A DAP lawmaker today criticised the Home Ministry’s approach in banning Malay translations of certain books, saying it was baffling as the English versions did not receive the same treatment.
Zairil Khir Johari (pic), Bukit Bendera MP, said this approach was an unjustifiable act of dealing with the matter.
"One such example is the seminal book, The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, which is available for sale at many bookstores in Malaysia."
"However, its Malay translation, ‘Asal-usul Spesies’, is listed as a banned book under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1982," he said in a statement late last night.
Upon asking the home minister the reason for such a move, Zairil was told the book was banned because it “endangers public harmony” as the “translated book depicts a view of the origin and creation of species that goes against Islamic teachings and is in contravention of the Islamic Materials Censorship Guidelines as well as the beliefs of the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah.”
The English version, however, was allowed because the ministry has “not received any complaints regarding the existence of any infringements of Islamic aspects”.
The translation of Darwin was not the only book that received such treatment. Zairil added that:
“Another example is Karen Armstrong’s 'Islam: A Short History', which is freely available at bookstores and university libraries in Malaysia, while ‘Sepintas Sejarah Islam’, the Malay translation, is also listed as a banned book.”
The Home Ministry's website lists a total of 1,532 banned publications, with the most recent noted as a comic book – Ultraman: The Ultra Power.
Last week, famed Malaysian author Faisal Tehrani, whose book "Perempuan Nan Bercinta" was banned for purportedly promoting Shia teachings, had lamented that there were Shia books in English which are not banned.
"I do not understand it at all," said the author.
Zairil said the explanation by the home minister not only is confounding, it is also a veritable insult to the intelligence of Malaysians.
"How can the same book be considered a public danger and against Islamic teachings in one language, but perfectly acceptable in another?" he said.
Zairil added that what was even worse was that the minister seemed like he was telling Malaysians that knowledge "is reserved only for those who are English-literate".
"Is a Malaysian who can only speak and read in Malay considered not mature enough to make informed decisions? As most people who fall into the latter category are Malays, the question then arises whether there is a deliberate policy to keep Malays ignorant."
Zairil said that such a ban was ineffective as books and magazine can easily be accessed and obtained through the Internet.
"Therefore, I call upon the home minister to lift restrictions on the sale and distribution of all publications, and to immediately end the intellectual persecution of Malaysians," he said. – May 6, 2014.
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