Popular female superheros got a wardrobe boost when a jittery Klang Valley comic shop owner covered up the cleavages of the figurines on display with bits of paper due to censorship fears.

 

Shop owner Wong Khai Hoong, 41 said he took the extra precaution after hearing rumours that the authorities will seize figurines with costumes deemed inappropriate.    

                                                                                   

“I will leave them (the female figurines) like that until the rumours blow over [...] then I will take (the pieces of paper) off,” said Wong ( photo ) whose shop is located at Mid Valley Megamall. 

                                               

This follows a raid by the Home Ministry’s Al-Quran Text and Publishing Control Division last month where more than RM14,000 worth of merchandises deemed inappropriate were seized from a shop at a Klang Valley shopping mall.

 

The seized items include scantily-clad Japanese dolls in sexual poses, shirts with suggestive messages logos and marijuana-themed paraphernalia such as necklaces, caps and bags.  

 

While Wong has taken extra steps to shield his prized figurines, he said the raid was ridiculous because there is no way that the toys will corrupt the mind of young people.

 

‘My grandma’s panty line looks like that’

 

“When I had an exhibition at the ground floor (of Mid Valley Megamall), they (the authorities) said Wonderwoman’s panty line was too exposed. I said: ‘My grandmother’s panty (line) looks like that, too.’

 

“I don’t see the point of all that. These figurines are not for kids. It’s not corrupting the children’s mind. They see more of it on TV and the Internet.

  “For me, it’s art […] they are all my personal collection. If they (the authorities) come and confiscate, I’ll be in deep pain,” he said.

 

Other shops selling these treasured collectibles, however, have decided not to go the extra step.

 

Robotica Toys outlet manager, who only wants to be known as MC, said he was aware of the recent raid.

 

“But as you can see, we are selling Marvel characters - like Mary Jane from the movie ‘Spiderman’, her costume is like that.

 

“For me, I don’t see anything wrong in the female figurines. If they come after us, I really don’t know what to say,” MC said, who manages the outlet in Ampcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya.

Otaku at a loss

 

A salesperson at another specialty toy store told Malaysiakini that he would be helpless if there was a raid on his store.

 

“I am Muslim and I know why the authorities made such a decision. But at the same time, I am an Otaku (a Japanese pop culture fan), I understand why they are portraying the dolls like that - to attract fans,” the salesperson, who only wants to be known as Nabil said. 

 

The Home Ministry said the raid last month was aimed to cripple the distribution and sale of obscene material that can damage and negatively influence the rakyat.

 

Sales of such items are prohibited under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (1984), it said, and those convicted of the offence could be fined no more than RM20,000, or jailed up to three years, or both.

 

The public are also encouraged to tip off the authorities if they see such “obscene material” on sale.

 

Enforcement unit chief Mohamad Hashim Kamaruddin reportedly said the owners whose shops were raided had received prior warning for sale of the prohibited items.

 

"This is not the first time we have conducted this operation. They gave full cooperation," Hashim was quoted by The Star as saying.