Monday, March 15, 2010
Censorship and the stupidification of a nation
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Paris-based media rights watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, has listed Australia along with Iran and North Korea in a report on countries that pose a threat of internet censorship. So, another one bites the dust. Join the club. This is how it all begins. Been there, done that, wearing the T-shirt.
Censorship always provokes extreme emotional responses. Proponents deflect it by, self-righteously frothing in the mouth, arguing Asian (or any such) values. But Kamasutra is also banned in this country. Well, so much for that. Or maybe they think it comes from Europe.
The opponents can go on and on about freedom of speech and human rights, which are not noble thoughts and arguments, but mean nothing in the face of naked power. I was once persuaded to attend a meeting on censorship organised by a local NGO, and managed to piss off almost everyone. "Look, I have heard plenty about human rights and freedom of speech and all that today," I said. "You really don't need to convince me. I belong to the converted. You have to decide how you'd preach to the unconverted, explain to them why freedom of speech is better than censorship."
So, is freedom of speech better than censorship?
To quote US Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes (not that I consider the US to be a paragon in respect of either human rights or freedom of speech -- censorship takes many insidious forms), "... ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas -- that the best test of truth is the power of thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market ..."
In other words: every idea has a right to exist, and has to be allowed to exist and compete freely with other views, particularly the entrenched ones, in a marketplace of ideas. While the benefit of this to the individual and to the country is obvious, why should naked power care? If one were the incumbent, why would, or should, one care about any view other than one's own, even if it is better, particularly if it threatens one's position of power?
John Stuart Mills, in his essay On Liberty, is clearer. "The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error."
So, censorship is a lose-lose proposition. In short, it robs the nation and its people of the benefit of new ideas. Nothing can explain it more clearly than the case of Galileo (although there are thousands of other examples). Stephen Hawking says, "Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science." Galileo's unstinting support of Copernicus heliocentric theory (which many other chicken-shit philosophers and physicist of the time supported, but dared not speak out in support), which was in direct opposition to the geocentric view held by the church, earned him a date with the inquisition and lifelong house arrest. But, if it weren't for the likes of him we would, certainly, never have had the iPhone.
Still, it does not solve the power equation. There are long-term benefits of free speech, certainly, but why should one care if one were in power, for surely one would have no desire to lose it? Why should one not simply let the country rot, as long as one can enrich oneself? There are enough examples of that in the world today.
Bertrand Russell wrote (okay, I confess, he was my schoolboy hero, and I was a nerd, but I also read Batman): "An attitude of obedience, when it is exacted from subordinates, is inimical to intelligence. In a community in which men have to accept, at least outwardly, some obviously absurd doctrine, the best men must become either stupid or disaffected. There will be in consequence, a lowering of intellectual level, which must, before long, interfere with technical progress. This is especially true when the official creed is one which few intelligent men can honestly accept."
He said further: "The Nazis have exiled most of their ablest Germans, and this must, sooner or later, have disastrous effects on their military technique." Now, this was written before the start of the Second World War. We all know what happened after that.
In the sixties our universities were world-class, the pride of the developing world, among the best in Asia. Now, we struggle to be counted. Students, those who can afford to, go overseas. They don't even want to consider attending a local one if they can help it, whatever the quota. As for the quality of the graduates, one need only ask our employers. Since the eighties we have lost thousands of our skilled workers overseas, not for reasons of economics, but due to real or imagined sense of injustice and an intolerable climate of intellectual asphyxiation. We have lost the battle to attract the life saving FDI because our workers are no longer considered competitive. Our civil service is constantly in the press, fire-fighting the results of poor decision-making. We hear of police confiscating books from shops one day, and ministers promoting reading the next. Even our football team is languishing. It is as if thinking itself has been outlawed.
Some may point to the eighties when civil servants were told to sit up, shut up, and punch clocks, when we sacrificed our young at the altar of Mammon for some to get unbelievably rich, when bad news was banned, when argument and debate ended, and when wisdom flowed from only one source. It was the end of dissent, the end of thought.
Now the high points in our life include talking about roti canai tossing competitions in Subang Jaya and teh tarik experiments in outer space. Oh yes, we also have a committee for winning Nobel Prizes.
Stupidification is not a condition, it is a process. We are not born stupid, but we can get there if we try hard enough.
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Censorship always provokes extreme emotional responses. Proponents deflect it by, self-righteously frothing in the mouth, arguing Asian (or any such) values. But Kamasutra is also banned in this country. Well, so much for that. Or maybe they think it comes from Europe.
The opponents can go on and on about freedom of speech and human rights, which are not noble thoughts and arguments, but mean nothing in the face of naked power. I was once persuaded to attend a meeting on censorship organised by a local NGO, and managed to piss off almost everyone. "Look, I have heard plenty about human rights and freedom of speech and all that today," I said. "You really don't need to convince me. I belong to the converted. You have to decide how you'd preach to the unconverted, explain to them why freedom of speech is better than censorship."
So, is freedom of speech better than censorship?
To quote US Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes (not that I consider the US to be a paragon in respect of either human rights or freedom of speech -- censorship takes many insidious forms), "... ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas -- that the best test of truth is the power of thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market ..."
In other words: every idea has a right to exist, and has to be allowed to exist and compete freely with other views, particularly the entrenched ones, in a marketplace of ideas. While the benefit of this to the individual and to the country is obvious, why should naked power care? If one were the incumbent, why would, or should, one care about any view other than one's own, even if it is better, particularly if it threatens one's position of power?
John Stuart Mills, in his essay On Liberty, is clearer. "The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error."
So, censorship is a lose-lose proposition. In short, it robs the nation and its people of the benefit of new ideas. Nothing can explain it more clearly than the case of Galileo (although there are thousands of other examples). Stephen Hawking says, "Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science." Galileo's unstinting support of Copernicus heliocentric theory (which many other chicken-shit philosophers and physicist of the time supported, but dared not speak out in support), which was in direct opposition to the geocentric view held by the church, earned him a date with the inquisition and lifelong house arrest. But, if it weren't for the likes of him we would, certainly, never have had the iPhone.
Still, it does not solve the power equation. There are long-term benefits of free speech, certainly, but why should one care if one were in power, for surely one would have no desire to lose it? Why should one not simply let the country rot, as long as one can enrich oneself? There are enough examples of that in the world today.
Bertrand Russell wrote (okay, I confess, he was my schoolboy hero, and I was a nerd, but I also read Batman): "An attitude of obedience, when it is exacted from subordinates, is inimical to intelligence. In a community in which men have to accept, at least outwardly, some obviously absurd doctrine, the best men must become either stupid or disaffected. There will be in consequence, a lowering of intellectual level, which must, before long, interfere with technical progress. This is especially true when the official creed is one which few intelligent men can honestly accept."
He said further: "The Nazis have exiled most of their ablest Germans, and this must, sooner or later, have disastrous effects on their military technique." Now, this was written before the start of the Second World War. We all know what happened after that.
