PEN Malaysia has issued a vigorous statement opposing the recent raid of a Kuala Lumpur bookstore. They view it as a deeply cynical act of intimidation that further erodes literary freedom. The Ministry of Home Affairs of Malaysia clamped down on Fixi bookstore for this. They confiscated a pair of horror novels from the “Jelik” series, which translates to “disgusting” in Malay. Customs authorities defended the seizure by claiming that the books threatened public morals. This episode is just the latest alarming example of the country’s rising tide of censorship.
The raid took place amid a broader crackdown on literature deemed inappropriate, particularly works that explore themes related to gender and sexuality. As fears of censorship grow, the voices against Malaysia’s laws are increasing. Consequently, bookstores experience heightened scrutiny from state and local authorities, making a perilous climate for publishers and authors alike.
Censorship and Intimidation
While the Ministry of Home Affairs did not back down, reiterating its position with staunch defence. They banned the books here based on a belief that they might corrupt the public morals. Failure to comply—and if you’re ever caught printing, importing, or circulating such banned literature—you will suffer steep penalties. These criminal violations are punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment and fines up to 20,000 Malaysian ringgit (around $7,200). In addition, people caught in possession of these titles would be subject to fines of up to 5,000 ringgit ($1,800).
PEN Malaysia condemned this raid, urging that it violates the fundamental freedom to publish, distribute, and sell literary works.
“This act of intimidation violates the right to publish, sell and freedom of literary works,” – PEN Malaysia
Chong Toh Si, founder of the independent Malaysian publisher and bookstore Gerakbudaya, expressed his worries about state repression. He said that authorities raid his shop a minimum of once per year, if not more often.
“They come at least once a year, and sometimes they do it more than once a year,” – Chong Toh Si
Growing List of Banned Books
The Malaysian government’s list of banned books keeps getting longer. As of 2023, at least 13 of these titles have been banned. These novels span a range of genres, from romance to young adult fiction, interrogating ideas of gender and sexuality along the way. Importantly, the focus has increased on censorship of literature by and about LGBTQ people. Same-sex acts are still criminalised in the country, which is almost entirely Muslim, although no one has been convicted in years.
Authors and publishers have made clear their disgust at the state’s growing power to regulate intolerable literary content. Kean Wong, an Australian journalist from Sydney, has been previously arrested for producing a non-fiction book that was declared banned by the state. For one thing, he underscored the futility of such censorship.
“You’re banning ideas from these books and the same ideas can be found anywhere else,” – Kean Wong
Scott Stuart is an award-winning, Melbourne-based author of children’s books. See what he said on the censorship of his picture book, My Shadow is Purple, from sale in Malaysia. He continued that in a de facto manner, the government is trying to ban messages around authenticity and self-acceptance.
“They chose to ban a book about being yourself,” – Scott Stuart
The Implications for Freedom of Expression
As the post-pandemic political landscape in Malaysia develops, many people still fear for the future of free expression around Malaysia. This mounting wave of book bans is a threat to the nation’s literature and discourse, now and into the future. Authors such as Amir Muhammad have suffered continuous censorship.
“This has happened to us four times,” – Amir Muhammad
Additionally, Anthony Langlois made a strong case for the cultivation of spaces for debate as an essential feature of a democratic society. He argued that democracy is strengthened through continual debate about who we are and what we stand for.
“The idea behind a democracy is that there is still this space where we have a constant, ongoing debate about who we want to be as a society,” – Anthony Langlois
2022 Youth Fellow Syaza Shukri noted that these bans often don’t serve the purpose they intend. She observed that in many instances, prohibition simply whets the appetite of the reader.
“I don’t think it works because it just intrigues people,” – Syaza Shukri
