A recent case of censorship involving imported Buddhist books has sparked backlash, with authorities accused of overstepping boundaries and veering toward religious conservatism.
Translator Sherab Wong revealed in a Facebook post on Monday evening (July 28) that he found copies of the “Illustrated Heart Sutra” (圖解心經) at Cite Book Garden in Kuala Lumpur that had been partially blacked out.
He said bookstore staff told him the Customs Department was behind the censorship.
“A section depicting the Heart Sutra’s Twelve Nidānas was censored with black ink,” Wong wrote. “The justification? Customs claimed it contained pornographic elements.”
The discovery left Wong feeling, in his words, “deeply angry and uneasy.”
“Anwar, oh Anwar,” he wrote, referring to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. “Are you really trying to lead a multi-religious, multi-racial, multilingual, and multicultural country back to the closed-minded conservatism of the 1970s and 80s? With this kind of Anwar, how can anyone not be angry or disappointed?”
He also pointed out that, when asked, the bookstore staff revealed they would no longer import books and publications that might get redacted by the Customs Department - such as those involving Hindu deities, highest-level Vajrayana practices, or art photography, as these works may contain nudity.
He also shared photos, with one showing a note taped to the book’s cover, purportedly indicating the censorship was by the Customs Department:
“We are very sorry. Due to blacked-out sections on pages 128 and 131 by customs, please speak to our staff if you wish to unseal and read this book.”
The other two photos show the censored pages inside.
Respecting religion
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Wong said he frequently visits bookstores and had never before seen a book censored in this way.
He added that the bookstore staff confirmed the “Illustrated Heart Sutra” was targeted for allegedly containing “pornographic content”.
“The censored part was simply an illustration related to the Twelve Nidānas, showing a man and a woman together - symbolising the cycle of ‘Bhava’ (becoming) and ‘Jāti’ (birth),” Wong explained.
“I found the censorship completely unnecessary. This is a religious book. We always say religion is sensitive and should be respected - so why treat it like this?”
Wong, once a supporter of the reformasi movement, expressed disappointment over what he said was an increasingly repressive climate.
“I’ve been reading for years, and I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s absurd. Why are we becoming more and more conservative?” he asked.
A visit by Malaysiakini to Cite Book Garden confirmed that a notice regarding the censorship had indeed been placed on the book’s back cover.
Customs Dept denies
In response to media inquiries, the bookstore told Malaysiakini via email that customs had notified them in advance that certain illustrations in the “Illustrated Heart Sutra” violated censorship regulations.
The books were only allowed to be imported after the offending images were blacked out.
According to the bookstore, the Customs Department regularly inspects imported books and may censor or reject those containing nudity, pornography, violence, or sensitive religious content. When a problem is found, customs typically issues a written notice explaining the reason.
“If a book fails inspection, we simply stop importing it,” the store said. “This isn’t targeted at any specific religion or category.”
However, when contacted by Malaysiakini, the Customs Department denied responsibility for blacking out the books.
Durairajoo Muniandy, director of the Corporate Planning Division, said customs has no authority to censor imported publications.
“We do not black out any pages,” he said. “If a book is suspected of containing illegal or religiously sensitive material, we refer it to the Home Ministry for a decision.”
“If the Home Ministry approves it, they issue an import permit, which means the book has already been vetted. If the ministry rejects it, then we seize the book. But we never alter the content ourselves.” - Mkini
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