Akmal fires at Teresa for justifying lifting of Hew's book ban

• UPDATED 6.22PM | Added DAP Youth chief Dr Kelvin Yii’s comment.

• UPDATED 11.40AM | Hew declined to comment on the ban lift when contacted.

Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has shot back at DAP vice-chairperson Teresa Kok over the issue concerning the comic book “Belt and Road Initiative for Win-Winism”.

This came after Kok accused those who opposed the recent lifting of the ban on former DAP member Hew Kuan Yau’s book as going against the court’s decision.

In a statement, Akmal (above) stressed that his criticism did not mean he disrespected the court’s decision on the matter.

“Who said we (Umno) do not respect the court decision? But respecting the decision does not mean we agree with it.

“That’s why we are asking the government to file a judicial review against the decision, in line with the laws, as the matter is sensitive to the Malays,” Akmal wrote on Facebook.

The Merlimau assemblyperson was responding to Kok’s remark describing his and Umno supreme council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi’s call to keep opposing the lifting of the ban as being in contempt of court and an attempt to restrict freedom of speech.

The Seputeh MP said the duo should respect the judiciary’s independence and its ruling, rather than asking the government to go against the court order and try to return to an authoritarian government.

Yesterday, Puad urged the government to find ways to continue the ban on the book, while Akmal proposed a judicial review to be filed against a decision that lifted the ban.

The revocation of the ban was published in a federal government gazette on Monday, signed by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on Aug 6 under Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

The Home Ministry announced it was banning the book on Oct 23, 2019. On April 26, 2021, the High Court dismissed Hew’s application to quash the ban.

On July 6, 2022, the Court of Appeal allowed Hew’s review to quash the ban. Then on Dec 8, 2022, the Federal Court dismissed the Home Ministry’s appeal, thereby sustaining the Court of Appeal’s decision.

Hew declined to comment on the matter when contacted.

‘Do you understand?’

Elaborating, Akmal asked whether Kok understood his initial statement where he stressed he was not against the court decision on the matter.

“If Kok does not understand what I meant, I can sketch it for her or translate it into Chinese.

“And another thing, if we are authoritarian, you can’t even live here, let alone become an MP in the country. Respect the rights of the majority in the country before you ask for your freedom of speech to be respected!”

Meanwhile, DAP Youth chief Dr Kelvin Yii said Akmal’s statement was provocative and did not reflect the the value of unity in the Federal Constitution.

Yii said defending the rights of minority groups does not constitute a challenge against the majority.

“Threats and provocations using such narratives will not benefit the country but will only worsen the situation and the issue itself,” he said.

Yii added that there should be no further speculations on the issue as it will only add fuel to the fire and create more disunity.

The Home Ministry had banned the book citing concerns that it promotes communism and socialism, and spreads misleading information about communism.

The book, released to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia, reportedly painted a glowing picture of China and its Belt and Road initiative, while putting the Western world in a negative light.

The book was also banned as its content was deemed prejudicial to public order.

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