Gov't wants my ideas to be seen as dangerous, says Zaid after book ban

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim believes that the government wants to cast him as "undesirable" and that his ideas are "dangerous" following the Home Ministry's ban on his book "Assalamualaikum (May Peace Be Upon You): Observations on the Islamisation of Malaysia".

"Which is absolute nonsense. Islamisation is not about Islam; it's a public policy and anyone should be able to talk and express their views freely.

"This government also does not want Muslims to have their own mind; they rather have Muslims who just follow them blindly," Zaid told Malaysiakini.

A federal government gazette published on Dec 19 said that the book, which was published in 2015, was prohibited.

The home minister had signed the order which was issued in accor­dance with the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 on Dec 4, reported The Star.

The order said the book was "likely to be prejudicial to public order as well as public interest and is likely to alarm public opinion."

The order also stated that the printing, importation, production, reproduction, publishing, sale, issue, circulation, distribution or possession of the publication is prohibited throughout Malaysia.

Rubbishing the reason given for the book being banned, Zaid said books are necessary if the country wants its people to be intelligent.

"Books don't affect public order; wrong ideas from desperate political leaders do," he added.

Zaid also confirmed that he will be filing a judicial review on the matter in early January.

"I want our judges to have a look at the matter and see if they will do anything positive," he said.- Mkini