The Home Ministry has begun an investigation on the publishers of the 1Malaysia comic which included a cartoon featuring ‘Awang Arang' or 'Mr Charcoal', which NGOs and human rights groups have argued could cause racial tension.
The Malay Mail daily, which raised the issue, was invited to the Home Ministry's head office in Putrajaya to hand over ‘M1Malaysia Magazines for the People' comics in its possession.
According to a source from the daily, the reporter was asked to hand over the comics, the third and fourth editions, found in the Teksi Rakyat 1Malaysia (TR1Ma) event at Bukit Jalil, on the 25th June.
"They (the Home Ministry) asked us not to touch on racial issues after this", the source told Malaysiakini yesterday.
The comic, emblazoned with the 1Malaysia logo, contains a segment titled ‘1Malaysia vs 1PATI', which shows little boys appreciating the diversity of this country's society.
However, the boys were later shown running away from a group of dark-skinned men labelled as ‘Awang Arang', or ‘Mr. Charcoal'.
The Malay Mail daily, which raised the issue, was invited to the Home Ministry's head office in Putrajaya to hand over ‘M1Malaysia Magazines for the People' comics in its possession.
According to a source from the daily, the reporter was asked to hand over the comics, the third and fourth editions, found in the Teksi Rakyat 1Malaysia (TR1Ma) event at Bukit Jalil, on the 25th June.
"They (the Home Ministry) asked us not to touch on racial issues after this", the source told Malaysiakini yesterday.
The comic, emblazoned with the 1Malaysia logo, contains a segment titled ‘1Malaysia vs 1PATI', which shows little boys appreciating the diversity of this country's society.
However, the boys were later shown running away from a group of dark-skinned men labelled as ‘Awang Arang', or ‘Mr. Charcoal'.
Distribution questioned
Human rights group Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (Komas) was previously reported as having questioned the distribution of the comic at public events.
It called on the government to apologise for racial profiling and discrimination on the basis of skin color.
NGO Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) said that such publications were subversive and could cause racial tension especially if they were read by schoolchildren.
The Malay Mail on 13 July reported that its publisher, Blue Pipe Enterprises, could not be contacted for comment.
Meanwhile, Home Ministry Publications Control and Quranic Text Division secretary Abd Aziz Md Nor was reported as saying that the comic was published without its knowledge.
However, said Abd Aziz, the ministry would obtain an explanation from the publisher, and ban the comic if necessary.
It called on the government to apologise for racial profiling and discrimination on the basis of skin color.
NGO Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) said that such publications were subversive and could cause racial tension especially if they were read by schoolchildren.
The Malay Mail on 13 July reported that its publisher, Blue Pipe Enterprises, could not be contacted for comment.
Meanwhile, Home Ministry Publications Control and Quranic Text Division secretary Abd Aziz Md Nor was reported as saying that the comic was published without its knowledge.
However, said Abd Aziz, the ministry would obtain an explanation from the publisher, and ban the comic if necessary.
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