Govt Bans Book Of Malay Poetry 2 English Juvenile Books

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The home ministry said these books have been banned under Section 7(1) of Act 301 as they are considered ‘undesirable publications’.
PETALING JAYA: The government has banned a book of Malay poetry and two English books for juveniles on the grounds that the publications are allegedly “undesirable” which contained “elements that were morally harmful”.
The ban on the poetry book, “Koleksi Puisi Masturbasi” by Amir Hamzah Akal Ali or Benz Ali, comes two years after the authorities seized copies of the poetry collection and another of his books even though they were not banned at the time.
The other two books are “My Shadow Is Purple” by Scott Stuart, a 32-page illustrated children’s book aimed at pre-schoolers published in 2022, and “All That’s Left In The World”, a 304-page book for young adults by Erik J Brown, also published in 2022.
“My Shadow Is Purple”, which received a 4.6 rating out of 5 at the Goodreads site, was described by a reader at Amazon as “a sweet, innocent book that teaches that kids can can enjoy doing whatever activities they like, can feel the way they feel, regardless of their gender.”
“All That’s Left In The World” is described as a post-apocalyptic queer romance about courage, hope and humanity.
When the Benz Ali books were seized in 2023, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said they were taken for legal review after his ministry launched an investigation following a public complaint.
The home ministry’s statement today said the ban of the three books was gazetted on Jan 21 and Jan 22. Anyone found printing, importing, selling or publishing these books risks imprisonment for up to three year, a maximum fine of RM20,000 or both.
The ministry said the government remained committed to “curbing elements or movements that go against local culture”, which it said was “important to prevent the spread of ideologies or movements that conflict with the culture and values of Malaysia’s diverse society.”
In January, the ministry banned six books on similar grounds. The books were “A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime” by Monica Murphy; “Lose You to Find Me” by Erik J Brown; “Punai” by Asyraf Bakti; “Scattered Showers” by Rainbow Rowell; “When Everything Feels Like The Movie” by Raziel Reid; and “What If It’s Us” by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.
Some of these books were said to contain LGBTQ themes. - FMT

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