| CIJ criticises seizure of Bibles in Kuching |
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| Local Alerts | |
| Friday, 06 November 2009 | |
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The
Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) opposes the recent confiscation
of Bibles in the Indonesian language (Bahasa Indonesia) in Kuching,
Sarawak because they used the term "Allah" for "God" in the text. The
confiscation is another example of abuse of the Printing Presses and
Publication Act (PPPA) 1987 to control public access to publications.
According to online news site Malaysiakini, the Home Ministry
confiscated 15,000 copies of the Bibles since September 2009. Under the
PPPA, the Home Ministry is empowered to restrict the sale and entry of
or ban publications that are deemed prejudicial to or likely to be
prejudicial to "public order, morality, security, and public or
national interest." The
translation, using the term "Allah" is a controversial issue in
Malaysia.
But
the lack of definition for these conditions has meant that publications
that challenge views propagated by the government are also targeted.
Under the same law, government officials can easily ignore demands by
the affected person or group to explain why actions were taken against
them. Writers whose books are banned are often not informed. Publishers
are vulnerable to unannounced restriction of sales and import of
titles, even if the titles have been allowed before. The public and
civil society are kept in the dark as to who and what are the
credentials of the people who decide for the nation what can and cannot
be read. In the case of the Bibles, even non citizens as the migrant
Christians from Indonesia are affected when their access to religious
text are denied. |
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