In the sixties our universities were world-class, the pride of the developing world, among the best in Asia. Now, we struggle to be counted. Students, those who can afford to, go overseas. They don't even want to consider attending a local one if they can help it, whatever the quota. As for the quality of the graduates, one need only ask our employers. Since the eighties we have lost thousands of our skilled workers overseas, not for reasons of economics, but due to real or imagined sense of injustice and an intolerable climate of intellectual asphyxiation. We have lost the battle to attract the life saving FDI because our workers are no longer considered competitive. Our civil service is constantly in the press, fire-fighting the results of poor decision-making. We hear of police confiscating books from shops one day, and ministers promoting reading the next. Even our football team is languishing. It is as if thinking itself has been outlawed.
Some may point to the eighties when civil servants were told to sit up, shut up, and punch clocks, when we sacrificed our young at the altar of Mammon for some to get unbelievably rich, when bad news was banned, when argument and debate ended, and when wisdom flowed from only one source. It was the end of dissent, the end of thought.
Now the high points in our life include talking about roti canai tossing competitions in Subang Jaya and teh tarik experiments in outer space. Oh yes, we also have a committee for winning Nobel Prizes.
Stupidification is not a condition, it is a process. We are not born stupid, but we can get there if we try hard enough.
Labels: Censorship
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Raman,
This is one of the best articles on censorship I have ever read. Intelligent and articulate arguments, instead of the usual emotional blabbering over the issue. You should get it published in a newspaper or The Edge. Assuming that they won't censor it, of course.
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This is one of the best articles on censorship I have ever read. Intelligent and articulate arguments, instead of the usual emotional blabbering over the issue. You should get it published in a newspaper or The Edge. Assuming that they won't censor it, of course.
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Monday, March 01, 2010
Censorship by harassment
"... there is a widespread belief that doctrinal uniformity is essential to national strength," Bertrand Russell wrote in his treatise on power in 1938. But he also said, "... the most successful nations, throughout modern times, have been those least addicted to the persecution of heretics."
I remember reading these years ago when I was in school, and I wondered if Russell's views can somehow be proven wrong, without anyone noticing, that is. In Malaysia, 'book police' are back in the news after a short absence. Interestingly, this has happened very soon after Sister in Islam (SIS) won its court battle over the 'banning' of one of its books. Sorry for the cynicism, but one cannot help but wonder. It could be a coincidence, of course, but Malaysia does have a pretty long track record for 'censorship by harassment'.
Censorship is probably as old as writing itself, but it took on a whole new dimension from the 12th to the 16th century in Europe. Basically, reading was outlawed to all but the clerics since they were the only ones allowed to interpret the Bible. Lay people were lay people, sheep, or rakyat, not endowed with enough intelligence to make any decision for themselves. With the invention of the Gutenberg press and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible, things really came to a head. In theory, any lay person who could read, or was suspected of being able to do so, or, god forbid, be in possession of a Bible, was arrested, imprisoned, tortured and/or killed by various methods including being burnt at the stake, hanged, drawn and quartered, pulled apart by horses, drowned, impaled, and several other creative means. In reality, many were political opponents, or those who had gone out of favour, or merely casualties of random victimisation. By some estimates, 9 million people lost their lives, and many more -- presumably those who repented -- were left lame.
We all know how that ended. 'Censorship through terror' did not work then, and never has. Throughout history, 'book police' have always lost. But that does not seem to stop them.
Certainly, our own home grown variety of 'book police' are not quite that crude. Some years ago, we put up a list of so-called banned books on our website, 'so-called' because many were not actually banned by the Ministry. We do not know what actually happened in the background after that, but we can guess. All of a sudden there was a deafening silence from every direction; book distributors refused talk to us, especially about that dreaded 'b' list. It was as if omerta, a code of silence, had come into force. Many books we wanted to order became unavailable. Many distributors refused to import books for us, even if we paid them in advance, particularly if it had a 'banned' word in the title, or on the possibility that cover design could offend one ultra-sensitive individual living in Batang Berjuntai, or somewhere. (No prizes for guessing the words.)
The recent confiscation of multiple copies of several titles from bookshops around the country is interesting. Firstly these books have been in the market for over a year and anyone who wants one has already bought it. It could be another case of closing the stable doors after the horses have gone, something we do have a track record for. Or, it could be something more sinister.
Why do enforcement officers -- what an ostentatious name, indeed -- need to take multiple copies of a book if they only want to 'read them' for anything prejudicial to the security of the country, even if they say please. Wouldn't one copy do? Couldn't they get one from the publishers?
Recently, several copies of the first two titles were taken from one outlet of a chain stores on grounds that the books might have 'suspicious content'. A memo went out to its other outlets to have them all to be removed from the shelves. Diabolical, but effective. The bookstore will get a credit note from the distributor, who will in turn get one from the publisher. And the bookstore will, in future, be very hesitant to sell other titles by the same authors, or from the 'offending' publisher. (Remember the Salman Rushdie incident: although only one title is officially banned, all others have become endangered species in the country.) Why bother to ban books and have that gazette challenged in court, when this is so much more effective?
Inquiries are probabley a waste of time, omerta might already be in force.
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I remember reading these years ago when I was in school, and I wondered if Russell's views can somehow be proven wrong, without anyone noticing, that is. In Malaysia, 'book police' are back in the news after a short absence. Interestingly, this has happened very soon after Sister in Islam (SIS) won its court battle over the 'banning' of one of its books. Sorry for the cynicism, but one cannot help but wonder. It could be a coincidence, of course, but Malaysia does have a pretty long track record for 'censorship by harassment'.
Censorship is probably as old as writing itself, but it took on a whole new dimension from the 12th to the 16th century in Europe. Basically, reading was outlawed to all but the clerics since they were the only ones allowed to interpret the Bible. Lay people were lay people, sheep, or rakyat, not endowed with enough intelligence to make any decision for themselves. With the invention of the Gutenberg press and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible, things really came to a head. In theory, any lay person who could read, or was suspected of being able to do so, or, god forbid, be in possession of a Bible, was arrested, imprisoned, tortured and/or killed by various methods including being burnt at the stake, hanged, drawn and quartered, pulled apart by horses, drowned, impaled, and several other creative means. In reality, many were political opponents, or those who had gone out of favour, or merely casualties of random victimisation. By some estimates, 9 million people lost their lives, and many more -- presumably those who repented -- were left lame.
We all know how that ended. 'Censorship through terror' did not work then, and never has. Throughout history, 'book police' have always lost. But that does not seem to stop them.
Certainly, our own home grown variety of 'book police' are not quite that crude. Some years ago, we put up a list of so-called banned books on our website, 'so-called' because many were not actually banned by the Ministry. We do not know what actually happened in the background after that, but we can guess. All of a sudden there was a deafening silence from every direction; book distributors refused talk to us, especially about that dreaded 'b' list. It was as if omerta, a code of silence, had come into force. Many books we wanted to order became unavailable. Many distributors refused to import books for us, even if we paid them in advance, particularly if it had a 'banned' word in the title, or on the possibility that cover design could offend one ultra-sensitive individual living in Batang Berjuntai, or somewhere. (No prizes for guessing the words.)
