Khabarnya, buku May 13: Declassified Documents on the Racial Riots of 1969 karya Dr. Kua Kia Soong yang dilancarkan pada 13 Mei yang lalu bakal berdepan dengan tindakan pengharaman oleh Kementerian Keselamatan Dalam Negeri.
Saya masih belum berkesempatan membaca buku ini, pun begitu kini ghairah mengikuti perbahasan dan ulasan mengenainya di beberapa blog teman-teman.
Amir Sari, menerusi ulasan di blog beliau turut menyiarkan kenyataan media oleh Komunite Seni Jalan Telawi (KSJT) yang membantah tindakan merampas buku ini.
Langkah seumpama ini, menurut KSJT, bukan sahaja boleh dianggap tidak demokratik, tetapi juga tidak mempunyai sikap yang beradab dalam kehidupan masyarakat yang terbuka dan menghargai perbezaan pandangan.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, melalui blog rasmi beliau juga turut mengkritik cadangan pengharaman buku ini sambil menyifatkannya sebagai mencabuli kebebasan bersuara yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan.
Tambah beliau lagi, tindakan menyekat buku tersebut secara tidak langsung akan meningkatkan lagi nilainya dan menaikkan keinginan pembaca (untuk memilikinya). Lebih penting lagi, pengharaman buku ini akan memperkukuhkan lagi tesis bahawa rusuhan kaum 13 Mei 1969 tersebut sememangnya disebabkan oleh rampasan kuasa yang dirancang pimpinan tertentu untuk menjatuhkan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.
Saya secara peribadi tidak punya hak untuk mengulas isi buku ini memandangkan masih belum membacanya, pun begitu saya cukup hampa dan tidak bersetuju dengan langkah bacul pihak kerajaan untuk mengharamkannya.
Memetik kembali ulasan saya dalam entri Haram yang tersiar sekitar bulan Disember tahun lalu di blog saya, riwayat hayat :
“… Jika sekiranya kerajaan ingin terus menyaksikan masyarakat Malaysia menjadi masyarakat yang hanya membaca dua helai muka surat buku dalam setahun, maka perbanyakkanlah lagi tajuk-tajuk buku untuk diharamkan.
Haramkanlah juga pencetakan dan penjualan Al-Quran itu sendiri andai kalian khuatir rakyat akan membaca ayat-ayat yang menyatakan rasuah itu haram, Islam tidak mengiktiraf ideologi perkauman dan kezaliman itu wajib ditentang! Haramkan!”
Atau barangkali mereka tidak pernah beriman dengan ayat pertama yang diturunkan oleh Tuhan yang berbunyi IQRA’ itu?
16 responses so far ↓
amanatnasional // May 19, 2007 at 8:16 am
Groups voice support for May 13 book
By: Ooi Kelly and G Vikneswary
May 19, 2007 (Malaysiakini.com
Several civil society groups have urged the government not to ban a new book on the May 13 racial riots but to engage the content of the book in an open and calm manner.
At a press conference organised by Komunite Seni Jalan Telawi (KJST) yesterday, spokesperson Hasmi Hashim said though the incident was deemed sensitive, continued efforts to re-examine facts based on latest researches to obtain new interpretations of the tragic event must be encouraged.
He was referring to a new book by Dr Kua Kia Soong, ‘May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969′, which has garnered negative reactions from three senators in the Dewan Negara earlier this week.
Based on recently declassified documents at the Public Records Office in London, Kua in his book concluded that the 1969 riots which claimed hundreds of lives were not random acts of communal violence by a coup attempt against then premier Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Youth-group Youth4Change convener Lee Khai Loon said the book was important to the interest of national building as it provides Malaysians an alternative perspective to the incident
“The government should establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to allow facts regarding the May 13 incident to be made public,†said Lee.
Similarly, Civil Rights Committee of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall representative Liau Kok Fah said such a commission must be held soon as there are many witnesses to the event who are still alive today.
Liau said the Malaysian government should also take heed from the Public Records Office and declassify similar documents as well.
Mstar Online senior reporter Fathi Aris Omar said uncovering the truth behind the 1969 riots was vital as many government policies today can be traced back event, such as the New Economic Policy and the New Cultural Policy.
“May 13 has to be discussed openly and analysed so that it won’t be a kind of political boogie to discriminate especially the non-Malays and non-Muslims,†he said.
Hasmi also criticised the authorities for seizing copies of the book.
“Even though, we at the KSJT have yet to agree with the contents of the book, we oppose the act of confiscating the book in an improper manner without requesting the book from the author or having discussions with him,†he said.
He was referring to the confiscation of 10 copies of the book by Internal Security Ministry officials on Tuesday at a major bookstore in Kuala Lumpur.
