Book Publishing in Malaysia

source: thestar.com.my

Peter Mayle is a British author famous for his series of books detailing life in France. He published a book in 1984 titled 'Where Did I Come From' describing the reproductive process from intercourse to birth.According to a report by The Star (2012), the Home Ministry has banned the sale and production of  'Where Did I Come From' book due to the contents in the book are no appropriate which could harm the moral of the community. Burrokers (2012), said that this book is deemed too obscene for Malaysia. This book has been sold around 2 million copies and some find it useful, yet some find it offensive and embarrassed as this book might harm their moral values.



According to Kress (1998), every document design must suit with the specific culture before its actually designed and published. Hence, The person to blame here is not so much about the writer because his writings and products may be accepted in his country but this country has a different set of values (Herriman 2012). Sani (2005) stated that the government in Malaysia has restricted media freedom for the purpose of national security and political stability. Although this information might be useful to some individual but i think it is not suitable for kids who are age under 12 as their mind is still not mature and know what exactly is right and wrong. They might be curious of it and have done it accidentally. 

Hence, in my opinion, if this book will to publish, they should should understand their audience, purpose and context. This kind of exposure and knowledge should be known by teenagers who are age above 12 to educate them as they reach their puberty stage.

 
As stated by Kassam (2010, p.99) Malaysia as an islamic country ban books and movies which are "insensitive for religious and moral reasons". Hence, Umno Youth’s Datuk Muhd Khairun Aseh said that many complaints were received due to the book’s graphic description of lovemaking between two people (Chong, 2012). Therefore, this book is banned under section 7 Subsection 1 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 because they contain elements harmful to public morals and the interests of the public (Herriman 2012). Hence, "Malaysia media laws to restrain disemmination of information and journalism ethics are crucial to support national aspirations including those that are definitive and not to gag the mass media, and they have moulded Malaysia into a country that is orderly and harmonious, peaceful and prosperous" (Berita2u.tk 2013). 

 In conclusion, this type of books which are too sexually exposed are not suitable for children under 12. Hence, it is a good decision for Malaysia to ban this book as our culture are different from the culture of the other culture. In order to make sure that no one is publishing it, anyone importing or selling it could face a jail sentence and a fine of up to 20,000 ringgit (BBC 2012).

 References

  BBC News, 2012, Malaysia 'Bans' Peter Mayle Book Where Did I Come From, viewed 1st June 2013, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17112635>.

 Berita2u.1k 2013, Country in Chaos if No Media Laws: Media Specialists, viewed 1st June 2013, <http://www.berita2u.tk/country-in-chaos-if-no-media-laws-media-specialists/>.

 Burrokers, L 2012, 'Images from the book deemed 'Too Obscene' for Malaysia', viewed 1st June 2013, <http://www.loyarburok.com/2012/02/21/book-obscene/>.

 Chong, D 2012, Home Ministry shelves children’s book on sex education, The Malaysian Insider, viewed  1st June 2013, <http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/malaysia/article/home-ministry-shelves-childrens-book-on-sex-education/> 

Herriman, R 2012, Malaysia: banned children's books, "Where Did I Come From" could land you in jail, Examiner.com, viewed 1st June 2013, <http://www.examiner.com/article/malaysia-banned-children-s-book-where-did-i-come-from-could-land-you-jail>

Kassam, Z 2010, Women and Islam, ABC-CLIO, LLC, California. Kress, G & Van Leeuwen, T, 1998, 'Front Pages: The Critical Analysis of a Newspaper Layout', in Bell A, Garret P, 'Approaches to Media Discourse', Blackwell, Oxford Publication, pp. 186 - 219. 

Sani, MAM 2005, 'Media Freedom in Malaysia', ProQuest, Journal of Contemporary Asia, vol. 35, no. 3.

The Star, 2012, Ministry Bans 'Where Did I Come From' book, viewed 1st June 2013, <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/22/nation/20120222153939&sec=nation>.