A Malaysian artist’s comic book which documented his childhood days growing up in Johor has been permanently banned from being displayed at bookshelves in the country over a comic panic which allegedly insulted Indonesian maids.
The book in question is ‘When I Was A Kid 3’, which was published in 2014 and is the third installment of the wildly popular comic series written by Cheeming Boey.
‘When I Was A Kid 3’ banned in M’sia over maid comic
In a statement issued by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, he said that ‘When I Was A Kid 3’ will be banned under Section 7(1) of the Printing Press and Publications Act 1984.
Under this act, the book will not be allowed to be printed, imported, produced, sold, circulated, distributed, or be in one’s possession as it is “likely to be prejudicial to morality is absolutely prohibited throughout Malaysia”.
As to what was the comic which caused the book to be banned, it was a comic strip titled ‘Coconuts II’, where Boey recounted about his father telling him how quickly their Indonesian maid had climbed a tree “like a monkey”.
In June of this year, Indonesians from the non-governmental organisation Corong Rakyat staged a protest outside the Malaysian embassy in Indonesia and called for the comic book to be banned from being sold in Malaysian bookstores.
Cheeming Boey: ‘I had no intention to insult anyone’
Taking to Instagram to express his thoughts over the ban, Boey, who currently resides in the US, said he was “shocked” to see the book being banned 10 years later.
He also wrote that he had no intention of insulting Indonesian maids with the comic.
My intent isn’t to denigrate, but to praise the impressive speed at which our helper had scaled the coconut tree – like a monkey.
“I deeply apologise to the parties that took offense to this, and the people I have unintentionally hurt. I love, and those are not my core values.
“This is a lesson I will learn from. I thank you all for this opportunity to educate and entertain,” he wrote.
Do you think the comic was severe enough to be banned? Let us know in the comment section!
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