The recent confiscation of multiple copies of several titles from bookshops around the country is interesting. Firstly these books have been in the market for over a year and anyone who wants one has already bought it. It could be another case of closing the stable doors after the horses have gone, something we do have a track record for. Or, it could be something more sinister.
Why do enforcement officers -- what an ostentatious name, indeed -- need to take multiple copies of a book if they only want to 'read them' for anything prejudicial to the security of the country, even if they say please. Wouldn't one copy do? Couldn't they get one from the publishers?
Recently, several copies of the first two titles were taken from one outlet of a chain stores on grounds that the books might have 'suspicious content'. A memo went out to its other outlets to have them all to be removed from the shelves. Diabolical, but effective. The bookstore will get a credit note from the distributor, who will in turn get one from the publisher. And the bookstore will, in future, be very hesitant to sell other titles by the same authors, or from the 'offending' publisher. (Remember the Salman Rushdie incident: although only one title is officially banned, all others have become endangered species in the country.) Why bother to ban books and have that gazette challenged in court, when this is so much more effective?
Inquiries are probabley a waste of time, omerta might already be in force.
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
In praise of alterity
The Kuala Lumpur Alternative Bookfest earlier this month was a nice experience. No, seriously. It was small, cozy, friendly and, most of all, I liked the buzz. There was no fear of it becoming another orgy of commercial bookselling -- it was not large enough to be noticed by the 'big boys'. With not a textbook in sight, not one workbook, not one management book, nor one 'teach-others-how-to-live-their-lives' book, it was a breath of fresh air. Most of the books were Malaysian, in Malay and in English, though there were some books from Indonesia and Singapore, which was good given the way our bookshops are overflowing with imported books. It was nice to see book social groups participating. There was also a 'free books' booth, a book charity, apart from indie and self publishers. (Silverfish Books paid for one of the tables that was used to sell books for charity, and supplied the books as well.)
Congratulations to the organisers. Hope you will do this regularly. I am sure there are other publishers who should have been there. Maya Press comes to mind. I understand the necessity to stop somewhere, or this could end up like any other fair. What is alternative? Alternative to what? Sometimes it is easier to define what we don't want, than what we want. I wouldn't want a book fair selling mainly school textbooks and workbooks like the recent KL International Book Fair, so that is one. That was easy. Secondly, it would be nice to be a place that featured only Malaysian books so we don’t get swamped with imported books. How about books from the other ASEAN countries, then? It is nice to have them around. No? Let us leave that out for the moment and stick to local books. Non-fiction books are fine but do I really want to go to a fair with tables full of books on management, self-help and recycled 'wisdom'? Ultimately, it is up to the organisers to decide. For me, I like the mix of the first KLAB -- eclectic but not high-brow, and fun.
I attended only one session, the one by Sisters In Islam on book censorship, Wacana on book banning. Pretty good turnout, I thought. On the panel were V. Gayathry (Centre for Independent Journalism), Astora Jabat (former Chief Editor of Al-Islam and columnist on Islamic affairs in Utusan Malaysia) , Norhayati Kaprawi (Sisters In Islam) and a phantom representative from Home Ministry. (He was not visible to anyone, nor did he say anything.) The debate went along pretty much predictable lines (we have all heard it before -- they went to the ministry, spoke to some furniture and came back disappointed, how dare that chair tell me what I should read!) but I liked Astora Jabat's presentation on censorship within Islam -- seemed pretty much about power. The poster and the postcard SIS organized for the event was nice.
So will the issue of book banning ever go away? I think not. We will probably have to wait for a gomen baru, lor.
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Congratulations to the organisers. Hope you will do this regularly. I am sure there are other publishers who should have been there. Maya Press comes to mind. I understand the necessity to stop somewhere, or this could end up like any other fair. What is alternative? Alternative to what? Sometimes it is easier to define what we don't want, than what we want. I wouldn't want a book fair selling mainly school textbooks and workbooks like the recent KL International Book Fair, so that is one. That was easy. Secondly, it would be nice to be a place that featured only Malaysian books so we don’t get swamped with imported books. How about books from the other ASEAN countries, then? It is nice to have them around. No? Let us leave that out for the moment and stick to local books. Non-fiction books are fine but do I really want to go to a fair with tables full of books on management, self-help and recycled 'wisdom'? Ultimately, it is up to the organisers to decide. For me, I like the mix of the first KLAB -- eclectic but not high-brow, and fun.
I attended only one session, the one by Sisters In Islam on book censorship, Wacana on book banning. Pretty good turnout, I thought. On the panel were V. Gayathry (Centre for Independent Journalism), Astora Jabat (former Chief Editor of Al-Islam and columnist on Islamic affairs in Utusan Malaysia) , Norhayati Kaprawi (Sisters In Islam) and a phantom representative from Home Ministry. (He was not visible to anyone, nor did he say anything.) The debate went along pretty much predictable lines (we have all heard it before -- they went to the ministry, spoke to some furniture and came back disappointed, how dare that chair tell me what I should read!) but I liked Astora Jabat's presentation on censorship within Islam -- seemed pretty much about power. The poster and the postcard SIS organized for the event was nice.
So will the issue of book banning ever go away? I think not. We will probably have to wait for a gomen baru, lor.
Labels: Censorship, Others
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As alternative as can be, KLAB should serve as a learning platform for all. Hence, it should open its door to ASEAN bookstore/publishers to come in and showcase how they do things differently from us.
For example, i would anytime buy from a bookstore that can wrap up my book (for the protection), for books that i buy, intend to keep for long. There's this bookstore in Jakarta that do the wrappig for free! Check out http://fairy.mahdzan.com/story/174.asp
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For example, i would anytime buy from a bookstore that can wrap up my book (for the protection), for books that i buy, intend to keep for long. There's this bookstore in Jakarta that do the wrappig for free! Check out http://fairy.mahdzan.com/story/174.asp
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Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Censorship
From The Independent:
In another related article, in conjunction with the announcement of special hardback editions of Banned Books by The Independent, Censorship: Still a burning issue Boyd Tonkin asks if the 'thought police will ever learn. Sorry, no sign of it in this country. The good news is that everybody else is in the same boat. The bad new is that everybody else is in the same boat. Earlier his week Amir Muhammad's Apa Khabar Orang Kampong was 'banned', Amir's second movie to suffer that fate. In a telephone conversation, he was not sure if he was looking forward to a hatrick.
Tonkin quotes Bernard Shaw: ' ... assassination is the ultimate form of censorship.' Alexander Litvinenko found out how true that was, as did Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant Dink, and author/journalist Anna Politkovskaya who was shot in the lift of her Moscow apartment. And everyone knows the Orhan Pamuk story.
