Don't Give a Toot to the Malaysian Internal Security Ministry
Reader comment on item: John Esposito and Karen Armstrong – Banned in Malaysia

Submitted by Marco Hiirata (Malaysia), Feb 13, 2008 at 12:51

Dear readers, as a Malaysian I can tell that not all Malaysians agree with the government's policies, especially on integrity, transparency, human rights, free speech on so forth. When it comes to the filtering process here in Malaysia, it is really of personal taste of whoever-is-the-decison-maker sitting on the chair.

We Malaysian are a stuck-up society yet to mature. The situation is really a contrast when you take a boat ride to Indonesia where openness is everywhere. I can buy books of all sorts in Jakarta. Many of the Islamic books banned in Malaysia can be purchased there. Perhaps it is their ideology of Pancasila; I dont know.

I have yet to read Esposito's banned book but I managed to borrow "Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam" from my brother in law who is Prof at a university here. BTW, I have also read Satanic Verses. Nothing much to it really. Mild fiction to me. Doesnt lose my faith reading it.

So please dont get too hype if our Malaysian government ban books here. We are able to get it in many other ways. And trust me, we dont give a toot about this cuckoo government anyway.

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