New Straits Times (Malaysia)
August 10, 2006 Thursday
Even the banned list's been banned now
By Amir Muhammad
A FEW weeks ago, the authorities came out with a pamphlet that listed the
books that are banned from sale and circulation in Malaysia. There was
some public outcry. To address this, the pamphlet has been slapped with a
ban.
"The reason is quite obvious," said Freedom From Speech chairperson
Salmon-berry Chen. "We fear that exposure to the very titles of these
books will cause too much discussion. This should be the end of the
matter."
The 49-page booklet was seen in a few shops of dubious prestige last week.
But checks by this worthy organ confirm that they have been withdrawn from
circulation.
The ban on those books and the reasons for them were initially
controversial. One of them featured a cat named Garfield, considered
offensive for "glorifying orange felines that were not indigenous to this
country". Another featured a dog named Snoopy, and was withdrawn for
"seemingly conferring the powers of speech to an animal, therefore going
against the laws of nature". Now, even the titles of both these books can
no longer be printed.
The question remains: If we don't know what is banned, how can we take
action against those who continue to sell and circulate those dangerous
books? Chen dismissed this concern with a guffaw.
"The authorities have been instructed in a special way. Do not worry.
Those of us in power have a different way of speaking, anyway."
August 10, 2006 Thursday
Even the banned list's been banned now
By Amir Muhammad
A FEW weeks ago, the authorities came out with a pamphlet that listed the
books that are banned from sale and circulation in Malaysia. There was
some public outcry. To address this, the pamphlet has been slapped with a
ban.
"The reason is quite obvious," said Freedom From Speech chairperson
Salmon-berry Chen. "We fear that exposure to the very titles of these
books will cause too much discussion. This should be the end of the
matter."
The 49-page booklet was seen in a few shops of dubious prestige last week.
But checks by this worthy organ confirm that they have been withdrawn from
circulation.
The ban on those books and the reasons for them were initially
controversial. One of them featured a cat named Garfield, considered
offensive for "glorifying orange felines that were not indigenous to this
country". Another featured a dog named Snoopy, and was withdrawn for
"seemingly conferring the powers of speech to an animal, therefore going
against the laws of nature". Now, even the titles of both these books can
no longer be printed.
The question remains: If we don't know what is banned, how can we take
action against those who continue to sell and circulate those dangerous
books? Chen dismissed this concern with a guffaw.
"The authorities have been instructed in a special way. Do not worry.
Those of us in power have a different way of speaking, anyway."
posted by:
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Indiana
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Re: Malaysia: Even the banned list's been banned now
Mon, August 21, 2006 - 9:24 AM**The question remains: If we don't know what is banned, how can we take
action against those who continue to sell and circulate those dangerous
books? Chen dismissed this concern with a guffaw.
"The authorities have been instructed in a special way. Do not worry.
Those of us in power have a different way of speaking, anyway." **
Hrm... Sounds freakishly familiar:
DHS Official - "I'm sorry, but you're on a no-fly list for violation of TSA regulations. You can't board the plane."
Passenger - "I was unaware of any violations. Can you tell me what I've done wrong?"
DHS Official - "Again, sir, I'm sorry. The TSA regulations are a classified document. I cannot disclose the contents thereof."
Passenger - "I've broken a law that I'm not allowed to know about? Fantastic."
DHS Official - "Come with me, sir. We have a few questions we'd like to ask you..."
