The author of March 8 - which details the Kampung Medan clashes of 2001 - will file for a judicial review against the government's decision to ban the book.

K Arumugam is expected to file the suit with the Kuala Lumpur High Court tomorrow to seek damages for the proscription.

Apart from media reports and personal research, March 8 also contains eye-witness accounts on the clashes that left six people dead and over 90 injured. The victims were predominantly Indians.

Contacted today, Arumugam's lawyer Edmund Bon said it appears that the ban is aimed at ending public discussions and questions about the incident.

Arumugam's book suggested that the incident was not a 'racial' or 'internal' conflict between residents of Kampung Medan as claimed by the authorities.

Challenging move

Bon argued that the ban infringes on the fundamental rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

"They've breached my client's constitutional rights to freedom of expression as well as the public's right to information.

"Arumugam was not even informed of the ban but found out after reading about it in news reports. Plus, he was never given the opportunity to be heard before the ban was imposed," he said.

Bon conceded that the attempt at a judicial review would be "challenging" given the wide discretionary powers held by the internal security minister under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

However, he said the attempt must be made for the sake of Malaysians' right to record and know about their own history.

"As my client himself has said, this is a denial of history," he noted.

March 8 was among 18 books banned by the Internal Security Ministry. The other books include Kamasutra: Apakah Kebaikannya (Kamasutra: What are its benefits) by Drs Munir Rahmat, Pengakuan Mangsa Rogol (A rape victim's confession) by Ayu Mayangsari, Negara Tuhan (God's country) by Tigga, The Origin of Species by F Susilohardo Basuki Hernowo, Islam and the West: A New Political and Religious Order Post September 11 by Robert Van de Weyer, and numerous others.