A PKR lawmaker has urged the Home Ministry to lift a ban on two books that narrate stories about the struggle of the Malayan Communist Party (CPM), saying the move is unwarranted.
In making the call, Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung responded to publisher Gerakbudaya’s statement on the banning of two books - “Memoir Shamsiah Fakeh: Dari Awas ke Rejimen ke-10” and “Komrad Asi (Rejimen 10): Dalam Denyut Nihilisme Sejarah”.
“The era of monopolising truth has passed. The era of instilling fear by banning books has also passed.
“Harapan must prove that the Madani government is better than previous administrations. Clearly, banning books is not the right step,” he said.
“As the MP for Petaling Jaya, I hereby urge the Home Ministry to lift the ban on these books,” said Lee in a statement.
Gerakbudaya yesterday confirmed it was served with a notice from the Home Ministry on the book bans, despite both titles not being included in the prohibition order list.
The company also said it will file a legal challenge against the ban.
Lee noted it was ironic that the memoir of Shamsiah Fakeh, first published by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2004, was not banned by the previous BN and Perikatan Nasional-led governments.
Gerakbudaya published the second book in 2022.
Celebrate diversity of discourse
From an academic perspective, Lee said, diversity of discourse should be celebrated and efforts made to cultivate a culture of reading, debating and thinking.
He noted that the country had just mourned the passing of eminent scholar, the late Royal Professor Syed Naquib al-Attas, yet “only a month later, the same Madani government has taken action to ban books”.
On the political front, Lee said Malaysia’s history should be inclusive and not reduced to propaganda monopolised by any one victorious party.
“We support the idea that the contributions and sacrifices of all parties involved in the struggle for independence must be recognised,” he said.
He added that society should be mature enough to understand politics as a contest of ideas, rather than be intimidated by labels or fearmongering.
As a member of PKR, Lee said the party holds in high regard its former deputy president, the late Syed Husin Ali, known as a leftist intellectual.
“Those who confuse socialism with communism often argue over labels and colours. Yet the late Syed Husin exemplified the essence of leftist thought - concern for the people, defending the rights of the oppressed, and fighting for social justice,” he said.
Lee further questioned how Syed Husin would feel if he were still alive, knowing that the government, anchored by his party, had taken action through the Home Ministry to ban the two books.
Intellectual freedom
Separately, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) said the bans raised serious concerns about intellectual freedom and the space for historical discourse in Malaysia.
“These works, long in circulation, serve as important reflections of our past - allowing society to engage, question, and understand history from multiple perspectives.
“The absence of these titles from the official prohibition order list further highlights troubling gaps in transparency and accountability,” said CIJ.
Yesterday, Parti Sosialis Malaysia deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan also accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of abandoning PKR’s progressive roots, as evidenced by the increased sidelining of leftist contributions to the nation’s struggle for independence. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.