'Censorship is as old as civilisation itself - and the drive to suppress as strong today as ever.' In the case of Amir's movie, what is being suppressed? The opinions expressed by people interviewed by him? That there are such people as Muslim Communists - no matter how bizarre that sounds? Is the 'official' version of our history really that fragile? Was the decision to ban the movie taken even before it was viewed? After all, two cops from the Brickfields Police Station did cover Amir's talk on the making of AKOK at Silverfish Books some in October 2006. (They were polite, they asked permission.)
Chin Peng has been banned from entering the country. The ban still stands. He is probably the most banned person in the country. He is so banned that uttering his name was almost a crime for a very long time. But the English edition of his book sold 7000 copies, almost a Malaysian record, outsold perhaps only by Shanon Ahmad's Shit. I don't know how the Chinese edition did. Would that many people have watched Amir's movie? Sorry, you lose again.
Back to the article in The Independent: There are some wonderful quotes there, which you use on your blogs to impress your friends, and try and influence people. Also see a list of books that have offended someone in power or other in the past.
Full report: http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2294384.ece
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In another related article, in conjunction with the announcement of special hardback editions of Banned Books by The Independent, Censorship: Still a burning issue Boyd Tonkin asks if the 'thought police will ever learn. Sorry, no sign of it in this country. The good news is that everybody else is in the same boat. The bad new is that everybody else is in the same boat. Earlier his week Amir Muhammad's Apa Khabar Orang Kampong was 'banned', Amir's second movie to suffer that fate. In a telephone conversation, he was not sure if he was looking forward to a hatrick.
Tonkin quotes Bernard Shaw: ' ... assassination is the ultimate form of censorship.' Alexander Litvinenko found out how true that was, as did Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant Dink, and author/journalist Anna Politkovskaya who was shot in the lift of her Moscow apartment. And everyone knows the Orhan Pamuk story.
'Censorship is as old as civilisation itself - and the drive to suppress as strong today as ever.' In the case of Amir's movie, what is being suppressed? The opinions expressed by people interviewed by him? That there are such people as Muslim Communists - no matter how bizarre that sounds? Is the 'official' version of our history really that fragile? Was the decision to ban the movie taken even before it was viewed? After all, two cops from the Brickfields Police Station did cover Amir's talk on the making of AKOK at Silverfish Books some in October 2006. (They were polite, they asked permission.)
Chin Peng has been banned from entering the country. The ban still stands. He is probably the most banned person in the country. He is so banned that uttering his name was almost a crime for a very long time. But the English edition of his book sold 7000 copies, almost a Malaysian record, outsold perhaps only by Shanon Ahmad's Shit. I don't know how the Chinese edition did. Would that many people have watched Amir's movie? Sorry, you lose again.
Back to the article in The Independent: There are some wonderful quotes there, which you use on your blogs to impress your friends, and try and influence people. Also see a list of books that have offended someone in power or other in the past.
Full report: http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2294384.ece
Labels: Censorship
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Monday, January 01, 2007
Censorship at Amazon?
After the infamous Google censorship ‘deal’ with China, it's now Amazon.com's turn.
An old regular customer visited me on Friday and told me an interesting story. He said he tried to order RO Winstedt's A History of Malaya from Amazon.com and was told that the book could not be delivered to a Malaysian address. He told me to try it for myself.
I already have my own copy of the book, but that night when I got home I tried to order the book from Amazon.com. They had 2 used copies at USD16.00 each published by Merican and Sons in 1986. I went through the motions of ordering the book. After I had put in the delivery address I got this window with a message in bold red:
*** We're sorry. This item can't be shipped to the country you selected. You can enter a different shipping address above, or you can remove the item from your order by changing its quantity to 0, then clicking
the Update button. ***
Rather interesting I thought, and does raise all sorts of questions. Is Amazon.com practising selective self-censorship, or are they working on 'instructions'. If so, from whom? Can we have a full list of the books that cannot be shipped to Malaysia? Where can we view it? How many other 'dodgy' countries do Amazon have on their list?
I have read RO Winstedt's A History of Malaya several times and although I do not agree with many of his conclusions and his somewhat condescending views, I cannot see reason why it should be banned in Malaysia. (This book was first published as Part 1, Volume X111 in March 1935 by the Malayan Branch of
the Royal Asiatic Society.)
See image of Amazon.com Checkout page.
Labels: Censorship
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No used-book sold at Amazon.com can be shipped to Malaysia. Buying a new book is not the same as buying an old book from Amazon.com. So the problem may not be censorship. On this Amazon.com webpage, http://tinyurl.com/y5a88k, it is stated,
Note: non-U.S. buyers at Amazon Marketplace [used-book buyers] must be located in a country covered by Amazon.com Payments. Malaysia (and Singapore) is not covered.
Note: non-U.S. buyers at Amazon Marketplace [used-book buyers] must be located in a country covered by Amazon.com Payments. Malaysia (and Singapore) is not covered.
# posted by 
: 4:03 AM
: 4:03 AM
Thank you for that clarification. With books getting banned left and right in the country now, I guess this bit made us a little jittery. Cheers.
just to pass on some info. hope it's of use. if anybody is interested to get second hand books , why not try http://www.alibris.com/. i've ordered quite a number of second hand books here. it's very reliable.
# posted by : 8:48 PM
: 8:48 PM
You could also try contacting the Amazon seller directly, who might be able to offer a way around the block. We've managed for several customers.
# posted by : 12:01 AM
: 12:01 AM
I'm from Bulgaria and I have the same problem. I'm trying to buy some used books (Herbert Schildt) and it says the same :^)
Is there any way to buy these books, or not? I thought I won't have any problems with amazon.com, but it seems i was wrong!!!
Is there any way to buy these books, or not? I thought I won't have any problems with amazon.com, but it seems i was wrong!!!
# posted by : 7:30 AM
: 7:30 AM
if you buy it new, i don't think amazon.com has any prob with it... i'm thinking of buying one over the net, but would custom tear off the banned book on arrival? anyone has any experience?
try betterworld.com/book
they offer competitive shipping
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try betterworld.com/book
they offer competitive shipping
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Thursday, December 14, 2006
Banned books - letter to the PM
Now that the letters (with 50 signatures) to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Culture (and a host of others) have been delivered, what do we do next? Twiddle our thumbs and wait? Wait for what? Something has to be done, yes, but what and by whom? We have been told that this matter was actually raised in the parliament but it was neatly sidestepped and ignored. Truth is, very few in the Government, and in the opposition, actually care. There are more 'important' issues.
Yes, we cannot disagree with that. Like for instance, why are un-elected petty desk officers running the country? Does the Minister know what is going on? Do the senior officers in the Ministry have any control over what is happening on the ground?
