With freedom comes responsibility, say artists on comic faux pas

Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right but it must be used responsibly, said cartoonist Ahmad Noor Amin, also known as Amin Landak.

He said this when commenting on the Home Ministry’s recent move to ban the graphic novel ‘When I Was A Kid 3’, published in 2014, after protests in Indonesia.

In the book, a character - the author’s father - likened an Indonesian domestic worker to a monkey for her coconut tree climbing skills.

“On principle, I don't agree with banning books because we need to be free to speak, express ourselves, and create, even if it offends some people.

“But freedom must be exercised responsibly,” he said.

“Even though it is not for those in power to decide what is freedom, this does not mean we can use such freedom to slander, promote violence, or racism,” he told Malaysiakini.

Ministry: Book harms morals

In the book, the author and artist, Cheeming Boey, 45, recollects moments from his childhood.

Boey is a Singapore-born Malaysian who lives in the United States.

The Home Ministry said the contents of the book, which has been in circulation for almost a decade, “posed harm to morals”, and banned the sale under Section 7(1) of the Printing and Printing Presses Act 1984 on Sept 15.

In June, Indonesian NGO Corong Rakyat led a protest against the book outside of the Malaysian consulate in Jakarta for likening an Indonesian domestic worker to a monkey.

“If any comic likened a Malaysian worker to a monkey, I would find it too much.

“Foreign workers come to Malaysia on our government’s invitation so we should respect them.

“In fact, like unskilled Malaysian labour, they are often exploited and pressured.

“So, anyone who creates something like this should apologise, and other artists should learn to be more sensitive and responsible," he said.

‘I was admiring her extraordinary skills’

Before this, Boey apologised to those offended by the comic and said he intended to praise the worker for her skills instead of denigrating her.

In a series of text messages to Malaysiakini, he said the backlash was unexpected.

“I would have chosen better wordings if I knew it would be such a blunder,” he said.

He said he was never given a chance to defend himself, before the book ban, and noted that his and his father’s admiration for their domestic helper was depicted in the seventh frame of the comic “when we both go ‘Wah’”.

“It was not a derogatory comment. Animal comparisons to illustrate amazing human feats have always been a norm. If I said she was as fierce as a tiger, is she a tiger now?

“So, to climb, (the comparison) was to a monkey, but it does not mean that the person is a monkey,” he explained.

Marginalised groups not joke fodder

Meanwhile, cartoonist Ronasina said the book ban is a lesson for all.

“Even if we just glance at the cartoon, we can see how Indonesians can be offended and would feel looked down upon in this context.

“Even though Boey explained that he did not mean it to be like that, this ‘slip of hand’ happened, even if it has taken nine years to emerge,” said the cartoonist who was once editor of satirical comic magazine Gila-Gila from 2016 to 2019.

Ronasina, whose real name is Mohd Afandi Ramli, stressed that ethnicity, religion, and marginalised communities like the disabled or blue-collar migrant workers should not be fodder for jokes.

“For example, we cannot joke about people who skip fasting using an image of a man in a songkok or depict the Chinese or Indians negatively as alcoholics or gamblers.

“Even so, I laud Boey for apologising,” he said.

“This case is a lesson that we have to be more socially aware when creating art.

“We must be wiser in looking for ways to create art so as to not inadvertently hurt some parties,” he said.

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