YOURSAY | ‘BN fears Zunar and Harapan fears Superman. Both their comics are banned.’

'Promoting communism' - Home Ministry bans Hew's comic book

Hew irreverent, crude and vulgar but not a communist – Kit Siang

Gerard Lourdesamy: Was it necessary to invoke the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984 when Pakatan Harapan in their election manifesto (Promise No 27) agreed to repeal the entire act?

Hew Kuan Yau’s comic book on the Belt and Road Initiative should have just been withdrawn from public schools instead of an outright ban.

I am not in favour of banning controversial publications unless they incite hate or violence. People should not be told by the state what they can read in this day and age.

It is contrary to freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.

While I may disagree with the contents of the comic book, I have to defend the right of others who may want to read the book.

Headhunter: All these knee-jerk reactions only show what a stupid bunch of idiots we have running the government, making a molehill into a mountain.

Had Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed not given the book to China President Xi Jinping, no one would even bother to read the book.

The only person who should be given a slap on the wrist should be the one who gave the book to Mahathir.

Wong Fei Hoong: What's the difference between Harapan and BN?

Both are so scared of comics. BN fears Zunar and Harapan fears Superman. Both their comics are banned.

Newday: The Home Ministry hasn’t changed since the BN days, I see.

Such a pity, pandering to the extreme right like this.

Tidak Harapan: Welcome to the “New Malaysia”.

Banning rather than debating or criticising? Are you no different from the communists? This is a case of the pot calling kettle black.

CH Y: The reasonable course of action should be:

1. Ask for the pages on Uyghurs to be removed or deleted.

2. Remove the comic book from schools.

Otherwise, this kind of mild propaganda is not seditious and should be allowed under Harapan’s free speech in “New Malaysia”.

Hew is only doing his best to promote China-Malaysia trade and commerce and the Belt and Road Initiative is just part of it.

Everything is available on the Internet nowadays and even newspapers do push a certain agenda.

Aegis: The Home Ministry made the right move. Malaysia is not China's lackey.

What has the Belt and Road Initiative got to do with us? Why is Hew helping China brainwash our own people? What a disgrace, and he is making DAP look bad again.

China already has many agents of influence in Malaysia and Singapore, using ethnic Chinese to influence local opinion. Just look at the comments here, they are everywhere.

This is not about Malays versus ethnic Chinese or DAP in Malaysia; this is Malaysia blocking China's influence. Singapore has already started doing that.

The book should never have been allowed to be published in the first place. It does not matter how rich China is or their people are. We are a democratic Southeast Asian country.

Wg321: Promoting communism? Communism does not exist anymore in practice.

Nowadays, China practices state capitalism instead of pure communism. They are more capitalist than the United States.

China called their state capitalism “socialism with Chinese characteristics”. That is why China has become the world's second economic superpower with a GDP of US$14 trillion.

China is more interested in making more money than spreading the redundant so-called communist ideology, for example, its Belt and Road Initiative, et cetera.

The Home Ministry is far behind time. Please don't use communism as a bogeyman to frighten the Malays.

JD Lovrenciear: If the comic book is "communist" in flavour, then why are we lapping up to communist China for economic and financial salvation?

You can't have the cake and eat it as well.

Green Penang: Some quarters are probably rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of escaping jail time because they expect the government to be brought down by the combination of a comic book, an undignified congress, and a witch hunt on alleged sympathisers of a dead organisation.

It is time both sides of the divide wake up to the fact that the rakyat want good governance and an improvement in their lives.

All these shenanigans do not inspire confidence in the political class of the country.

Kafir Latte: Support him or hate him, one cannot say that Hew overstayed his welcome.

He knew when to go. He took the blows and then he stepped down like a man; no ifs and no buts.

This is more than you can say of anyone from the "dignified race" in Bersatu or PKR, whose bottoms are glued to their seats and have elephant skin.

Adam Ningau: Communist or not, who cares? Are communists so scary? I'm more afraid of Islamic State. 

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