Yes, it seems that there is a going to be a ban on the book Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times. The Malay Mail reports that the Home Ministry's Quran Publication Control and Text Division division :... found the book by veteran Australian journalist Barry Wain to have content that was not only erroneous but also damaging to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.The former PM says that he wanted the book to be released and said that he did not need any protection :
In his blog, Dr Mahathir welcomed the suggestion saying that the commission should not be confined to one prime minister alone but should also look into Tun Abdullah Badawi’s tenure as prime minister.(Here's what he says on his blog about it.)
Surely it is better for everything to be out in the open, and allegations scrutinised and either refuted, or fully investigated? Banning the book is in no-one's best interests and simply demonstrates that the present government is unwilling to face up to issues that are undeniably in the public interest.
Another good review of the book by Din Merican can be found here.
3 comments:
Surely these people know the more they try to hide something, the more it gets dug up?
I don't think their best interest is in protecting Dr M's reputation, when the man himself welcomes the book. Worried that other political parties may use what's in the book to attack them perhaps?
This is still stupid. Banning knowledge. Bah! People still travel overseas. They still can but the book elsewhere. Making things harder for people by banning the book locally is just plain stupid. I mean, an outsider wrote a book about our local hero, what's not to applaud?
After all, Jeanne D' Arc had been called crazy and a heretic, and was subsequently burned as a witch, but she still is a hero. With all the wrongs Dr M did, there are so much more things that he did right.
Maybe they're banning it to improve sales.
-Jen
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