Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has given his assurance that a recent book on the deadly riots of 1969 will not be banned.


 In a parliamentary written reply, Abdullah who is also the Internal Security Minister, explained that his ministry has examined the book,
 
 May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969
 
 , and decided not to ban it from publication.


 <img align="left" height="277" hspace="5" src="https://i.malaysiakini.com/84/477f76638562a7e4ac14f1aad045693c.jpg" width="250"/>
 "The book will not be banned under Section 7(1) of Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984," he said, adding that the book, written by Kua Kia Soong, can be sold in the market.


 Abdullah was responding to a query from Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Tanjong) who asked the Internal Security Ministry to state the outcome of the ministry's
 
 <a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/67280" target="_blank">
 review
 </a>
 
 of the book.


 "The decision not to ban the book came because the content of the book does not pose any threat to the nation's security," said Abdullah.


 Abdullah also refuted allegations that the police had confiscates the books from bookstores.


 The book on the 1969 riots sheds some light on the unrest that killed hundreds of people in a racial clash between the Chinese and Malay which began on May 13.


 The book, based on declassified British security documents was deemed controversial by the government.


 The book revealed that the race riots did not erupt spontaneously among the two communities, but instead was orchestrated to oust Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman by his successor Tun Abdul Razak.


 As soon as the book was released for sales, officials from the Internal Security Ministry had confiscated 10 copies from a Kuala Lumpur book store.


 The government said then that the books were seized to see whether they broke rules on public order, morality or security.

<img align="left" height="13" hspace="5" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/24/55ddd0dde8d5e55e8826ac251d69d4e1.gif" width="72"/>
Book on 1969 riots will not be banned because it does not pose a threat to the nation's security.

May 13 book: PM says no ban

~RM12

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