The confiscation came soon after the three senators called for action to be taken against the book and author.
kaki bangku // May 24, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Sapa2 budak US yang balik malaysia boleh tolong belikan buku ni? - http://www.kinibooks.com/product_info.php?products_id=692
renegix_01 // May 25, 2007 at 7:47 am
dah kene tarik balik lar bangku..sebelum kene tarik balik dah laku cam groeng pisang…aku punye order kene tarik kat mid valley..sipot betul
kaki bangku // May 25, 2007 at 12:46 pm
dey, tengok la kat link tu…. apo daa…
mfr // May 31, 2007 at 3:43 am
http://pesanan-pesanan.blogspot.com/
aman // May 31, 2007 at 6:21 am
ha’a…dah kena tarik balik dah…:( tak sempat aku nak beli..
comment // Aug 2, 2007 at 11:59 pm
ada sebab kenapa dan mengapa buku ni diharamkan…KERANA IA TERANG-TERANG CUBA MENYATAKAN BAHAWA 13MEI1969 BERPUNCA DARI ORANG MELAYU DAN BUKANNYA DARI ORANG CINA DAN INDIA (GERAKAN, DAP) IANYA TERANG-TERANGAN MEMAINKAN SENTIMEN PERKAUMAN YANG TERNYATA MENYALAHKAN BANGSA MELAYU…
comment // Aug 3, 2007 at 12:02 am
PENDEK KATA, BUKU INI MEMBERI ILUSI BAHAWA MANGSA 13MEI 1969 IALAH ORANG CINA DAN INDIA, MANAKALA PENJAHAT SEBENAR ADALAH BANGSA MELAYU YANG BERAGAMA ISLAM
kaki bangku // Aug 3, 2007 at 1:11 am
itu benar, tapi sekatan tak akan dapat melenyapkan sebuah idea, ia akan terus berlegar di bawah tanah.
pun begitu, sebuah idea mempunyai implikasi-implikasi sosio/ekonomi/politik. hanya perkara-perkara zahir yang terbit dari isu ini boleh ditangani secara sosio-ekonomi-politik.
tapi harus ingat, idea hanya boleh dilawan dengan idea.
jibammmm // Aug 8, 2007 at 6:47 am
mak aku ckp waktu 13mei, dia tinggal di kg baru.
mak aku ckp yg mulakan pergaduhan tu ialah parti yg menang pilihanraya masa tu kat kl.
renegix_01 // Aug 9, 2007 at 5:34 am
ape2 pun..tak salah jika melihat sesuatu permasalahan itu dari berbagai2 aspek dan sudut..cuma jangan smpi terlampau bias dan cenderung mebuta tuli ke satu arah sehingga menghilangkan kemampuan untuk menilai..
siapa lah aku?? // Sep 19, 2007 at 1:24 am
siapalah kita di malaysia ni? sekadar rakyat yang makan gaji,apa guna sekadar suara kalau tidak berbuat apa-apa. dlam 50 masihi kita merdeka ni,tidak salah kalau kita lupakan luka lalu….kita cuba eratkan lagi perpaduan diantara kita dan kalau betul kamu perjuangkan perpaduan,bagi aku 30 nama kawan baik kamu yang berbangsa cina??? tengoklah sepuluh nama pun tak sampai,sedangkan di malaysia ni ada 7.4 juta orang cina.
siapa lah aku?? // Sep 19, 2007 at 1:27 am
itu sahaja aku nak katakan fikir-fikirkanlah…
tak tahu menahu // Sep 27, 2007 at 4:15 pm
another stupid racist write a book about how to be a racist..just face the reality..the fact is,chinese start the war..and then they want to published a book about their noble deeds and so on..n so on..bla..bla..tak puas hati la tu.
yati // May 2, 2008 at 8:04 am
Dear friends,
Sisters in Islam (SIS) is taking part in the 1st KL Alternative Bookfest (KLAB) which will be held on the weekend of 3-4 May at The Annexe, Central Market. The KLAB is a space for small, independent publishers (like SIS) to sell, launch and discuss books. Apart from the SIS booth at the KLAB, we are also hosting a discussion on book banning.
Details of the event are as follows:
Wacana on Book Banning: Readers Want Answers
Date : May 3, 2008
Time : 4.00 — 6.00pm
Venue : The Annexe, Central Market
Presenters :
V. Gayathry (Centre for Independent Journalism)
Astora Jabat (bekas ketua pengarang Al-Islam dan bekas kolumnis soal jawab agama di Utusan Malaysia)
Norhayati Kaprawi (Sisters In Islam)
Representative from Home Ministry (to be confirmed)
Each presenter is given 15 minutes and we hope their input will spark a lively discussion from the floor. Input can be either in Bahasa Malaysia or English.
Join us in this discussion as we scrutinise the history of book banning, including in the Muslim world, and consider the political, social and theological currents behind this form of censorship, especially in Malaysia. We hope to bring together publishers, writers (including those who have been banned), bloggers, journalists, and most importantly, readers and lovers of books.
There is limited seating so please register with Mala at 03-7785 6121. We look forward to seeing you there!
Sisters in Islam
mie // Jun 4, 2008 at 4:41 pm
http://today-link.blogspot.com/
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