A representative of one of the distributors was in the office sometime last week. Where is the list of banned books you promised, we asked him. No lah, my boss does not want to get involved, he said, After they stop all our shipment from Singapore … susah lah. We told him that, perhaps, they should stop selling books and switch to selling rice, sugar and ikan bilis instead, for all the testicular fortitude they have. This is precisely what book banners and book burners thrive on: fear. And book banning and book burning is where it all starts.
Truth is, we know very well how things happen (and or don't happen) in this country. Don't rock the boat; accept all humiliation, every injustice, live in disgrace and make money. Dignity is for losers. That should be our national motto.
Anyway while we wait for anything, if at all, to happen let us entertain ourselves with extracts from the three newspaper articles on the subject that appeared recently:
3rd December 2006, The Star: Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Fu Ah Kiow is quoted, "We ban titles, not authors." Good YAB Tim Mentri. Then why are all titles by Salman Rusdie being stopped at Johor Baru? Are you aware of this? Do you have any control?
4th December 2006, The Sun: The secretary of the publications and Quranic texts control division, Che Din Yusoh said that the Minister could use "absolute discretion' to "gazette undesirable publications". Another good one. Question: is this power also given to every desk officer in the division? But the following is interesting: 'Che Din said … that officers at each entry point might have different lists'. Huh? Might have? But this is one takes the cake: As the country's moral guardian, we cannot let these books in. Did that make you cringe with shame? Yes, yes, we actually still have senior government officers in this country who can say such things in public without embarrassment. (And, yes, it will be year 2007 soon.)
5th December 2006, The Sun: Prof Lim Chee Seng has a few things to say: In a democracy, you should be training people to deal with these books ... and not try to keep the books away from them as if they were children, and, of course, there is the Prof Lim's quote from IR Richards "... a book is a machine to think with ..."
That explains everything, doesn't it? Is there a politician in the world who likes a population that can think?
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Yes, we cannot disagree with that. Like for instance, why are un-elected petty desk officers running the country? Does the Minister know what is going on? Do the senior officers in the Ministry have any control over what is happening on the ground?
A representative of one of the distributors was in the office sometime last week. Where is the list of banned books you promised, we asked him. No lah, my boss does not want to get involved, he said, After they stop all our shipment from Singapore … susah lah. We told him that, perhaps, they should stop selling books and switch to selling rice, sugar and ikan bilis instead, for all the testicular fortitude they have. This is precisely what book banners and book burners thrive on: fear. And book banning and book burning is where it all starts.
Truth is, we know very well how things happen (and or don't happen) in this country. Don't rock the boat; accept all humiliation, every injustice, live in disgrace and make money. Dignity is for losers. That should be our national motto.
Anyway while we wait for anything, if at all, to happen let us entertain ourselves with extracts from the three newspaper articles on the subject that appeared recently:
3rd December 2006, The Star: Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Fu Ah Kiow is quoted, "We ban titles, not authors." Good YAB Tim Mentri. Then why are all titles by Salman Rusdie being stopped at Johor Baru? Are you aware of this? Do you have any control?
4th December 2006, The Sun: The secretary of the publications and Quranic texts control division, Che Din Yusoh said that the Minister could use "absolute discretion' to "gazette undesirable publications". Another good one. Question: is this power also given to every desk officer in the division? But the following is interesting: 'Che Din said … that officers at each entry point might have different lists'. Huh? Might have? But this is one takes the cake: As the country's moral guardian, we cannot let these books in. Did that make you cringe with shame? Yes, yes, we actually still have senior government officers in this country who can say such things in public without embarrassment. (And, yes, it will be year 2007 soon.)
5th December 2006, The Sun: Prof Lim Chee Seng has a few things to say: In a democracy, you should be training people to deal with these books ... and not try to keep the books away from them as if they were children, and, of course, there is the Prof Lim's quote from IR Richards "... a book is a machine to think with ..."
That explains everything, doesn't it? Is there a politician in the world who likes a population that can think?
Labels: Censorship
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Would it be helful if those interested in the work of Silverfish, who live outside Malaysia, were to make some form of protest at what seems to be random choice of books to be banned? I live in London, England, UK, and would be happy to write to someone about this, either in Malaysia, or to PEN or one of the main literary groups in this country who are concerned about free speech/literature? Let me know.
Elizsabeth Vice, London W14
Mrselizabethvice@Gmail.com
Elizsabeth Vice, London W14
Mrselizabethvice@Gmail.com
# posted by : 6:46 PM
: 6:46 PM
Thank you for your email and your offer of help. At this time all help will be welcome as it appears we are slowly creeping towards the dark ages. It is often forgotten that the function of a democratic government is not only to allow freedom of expression, but to cherish and ensure the growth of that freedom. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.
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Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Banned books - the saga continues
It was another routine stock replenishment order. Then came the shock: the distributor is unable to supply copies of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children because the book had been 'restricted' in Malaysia by the KDN.
Our initial reaction was to laugh out loud. Who are these people? Midnight's Children, published in 1980, won the Booker in 1981 and won the Booker of Bookers in 1993. Every self-respecting reader in the country has not only read the book, but owns a special sentimental copy. Now, after 26 years, some barely literate little Napoleon - to borrow Pak Lah's term - sitting behind a KDN desk in Johor Bahru has decided that the book is not suitable for Malaysians.
We spoke to the distributor of this title. He confirmed that all Salman Rushdie books are now getting the 'treatment'. He related how he tried to ship in the hardback edition of Shalimar the Clown, and was told that it was 'restricted'. He didn't argue. He says he never argues, because he wants the rest of the shipment to go through. This is how all Malaysian (and Singaporean) shippers are treated. If they decide to argue, every single one of the hundred odd boxes will be detained for 'further inspection', if not ripped open right there on the tarmac. If a complaint is made 'further up', this treatment can be expected for every subsequent shipment. It is not surprising then that distributors prefer to suffer in silence, while we readers live in Coetzee's Disgrace, where victimising victims and shooting messangers is a national culture.
(I want to tell you an interesting story here. This was some years ago, during the Khalil Gibran incident, when I was young and foolish enough to think that I could clear books from KLIA on my own without an agent. The book was Sex, Scotch and Scholarship by Kushwant Singh. It was quite obvious that the woman in charge recognised at least one of the 's' words. She kept turning the book over and over, flipping through the pages, peering at the written words as if trying to find something - I suppose, incriminating. Faris and I watched, quite amused. Finally she returned the book to the box. "Too many words," Faris said.)
Anyway coming back to the distributor, some weeks later he tried to import another bunch of books with the paperback edition of Shalimar the Clown in it. To use his words regarding Salman Rushdie's books: ... they are not consistent ... depends on luck, if they happen to see kena la. (For the information of those who don't know, every shipment of books must be accompanied by a packing list.) So the 'restriction' of books depends on who is sitting behind that desk at any point in time, what the person had for breakfast, his 'current' relationship with his wife, parents, in-laws and children and probably, lunar cycles ... amongst others.)
