"The Ministry of Home Affairs has banned 24 books this year as of October, more than all the books it banned in the past six years combined and the most in any single year since 2017. This year's banned titles include thrillers and romance novels, a collection of poems titled "Masturbation," non-fiction books about Islam, and guides on puberty for pre-teens."
""That can only show how regressive we are becoming and how the democratic space is actually shrinking," PEN Malaysia president Mahi Ramakrishnan told DW. "We cannot have dialogue. We are told what to do and books are taken off the shelves, and all we can do is watch or protest. And if we protest, we can also get into more trouble," she added."
Malaysia banned 24 books through October, more than in the previous six years combined and the most in a year since 2017. Titles include thrillers, romance, a poetry collection titled "Masturbation," non-fiction on Islam, and puberty guides. Nearly half touch on LGBTQ themes, including Call Me by Your Name. Homosexuality is illegal and renouncing Islam can be punished by religious courts; all ethnic Malays are legally Muslim. The Ministry said bans prevent dissemination of elements or ideologies that may jeopardize national security and public order. PEN Malaysia called the spike a shocking curb on free expression and warned democratic space is shrinking.
Read at www.dw.com
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