Govt-linked firm helped pay comic museum’s rent, says Penang CM

Asia Comic Cultural Museum was at the centre of a recent controversy over a comic book which has been banned.

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow today denied claims that a comic museum curated by Hew Kuan Yau was owned by the state government.

The museum has nothing to do with the state, Chow said in response to a claim about the musuem’s ownership made by former premier Najib Razak.

The museum came under scrutiny recently after a comic book by its curator, former DAP member Hew Kuan Yau, as deemed to be offensive and was banned by the home ministry. The comic book, “Belt and Road Initiative for Win Winism” was deemed to be dangerous for public consumption and could risk “distorting” the minds of readers.

Najib had said in a posting today that the Asia Comic Cultural Museum at the Komtar building was owned by the PYDC Strategies Sdn Bhd, a company under the state’s investment arm Chief Minister Incorporated. (PYDC is the abbreviation of Penang Youth Development Corporation, a state government statutory body.)

Chow told FMT that “the museum had collaborated with PYDC to get support for pay its rent of space at the IT Mall in Komtar. “It is not owned by PYDC or the state government,” Chow said.

Najib had said in his posting that the museum “had clearly” stated that it was owned by PYDC Strategies.

Last week, Chow said the state government had, in 2016, allowed the museum to open in Komtar to rejuvenate the complex as an administrative, civic and shopping district.

“It is a tourism product that is unique in Malaysia and Asia. It is a comic museum that promotes creativity and animation. Various events were held to bring famous comic artists to give talks and host forums,” he said last Friday.

Chow said the state had agreed to help with the museum’s rent until December 2020 as part of the agreement.

The comic book, published earlier this year, was authored by Hew. It came under criticism as being DAP propaganda and promoting China’s ideology, on news that it had been distributed to schools. Home ministry officials have since removed the books from schools and district education offices. - FMT