The book ‘Gay is Okay! A Christian Perspective’ could jeopardise public order in Malaysia despite no untoward incidents since its publication seven years ago, contended Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin.

Through an affidavit filed against a legal challenge targeting the book ban, Hamzah claimed that the prohibitory order against the book was valid and in line with the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (AMCP), thus there were no elements of irrationality and disproportionality in the ban.

The minister and the Malaysian government are the two respondents in the judicial review by the two applicants, namely publisher Gerakbudaya Enterprise...