Government bans six books, including Asyraf Bakti’s ‘Punai’, citing moral and socio-cultural risks

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — The government has imposed a ban on six book titles, citing concerns over their potential harm to the nation’s moral values.

The Home Ministry confirmed in a statement that the ban, which came into effect on December 19, was gazetted under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (Act 301).

The banned titles are A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime by Monica Murphy; Lose You to Find Me by Erik J. Brown; Punai by Asyraf Bakti; Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell; When Everything Feels Like The Movie by Raziel Reid; and What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silverra.

The ministry explained that the ban is part of a preventive measure to stop the spread of ideologies and movements that conflict with Malaysia’s multicultural values.

The government aims to safeguard the public from exposure to publications that are deemed unsuitable for general reading, it added.

The action aligns with provisions under subsection 7(1) of Act 301, which prohibits the printing, importation, reproduction, publication, sale, and distribution of materials that could harm public morals. Individuals found guilty of violating these provisions may face imprisonment of up to three years, a fine not exceeding RM20,000, or both, according to subsection 8(2) of the Act.

For more information on the banned publications, visit the KDN website here or the Federal Legislation website here.