences in Southeast Asia, with several strong websites including Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider and Malaysia Today, run by gadfly Raja Petra Kamarudin. The blogs were given credit for playing a major role in the upset March 2008 election that broke the 50-year two-thirds hold of the Barisan on the Dewan Rakyat, or national parliament.

The decision to uphold the ban was assailed by the Committee for Independent Journalism in Kuala Lumpur, which said in a press release that the two cases “illustrate yet again how the vagueness of the Printing Presses and Publications Act, especially in defining problematic phrases and terms, such as ‘prejudicial to public order,’ as well as the overbroad powers the law grants the Home Minister, continue to pose a formidable challenge to freedom of expression in Malaysia.”

Kim Quek’s book, “The March to Putrajaya,” was originally ordered banned by Hishammuddin on September 30, 2010, allegedly for inciting hatred against the constitution. Although Kim is a Malaysiakini commentator, he is a supporter of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, headed by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. The Home Ministry’s secretary general, Mahmood Adam, said the book is “not suitable for general reading,” containing what he called “elements of baseless accusations and speculations” against national leaders and could incite public hatred and anger.”

Illustrating the porosity of the ban, the 375-page book, a collection of Kim’s columns, is readily available on the Internet at http://www.mediafire.com/?yxy1yzc73lkl5cl. The author has offered it for free for those who wish to download it.

Most of the material in the books has long been available. “1 Funny Malaysia" is a collection of cartoons that Zunar published in the column Cartoonkini on the Malaysiakini news site between 2005 and 2009. "Perak Darul Kartun" is published by Zunar's own company, Sepakat Efektif Sdn Bhd, and features the works of Zunar and several other local cartoonists and writers.

Dismissing the request for review of the ban filed by Zunar's publisher Malaysiakini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, Yusuf said she did not find the decisions to ban the books “to be in defiance of logic that it is arbitrarily made, or that it is based on improper facts. Because of this public order issue, there is therefore a need to restrict fundamental liberties provisions guaranteed under the federal constitution."

Both Zunar and Kim said they would appeal the decision to the highest level possible although both added that they were skeptical that higher courts would rule in their favor.

"The Malaysian courts are like the atmosphere,” Kim Quek told reporters. “The higher you go up, the less oxygen there is."

Despite the ban, Zunar's other books are available from Kinibooks, including his latest title 'Even My Pen Has a Stand'.

In a prepared statement, Kim Quek said the judgment “cannot help but convey the unmistakable signal that the present political hold on the judiciary to deliver what the political masters want is intact. It means that Malaysians will continue to be denied their fundamental liberties guaranteed under Part Two of the Constitution – which include the freedom of expression – through abuse of power by the Executive, which will be ultimately protected from legal accountability by a compliant judiciary.”

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najib vs muhyiddin
written by chuah tee yong, July 14, 2011

Muhiddin is sabotaging najis from behind so that will take over najis place.
The success of Bersih is a slap to najis and keris, but muhiddin is laughing behind of them....
Muhiddin had back stabbed Badawi, he will do that to najis also....

Legacy of the NEP
written by captain kanchil, July 14, 2011

Almost all in the UMNO cackle are products of the NEP. i.e. they are stupid, incompetent and spineless. What do you expect? Brilliant analysts? All these idiots are only good for con jobs. Najis tried to con the Bersih organisers and failed miserably. Mahathir conned ChinPeng. It showed his true colours and that of UMNO. For 55 years they have conned the non malays with all sorts of promises which no one can keep. Umno cannot be trusted. All of them have to be swept out. Taib from Sarawak has bought his freedom with a few hundred million, with some going to Najis and some to Muhideen. UMNO is a nest of snakes and crooks. The country is being milked to poverty by these descendants of pirates. We must deal with them the way we deal with pirates.i.e. kill them or incarcerate them.

