may 13 book not seized

Now, the Internal Security Ministry is denying that it seized the May 13 book that was recently published.

Ministry checking contents of May 13 book

KUANTAN: The Internal Security Ministry denied that it had seized 10 copies of the book on May 13, clarifying that it had only taken the books to check the contents.

The books would be returned if they contained nothing that violated the Printing Press and Publications Act 1984.

Its Deputy Minister, Datuk Fu Ah Kiow, said news reports stating that the books were seized were incorrect and believed that the matter was being deliberately blown out of proportion to gain publicity.

“It is just a very ordinary procedure, something that the officers will do if they receive reports about any publication that may be unfavourable for the public.

“They will still carry out their duties even if there is no report,” he told reporters after opening the SK Tanah Putih Baru parent-teacher association meeting yesterday.

Fu was asked to comment on the books taken from a bookstore in Mid-Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Fu said his officers were still reading the contents.

“The book is not a regular publication but a one-off publication. It does not need a permit.

“However, the ministry still has the responsibility of checking the contents of any publication to see to it that it did not go against the Printing Press and Publications Act 1984,” Fu said.

The Printing Press and Publications Act 1984 is a law that requires all print media to renew their permits annually. If deemed "likely to be prejudicial to public order, morality, or security"; likely to "alarm public opinion", or likely to be "prejudicial to...national interest", the Home Affairs Ministry has a right to ban that publication outright. And the worst part is, once that happens, you can't appeal against it. "Any decision of the Minister . . . to suspend a license or permit shall be final and shall not be called in question by any court on any ground whatsoever," and "[n]o person shall be given an opportunity to be heard with regard to . . . suspension of the license or permit" according to the act. (Article 13A-13B.)

I do not disagree with banning publications that can cause civil violence or racial riots. But, I think that we have been living in the shadow of May 13 for too long, the ghost of which is repeatedly resurrected by the government to instill fear in us. Do we stop searching for the truth just because we might find skeletons in the closet? Some people might actually agree--those who place more importance on preserving their money and peace, rather than on truth. Will a book necessarily lead to racial riots? No. Did the Holocaust happen because of Hitler's violently anti-Semitic book--the Mein Kampf? No.

When people have dialogue and debates over an issue or event, it is less likely that violence will occur. It is only when people are ignorant and hold misconceptions towards each other that violence is used. Whether we like it or not, there is only a thin veneer of racial harmony in Malaysia. There's a lot of things boiling underneath the surface. One spark is all it takes to ignite it, and the government fears that this May 13 book may be that spark. However, I do not think it will be. Why? If the government encourages dialogue over this book and what really happened in May 13, that might help people to think critically over the causes of May 13, and how to avoid it now. Right now, a lot of us have just a fuzzy idea: May 13 is a terrible incident which should be avoided at all costs. We don't know exactly how it started, what were the underlying factors (besides the trigger) etc.

We can only move forward into the future if we have the guts to first face our past.