We have managed to get a list of over a hundred from (only) one distributor and we have posted it here for your information, entertainment and outrage. We suspect your reactions will follow a pattern similar to ours. First, laughter. What were they thinking? Some of the titles are really bizarre. Next, sadness. What's wrong with these guys? What's wrong with this country? Then, outrage. Who the hell is this little Napolean, who can barely spell his own name, to tell me what I can and cannot read? And finally: If this is how the KDN operates, how about the other Ministries and Departments? (There are obviously two layers of lawmakers in this country. One: the elected Government and Members of Parliament. Two, a Kafkaesque brigade of barely literates sitting behind desks in various government departments making rules as they like, when they like, as they go along.) Is that a scary thought or what? (Don't be alarmed by the high pitch, whining noise you here at this point. It is a well documented feature of little - and, sometimes, big - Napoleon-dom.)
Guide to using THE LIST: Get a few friends. Type the ISBN number as it appears, into Amazon or Google to get details of the book. Giggle. Try and guess why it has been 'restricted'. (It is more fun if you have your friends around you and your computer, peering over your shoulders and making irreverent comments. Advice: irreverent is good. Try not to get too serious because your sanity is at stake here.) Make a game of it. Count the number of 'restricted' books on the list you and your friends have. No cheating, you must produce the book as evidence. Decide what the winner gets. Then have a party. Read passages from the book, especially those that you think might have offended the little Napoleons. (I know, I know: they can't read. Just pretend, okay?) After you have milked enough fun out of it, adjourn to the nearest mamak shop for some sickly sweet tea, roti canai and outrage.
Note 1: some of you might say, "But I have seen that book in the shops!" You will be absolutely right. They would have been imported directly by air, or they might be old stock. The books on the list have been seized by the KDN staff in Johor Bahru and the distributors have been issued with 'restriction' orders. But the same books may have been legally imported through KLIA for instance. Who is calling George Bush a cowboy?! It is only a matter of degree.
Note 2: The undisputed champion on the list is Salman Rushdie, but you will also find Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Anthony Burgess and Alan Hollinghurst.
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Our initial reaction was to laugh out loud. Who are these people? Midnight's Children, published in 1980, won the Booker in 1981 and won the Booker of Bookers in 1993. Every self-respecting reader in the country has not only read the book, but owns a special sentimental copy. Now, after 26 years, some barely literate little Napoleon - to borrow Pak Lah's term - sitting behind a KDN desk in Johor Bahru has decided that the book is not suitable for Malaysians.
We spoke to the distributor of this title. He confirmed that all Salman Rushdie books are now getting the 'treatment'. He related how he tried to ship in the hardback edition of Shalimar the Clown, and was told that it was 'restricted'. He didn't argue. He says he never argues, because he wants the rest of the shipment to go through. This is how all Malaysian (and Singaporean) shippers are treated. If they decide to argue, every single one of the hundred odd boxes will be detained for 'further inspection', if not ripped open right there on the tarmac. If a complaint is made 'further up', this treatment can be expected for every subsequent shipment. It is not surprising then that distributors prefer to suffer in silence, while we readers live in Coetzee's Disgrace, where victimising victims and shooting messangers is a national culture.
(I want to tell you an interesting story here. This was some years ago, during the Khalil Gibran incident, when I was young and foolish enough to think that I could clear books from KLIA on my own without an agent. The book was Sex, Scotch and Scholarship by Kushwant Singh. It was quite obvious that the woman in charge recognised at least one of the 's' words. She kept turning the book over and over, flipping through the pages, peering at the written words as if trying to find something - I suppose, incriminating. Faris and I watched, quite amused. Finally she returned the book to the box. "Too many words," Faris said.)
Anyway coming back to the distributor, some weeks later he tried to import another bunch of books with the paperback edition of Shalimar the Clown in it. To use his words regarding Salman Rushdie's books: ... they are not consistent ... depends on luck, if they happen to see kena la. (For the information of those who don't know, every shipment of books must be accompanied by a packing list.) So the 'restriction' of books depends on who is sitting behind that desk at any point in time, what the person had for breakfast, his 'current' relationship with his wife, parents, in-laws and children and probably, lunar cycles ... amongst others.)
We have managed to get a list of over a hundred from (only) one distributor and we have posted it here for your information, entertainment and outrage. We suspect your reactions will follow a pattern similar to ours. First, laughter. What were they thinking? Some of the titles are really bizarre. Next, sadness. What's wrong with these guys? What's wrong with this country? Then, outrage. Who the hell is this little Napolean, who can barely spell his own name, to tell me what I can and cannot read? And finally: If this is how the KDN operates, how about the other Ministries and Departments? (There are obviously two layers of lawmakers in this country. One: the elected Government and Members of Parliament. Two, a Kafkaesque brigade of barely literates sitting behind desks in various government departments making rules as they like, when they like, as they go along.) Is that a scary thought or what? (Don't be alarmed by the high pitch, whining noise you here at this point. It is a well documented feature of little - and, sometimes, big - Napoleon-dom.)
Guide to using THE LIST: Get a few friends. Type the ISBN number as it appears, into Amazon or Google to get details of the book. Giggle. Try and guess why it has been 'restricted'. (It is more fun if you have your friends around you and your computer, peering over your shoulders and making irreverent comments. Advice: irreverent is good. Try not to get too serious because your sanity is at stake here.) Make a game of it. Count the number of 'restricted' books on the list you and your friends have. No cheating, you must produce the book as evidence. Decide what the winner gets. Then have a party. Read passages from the book, especially those that you think might have offended the little Napoleons. (I know, I know: they can't read. Just pretend, okay?) After you have milked enough fun out of it, adjourn to the nearest mamak shop for some sickly sweet tea, roti canai and outrage.
Note 1: some of you might say, "But I have seen that book in the shops!" You will be absolutely right. They would have been imported directly by air, or they might be old stock. The books on the list have been seized by the KDN staff in Johor Bahru and the distributors have been issued with 'restriction' orders. But the same books may have been legally imported through KLIA for instance. Who is calling George Bush a cowboy?! It is only a matter of degree.
Note 2: The undisputed champion on the list is Salman Rushdie, but you will also find Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Anthony Burgess and Alan Hollinghurst.
Labels: Censorship
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Gabriel Garcia Marquez? I went through the list twice but didn't see a book I recognize... which book is it?
It is a very silly list. It makes me want to run out to the bookstores and grab these books before they're removed!
It is a very silly list. It makes me want to run out to the bookstores and grab these books before they're removed!
# posted by : 7:53 PM
: 7:53 PM
I felt the same way - to quickly run and grab those books asap! Come on! Several of these books have been around for many years e.g. SPG series, No money no honey, etc.
Hmm...we definitely should avoid usage of certain words for a book title (should we decide to write a book in this country): Sex/Seduction/Nude/Erotic/Etc.
Having said that, the content doesn't matter as it seemed that the 'banner' does not care, as long as the cover is 'decent'.
