What's The Issue With This Book That Allegedly Insults Malaysia's Coat Of Arms? Bukit Aman's Classified Criminal Investigations Unit raided a company in Petaling Jaya and seized over 300 copies of the book on 30 June after political parties in the ruling coalition lodged more than two dozen police reports. The cover of a book Rebirth: Reformasi, Resistance, and Hope in New Malaysia have ruffled the feathers of many in the country
The book was published earlier this year before the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration, following which a new coalition, led by UMNO and PAS, under the name of Perikatan Nasional (PN) took over — a first in Malaysian history, which saw the federal government change without a general election.
The book is a collection of articles, reports, and political analysis surrounding the 14th General Election (GE14) when PH was voted to power and its cover features a pale-faced woman with a naked baby on top of her head while being flanked by two tigers bearing humanoid faces standing on top of a crocodile.
"More than a year after ordinary Malaysians did the extraordinary and voted out a government in power since 1957, a raw reality has set in. On the eve of a once-idealised 'Vision 2020' of modern Malaysia, Rebirth: Reformasi, Resistance, and Hope in New Malaysia questions an uncertain nation's possible futures," according to its now-deleted listing on Gerakbudaya, the book's publisher and distributor.
So far, 32 police reports have been lodged against it by people from UMNO and PAS, alleging desecration of the national symbol
In fact, Bukit Aman's Classified Criminal Investigations Unit has carried out a raid at a company in Petaling Jaya, Selangor that was distributing the books, where they seized over 300 copies.
"Based on the initial investigation, we received information that 1,000 units (of the book) were printed. We seized 313, while the rest were already distributed to customers who purchased the book online," Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Huzir Mohamed said in a statement.
While police have not arrested anyone so far, Huzir said that they will be calling up people connected with the book as part of their investigation under the Sedition Act, among others.
Malay Mail reported that Bukit Aman is investigating the case under Section 5 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, Section 8 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, and Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act.
The police action comes after several Islamist groups urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) to take action against the book and asked for a ban, alleging that it is 'provocative' and threatens public order.
Following which, on 29 June, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said that he has ordered the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to investigate and take strict action immediately.
"The government will not compromise against any party that takes such unpatriotic and irresponsible acts," he said in a Facebook statement, where he added it is an offence to imitate the Malaysian coat of arms.
For its part, Chong Ton Sin, the director and founder of Gerakbudaya, has said that there was no intention to insult the coat of arms
"We did not have any intention to insult anyone with the book cover, or any ill intention for using the image. Secondly, regardless of this being unintentional, I nevertheless would like to apologise to anyone who gets offended by the cover," he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini yesterday.
He then explained that the book cover was from a painting that had been exhibited in the country several years ago, and its usage on the book cover was arranged between the artist and the book editor.
"I did not think it would be a big deal or was even offensive because it is an old painting and felt it would not be a problem to make it the cover of a book," Chong told New Straits Times.
Corroborating Chong's claim that the cover was taken from an old painting, political graphic designer Fahmi Reza shared photos from the exhibition that took place in 2014 while Malaysia was under Barisan Nasional (BN) rule.
"To those who didn't know, the artwork that was used as the cover design on a book that allegedly disrespected the coat of arms was actually an old oil painting. It was displayed in a public art exhibition at a gallery in Kuala Lumpur during BN's time in 2014," Fahmi said on Twitter.
"It's erroneous to claim that an offence was committed"
According to Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963 only prohibits the use of the official coat of arms without the written permission of the Minister.
"It does not prohibit any artistic rendition inspired from the nation's coat of arms such as the one used on the cover of the book, which no sane person would mistake for the country's actual coat of arms," the human rights and law reform group said in a statement issued today, 1 July.
LFL also said that the other three laws under which the case is being investigated "are notoriously oppressive and anti-democratic" and "should not be utilised by the authorities ever again".
The group questioned the sudden interest in the artwork used on the book cover by way of manufacturing controversy to strong-arm citizens from exercising their freedom of speech when the original artwork has existed back when the UMNO-led coalition was government of the day.
"Thus, it begs the question as to why such artwork is only now considered offensive and unacceptable?"
However, an academician claims that any attempt to distort the coat of arms is asking for trouble, which shows that "common sense is missing"
"Education aside, common sense also seems to be missing. People know there are laws to deal with such cases. When you distort the coat of arms, you know you are courting trouble," according to Dr Teo Kok Seong, a principal fellow of Ethnic Studies Institute (KITA) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
In this case, the ridiculing and mocking of the national coat of arm looks deliberate and in short " kurang ajar". Why can't these Malaysians accept Malaysia as it is as per agreed at the point of independence and stop attempts at being revisionists.
wow u know how to talk but time and again your ppl keep doing the same shitz ...how lah ??? This is our homeland lah .... Don't mock it can ah ...mock the ppl that's doing the damage ......
You can differ politically... But the Coat of Arms is not something that can be made fun of... Whoever the writer and publishers have truly no sense of respect for the nation
The bitter sore losers of bumno camp know no boundries..these group of people whom majority look like pendatang, talk like pendatang, sounded like pendatang & think like pendatang transgress everything to the extend of showing disrespect towards the fundamentals of this nation. This is not the 1st time. Remember the cina balik tongsan thing, mocking national anthem etc..all coming from the same pendatang species.
haha....funny ...if u say like tis ...mean u dunno share market...u will see what's coming next...big shark put big blick to lire u all sell cheap...n still collecting
City in China’s Inner Mongolia warns after suspected bubonic plague case
Authorities in a city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia issued a warning on Sunday, one day after a hospital reported a case of suspected bubonic plague. The alert forbids the hunting and eating of animals that could carry plague and asks the public to report any suspected cases of plague or fever with no clear causes, and to report any sick or dead marmots. Plague cases are not uncommon in China, but outbreaks have become increasingly rare. From 2009 to 2018, China reported 26 cases and 11 deaths. Authorities in a city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia issued a warning on Sunday, one day after a hospital reported a case of suspected bubonic plague.
The health committee of the city of Bayan Nur issued the third-level alert, the second lowest in a four-level system.
The alert forbids the hunting and eating of animals that could carry plague and asks the public to report any suspected cases of plague or fever with no clear causes, and to report any sick or dead marmots.
Sunday’s warning follows four reported cases of plague in people from Inner Mongolia last November, including two of pneumonic plague, a deadlier variant of plague.
The bubonic plague, known as the “Black Death” in the Middle Ages, is a highly infectious and often fatal disease that is spread mostly by rodents.
Plague cases are not uncommon in China, but outbreaks have become increasingly rare. From 2009 to 2018, China reported 26 cases and 11 deaths.
This book is the result of the author's many years of experience and observation throughout his 26 years in the stockbroking industry. It was written for general public to learn to invest based on facts and not on fantasies or hearsay....
Tingwai90
56 posts
Posted by Tingwai90 > 2020-07-02 16:04 | Report Abuse
不能吃兔兔,兔兔很可爱的