Umno malays are racist, stupid and lazy
written by sthiru, July 14, 2011

Umno government has produced umno melayu (most of them are mamaks) that are racist, stupid and lazy. On top of that emerged a few scumbags mic indians I have seem mic people (T. Mohan) eating their master's najis. Time has arrived for change and it has to happen now. We witnessed during the BERSIH rally all our Malaysians (Malays, Chinese and Indians) coming together and bravely standing up even the whole KL was locked down. It shows we can bring this umno melayu bodoh, malas dan celaka down. Enough they stole our countries wealth. Lets unite and kick them out of Putrajaya.

what next
written by Bersihman, July 14, 2011

Soon, they will even ban the word Bersih (clean) and the color yellow.

One failed Malaysia
written by OneMalaysian, July 14, 2011

Slowly, but surely, Malaysia is degenerating into a failed state/nation under BN/UMNO's rule. This is said to be the longest serving/ruling political party in the world. Now, do you understand how it got that way? By trampling on its citizen's human rights to such a degree that BN/UMNO can never be voted out. They own the country's mainstream media completely, the judiciary, the police, the Elections Commission, and the military. Elections are rigged with phantom voters, multiple voters, bribery, and gerrymandering. And back to this topic, of course, books are banned, and judgments are always in favour of the ruling party.

Make it available online
written by Petal #72529, July 15, 2011

UMNO can ban anything physical, yeah, they own the country for now. Kim and Zunar should sell those books as virtual downloads and let's see who can ban the internet marketplace. smilies/grin.gif

Zunar cartoons
written by Gajahmerah, July 15, 2011

See them here: http://www.malaysiakini.com/cartoons/v/?id=0

hisapmykotemuddin
written by Ramlee, July 15, 2011

Hello Hisapmykotemuddin... tak malukah anak celaka babi gila. Queen pun support bersih. Apa nak kata sekarang? Makan tahi babi pun kamu anak haram tak belajar...

Shocking, but nothing in comparison to ,,,,
written by Sharlz, July 16, 2011

Visit http://www.roguesmalaysia.blogspot.com/

This is what real oppression is about.

I did. Live and learn!

Going For The Burn a la Qin Next?
written by Sheng, July 19, 2011

(From Wikipedia)
........Beginning in 213 BC, at the instigation of Li Si and to avoid scholars' comparisons of his reign with the past, Qin Shi Huang ordered most existing books to be burned with the exception of those on astrology, agriculture, medicine, divination......... Owning the Book of Songs or the Classic of History was to be punished especially severely. .........The following year Qin Shi Huang had some 460 scholars buried alive for owning the forbidden books.......... Later in his life, Qin Shi Huang feared death and desperately sought the fabled elixir of life, which would supposedly allow him to live forever. He was obsessed with acquiring immortality and fell prey to many who offered him supposed elixirs He visited (magical) Zhifu Island three times in order to achieve immortality. In one case he sent Xu Fu, a Zhifu islander, with ships carrying hundreds of young men and women in search of ....a 1,000-year-old magician.......These people never returned. Legends claim that they reached Japan....
(From Wikipedia)

Regime of Najis
written by WILLIAMMMMMMM, August 01, 2011

This Regime is a pest of the internet industry, with rice yaktim in control it is getting worst. There is no internet freedom.

...
written by WILLIAMMMMMMM, August 01, 2011

MANGOLAND is a police state run and operate by Ali Baba and his 40 thieves.

THE MANGO YOUTH LEADER
written by WILLIAMMMMMMM, August 01, 2011

Being a party youth leader and as well as a Oxford university graduate we hope you are able evaluate the issue properly as the issue is about corruptions and it's Malaysians taxpayer money and is about procurement of the Nation's military equipments.Please do not take side if you not clear about it and be a party of it and get yourself tainted.
No Manufacturer would give such a huge commissions unless it has already been factored into the pricing of the purchases and it's public money.The Public has the right to know who are the real beneficicaries of this massive payout which also belong to the Malaysian People , besides it's a direct quoted and direct negotiated contract without open tendering .This is about Cover Up, Murder,violations of Human Rights, abused of power ,planting , acting and is very serious and insidious .Are you a party to all these shenanigans of your
leader.The price quoted was three times the market value and Malaysians was being made a cash cow.Mirror yourself and ask a question . Am i right to keep on to be a mouth piece of such a greedy Dictator and carry his sins together and be a party to it.
leader?