Hmm...we definitely should avoid usage of certain words for a book title (should we decide to write a book in this country): Sex/Seduction/Nude/Erotic/Etc.
Having said that, the content doesn't matter as it seemed that the 'banner' does not care, as long as the cover is 'decent'.
# posted by : 6:23 AM
: 6:23 AM
Wow, this list is appalling. Is the government of Malaysia so fragile that a few books might cause it's downfall?
# posted by : 6:11 PM
: 6:11 PM
I was taken aback to read that Midnight's Children is banned in Malaysia!
I have a copy of the book which I bought about 10 years ago at a 2nd hand bookshop at Central Market.
It was a super read and the pages are yellowed with age. Knowing that the book is banned in Malaysia makes having a copy feel delicious!!
I feel sorry for the chaps at KDN -so shallow to snub the absolutely brilliant Rushdie.
I have a copy of the book which I bought about 10 years ago at a 2nd hand bookshop at Central Market.
It was a super read and the pages are yellowed with age. Knowing that the book is banned in Malaysia makes having a copy feel delicious!!
I feel sorry for the chaps at KDN -so shallow to snub the absolutely brilliant Rushdie.
I just can't believe this as well. Have Midnight's Children and just can't begin to understand the ridiculous action taken by the KDN. Is there anything between the ears of these guys? Anyways, I reckon anything also can in Bolehland.
# posted by : 11:00 PM
: 11:00 PM
Gawd! I know how you guys feel. I don't import books to sell but I have placed some order for romance novels thru Acmamall and one order had two books confiscated and the other order, all 3 of the books were confiscated.
I couldn't for the life of me figure out why they kept confiscating the books..sure it had supernatural elements but so did many other of the books that are in the market. I just wish that they'd give reasons on why they confiscate the books. I was so upset that I was practically seething in anger as I had wanted those very books to complete a collection.
Was the cover too suggestive? Plenty of other covers were more suggestive than what I ordered. Was the title too suggestive or supernaturally i.e. demon, ghost etc...not really..plenty of titles have those words in it.
I know they're trying to do their jobs but this is bordering on the ridiculous...I've checked on the very same titles that I bought years ago thru the same channel and it was deemed 'not for sale in Malaysia'. What is going on?
And to cause trouble for the suppliers if they complain to the higher ups, it smacks of blackmail. 'Do as I say or else...'
What I read is nobody's business. I think I can decide for myself what I should read and what I shouldn't read. As long as I'm not buying books on how to build bombs etc it shouldn't matter to them what I read. Yeah, I am still mad about those confiscated books 2 months after the whole incident
I couldn't for the life of me figure out why they kept confiscating the books..sure it had supernatural elements but so did many other of the books that are in the market. I just wish that they'd give reasons on why they confiscate the books. I was so upset that I was practically seething in anger as I had wanted those very books to complete a collection.
Was the cover too suggestive? Plenty of other covers were more suggestive than what I ordered. Was the title too suggestive or supernaturally i.e. demon, ghost etc...not really..plenty of titles have those words in it.
I know they're trying to do their jobs but this is bordering on the ridiculous...I've checked on the very same titles that I bought years ago thru the same channel and it was deemed 'not for sale in Malaysia'. What is going on?
And to cause trouble for the suppliers if they complain to the higher ups, it smacks of blackmail. 'Do as I say or else...'
What I read is nobody's business. I think I can decide for myself what I should read and what I shouldn't read. As long as I'm not buying books on how to build bombs etc it shouldn't matter to them what I read. Yeah, I am still mad about those confiscated books 2 months after the whole incident
# posted by : 1:08 AM
: 1:08 AM
Now that Salman Rushdie's books are banned, makes me want to go out and get myself a copy. Malayan Trilogy banned? I've read it. Can't for the life of me see what's harmful about it compared to the steamy Malay novels sold at the newsstands. More harmful 'literature' is flashed around at the UMNO general assembly. It's obvious the fellas that decide on this list don't read the books. I suggest you get your copy of Fanny Hill from the Penguin section of any bookstore before they come to their senses. I say the pirated DVD guys should start pirating those banned books. Long live the free economy!
On another note, my copy of Time magazine's 60 something people was censored. Two men had their mouths blackended by a marker pen. Nope. Not one of them is Howard Stern (one of them is Muhammad Ali Jinnah!), neither were they engaging in something that was recently allowed in Singapore. I think they had cigars in their mouths. Or a carrot stick.
On another note, my copy of Time magazine's 60 something people was censored. Two men had their mouths blackended by a marker pen. Nope. Not one of them is Howard Stern (one of them is Muhammad Ali Jinnah!), neither were they engaging in something that was recently allowed in Singapore. I think they had cigars in their mouths. Or a carrot stick.
# posted by : 7:27 PM
: 7:27 PM
this is indeed a sad state of affairs. i remember fondly how a similiarly inclined friend and i were raving about 'midnight's children' more than 10 years to anyone who cared to stop and listen to us. it was a singular testament to the wonder of the written word. nothing we had read before prepared us for this book and its beauty and depth. it literally left us stunned at the last page. i pity the future generations of malaysians who will never know let alone read this book.
The Malayan Trilogy on banned list? I bought my copy more than 10 yrs ago in UM bookstore although it had a different title...
Maybe the citizens of the town called "Langkap" is up in arms with the book.
Midnight Children, bought it more than 5 yrs back...now banned? What next..Pirsig's Zen or Rushdie's Haroun?
Maybe the citizens of the town called "Langkap" is up in arms with the book.
Midnight Children, bought it more than 5 yrs back...now banned? What next..Pirsig's Zen or Rushdie's Haroun?
It feels very naughty knowing that I have a 30+ year old copy of Anthony Burgess' The Malayan Trilogy in my possesion.If my memory serves me right, my copy was printed in 1969, with a beautifully painted cover and still in very good condition. Now that I know it is banned for sale in Malaysia, it makes it that much more valuable. Helps having a father who's an avid reader. That being said, the banning of these books just goes to show how inconsistent KDN is on determining which books are allowed and which books are considered "harmful".
# posted by : 8:25 PM
: 8:25 PM
Even Dora gets censored... what the hell is going on with Malaysia? Dora is just a kid and the kids love her... SHEESH!!!!
I thought I saw The Divine Secrets of Ya-Ya Sisterhood books in store a couple of years ago. I even saw the movie on HBO.
Midnight's Children (Paperback)
http://www.acmamall.com/rethink.books?id=1f0e3dad99908345f7439f8ffabdffc4&ncache=8be056db0574aa588b1a01519ffcbffb&pid=2063044
http://www.acmamall.com/rethink.books?id=1f0e3dad99908345f7439f8ffabdffc4&ncache=8be056db0574aa588b1a01519ffcbffb&pid=2063044
# posted by : 11:19 PM
: 11:19 PM
i remember borrowing and reading (but not finishing) the midnight's children from national library... I wonder
And I have a copy of filth... probably banned because the cover has a picture of a pig.
i'm buying the book history of god online (and several other karen's books)and still waiting. will the book be tore? mmm...
I read (and finish) shalimar the clown... also from National Library. Wonder again
Malayan Trilogy?
Breastfeeding Your Baby? ---This is going to be fun!
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And I have a copy of filth... probably banned because the cover has a picture of a pig.
i'm buying the book history of god online (and several other karen's books)and still waiting. will the book be tore? mmm...
I read (and finish) shalimar the clown... also from National Library. Wonder again
Malayan Trilogy?
Breastfeeding Your Baby? ---This is going to be fun!
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Thursday, October 19, 2006
More on banned books
Sharon sent me an email yesterday morning if it was true that Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. I know the book has been making its rounds for a while. I have not read the book myself; firstly because I have a certain aversion to big books these days, and secondly, due to my own personal prejudices. (One Tamil boy called Patel is enough.) Anyway, I made a few phone calls and confirmed the worst.
This is the third book this month. So far this year the distributors have told us that we cannot order the following books because they have been banned. The Malayan Trilogy by Anthony Burgess, Immortality and Laughable Loves by Milan Kundera, 1001 Arabian Nights, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang and, Penguin says, all books by Khalil Gibran.
I have also been busy trying to acquire a list of banned books, I mean books that have actually been banned ie gazetted as prohibited under the Printing Presses and Publications (Control of Undesirable Publications) Act, for a long time - ever since all my Khalil Gibrans got nicked by the KDN at KLIA seven years ago, despite the books being available in every other bookshop in KL at that time. Anyway, I finally managed to get one with the help of some friends. I have posted it in PDF format if you'd like to take a look at it. (Read it here, some of it is really funny. Good party material. There is even one called Kunci Mencari Rezeki (2002) published by a company called the Speedy Self Study System!! Go figure.)
From the list one can conclude that that the government has major issues with sex, religion and, to a much smaller extent, drugs. Many of the banned books on sex are in Chinese and a few in English. One interesting note: the Chinese translation of Lady Chatterley's Lover (2000) has been banned, but not the English original. Hmmm! I don't know much about the Chinese books, but there is a certain surrealism about the English list. I mean, this is a country that allows free import and distribution of 'hard-core' porn Fanny Hill (what do they think that it is, a schoolgirl mystery novel?) and prebuscent children are allowed to watch and imitate MTV or Channel V which, to me, is little more that soft porn.
I wonder how many of you read this June 23, 2006 report Porn Up, Rape Down Anthony D'Amato Of Northwestern University - School of Law in the US. Here is the abstract: The incidence of rape in the United States has declined 85% in the past 25 years while access to pornography has become freely available to teenagers and adults. The Nixon and Reagan Commissions tried to show that exposure to pornographic materials produced social violence. The reverse may be true: that pornography has reduced social violence. (Read it here.)
There is no necessity to get your knickers in a knot over that report. You don't have to agree with it. But to me, it does stand to reason. This should mean that countries with more liberal attitudes and policies towards sex, should have less sex crimes. Is that a fact? It sure appears that way from afar.
And how about religion? Is religious tolerance directly proportional to liberal politics and society, or the reverse?
Anyway, coming back to book banning; one there is the official ban with the papers signed off by the Home Minister or his Deputy, then there is the other 'ban', arbitrary and unpredictable. It is almost as if there are two authorities running in parallel. The first one is quite clear-cut (even if you don't agree with it). The second is pure Kafka. Case in point: none of the books that have been proscribed by the KDN this year (according to the distributors) have been gazetted. Is the Minister aware of this?
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there's another paper by Todd Kendall of Clemson U that supports the same hypothesis. It's here
# posted by : 8:28 PM
: 8:28 PM
i cant believe this!!
i really need those books for my college
here ive been googling and this is what i got, the book is banned?
why on earth my lecturer suggested the book to study when the access to this material is impossible!
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i really need those books for my college
here ive been googling and this is what i got, the book is banned?
why on earth my lecturer suggested the book to study when the access to this material is impossible!
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Monday, October 09, 2006
Commonwealth Prizes and Banned Books
Commonwealth Prize
We received an email and entry forms for the 2007 Prize recently from an assistant working on the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, a literary award established in 1987 to 'reward the upsurge of new Commonwealth fiction and ensure that works of merit reach a wider audience outside their country of origin'. (Previous winners include, Andrea Levy, Louis de Bernieres, J.M. Coetzee, Zadie Smith and Vikram Seth.)
As we know, The Prize is open to any Commonwealth citizen and any work of fiction is eligible with the exception of any work written for children alone, or drama or poetry. (From their website.)
They said they were currently updating their publisher lists for the 2007 Prize. It’s great that Silverfish Books has been noticed by The Commonwealth Writer's Prize organisation. Now, if only we had writers to nominate ...
More books banned in Malaysia
Latest in the list of casualties is Immortality and Laughable Loves by Milan Kundera. We can practically hear your, wha-aa-at? We can only say, to those who are new here, "Welcome to Malaysia."
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We received an email and entry forms for the 2007 Prize recently from an assistant working on the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, a literary award established in 1987 to 'reward the upsurge of new Commonwealth fiction and ensure that works of merit reach a wider audience outside their country of origin'. (Previous winners include, Andrea Levy, Louis de Bernieres, J.M. Coetzee, Zadie Smith and Vikram Seth.)
As we know, The Prize is open to any Commonwealth citizen and any work of fiction is eligible with the exception of any work written for children alone, or drama or poetry. (From their website.)
They said they were currently updating their publisher lists for the 2007 Prize. It’s great that Silverfish Books has been noticed by The Commonwealth Writer's Prize organisation. Now, if only we had writers to nominate ...
More books banned in Malaysia
Latest in the list of casualties is Immortality and Laughable Loves by Milan Kundera. We can practically hear your, wha-aa-at? We can only say, to those who are new here, "Welcome to Malaysia."
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it's horrifying to hear of more books "banned" and many thanks for highlighting this
was it JB KDN who restricted them again?
am so glad to see you blogging at last.
was it JB KDN who restricted them again?
am so glad to see you blogging at last.
Actually I am not really blogging in the true sense of the word. What I am doing is using the Blog engine to manage my web pages. As one blogger says, I am using it as a "information management system". Saves me a bit of time with HTML and ASP. But it is a bit of a pain because it can be very slow. I am more used to the much faster FTP uploads.
Raman
Raman
Hi,
I think the blogs is used for different purposes,like jobs purposes,Business purposes,Shopping purposes and many many more.In my point of view the blogs are very helpful for the users,They can gets by blogs solutions of many problems and difficulties.
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I think the blogs is used for different purposes,like jobs purposes,Business purposes,Shopping purposes and many many more.In my point of view the blogs are very helpful for the users,They can gets by blogs solutions of many problems and difficulties.
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