Here's something interesting a friend of mine found in The New Straits Times which she showed me.

"Book ban 'to guard moral values'

And here's a review of this book;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0230015492/ref=rdr_ext_tmb (do click to browse a few pages of this book).

Now, more than anything else, I am curious as to how cartoon form can be the "elements detrimental to the community's moral values and in the interests of the public".

Let's read what we have today...

Book ban 'to guard moral values'

By SEAN AUGUSTIN
news@nst.com.my | 0 comments

Those found in possession or selling the sex education book can be jailed or fined

PUTRAJAYA: THE book on the facts of life, Where Did I Come From, was banned as it contained "elements detrimental to the community's moral values and in the interests of the public".

Home Ministry deputy secretary-general (security) Datuk Abdul Rahim Mohd Radzi said the decision was made after investigations found the book contained such elements.

Rahim said those found in possession or were distributing or selling the book could be prosecuted. If found guilty, they risked imprisonment of up to three years or a maximum fine of RM20,000, or both.

On Tuesday, the Home Ministry ordered a stop to the distribution and sale of the book following complaints by the Umno Youth Community Complaints Bureau.

The ministry said the book was likely to have been brought into Malaysia illegally.

In an immediate response, the bureau's chairman, Datuk Muhd Khairun Aseh, lauded the ban but said ministry officers should be more vigilant in ensuring such books did not reach Malaysian shores again.

He also claimed there were many more sex education books for children containing unsuitable materials sold at book stores.

This, he said, was based on complaints the bureau had received after highlighting the sale of Where Did I Come From on Monday.

The bureau, he said, was in the midst of collecting other books, including comics, deemed unsuitable for children.

"It puzzles me as to how the book, which is very adult, could get through. I don't think it is amusing that such books are sold in the country.

"Maybe there are weaknesses in the system and if there is, it has to be reviewed," he said after handing over a copy of the controversial book to Home Ministry Al-Quran Text and Publishing Control Division secretary Abdul Aziz Md Nor, here, yesterday.

Khairun said the bureau had offered to be the ministry's eyes and ears in weeding out such books.

Written by Peter Mayle, the 44-page book, published in 1984, describes the reproductive process, from intercourse to birth. It also has illustrations and detailed information on certain sex positions,

Mayle is a British author known for his books A Year in Provence and Toujours Provence, as well as other novels such as Hotel Pastis, A Dog's Life and Anything Considered.

He has also written a series of sex education books for children and young adults. His works have been translated into 20 languages.

A Borders Bookstore spokesman said the books had been taken off its shelves.

"It was last year's stock actually and was only made available in selected Borders stores in the country.

"We have removed them from all stores following the ministry's order," she said.

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My Comment:

Here is a question that any person with an IQ at least that can match his/her age should be able to answer:

Question 1: What is the public interest and who decides what they should and should not be interested in? Shouldn't the public decide on what "public interest" should be?

Question 2 : Who defines what is detrimental to community's moral values? Is there a guidelines, or protocol set for this and if so, by whom?

Question 3: Pertaining to Question 2, in what way do the Home Ministry qualify in setting this guidelines/protocol?

Question 4: Why are these auta-rities given the mandate to decide, how the parents chooses to dispense sexual education to their children?

And here is something interesting to ponder whilst one parks one's bottom on the toilet seat in between wondering what to eat for dinner and how come they haven't banned bidets yet since sodomy's such a crime even when consensual.

It was written in the article that the book "describes the reproductive process, from intercourse to birth. It also has illustrations and detailed information on certain sex positions"

Hmm....I wonder how one can describe the reproductive process without posting pictures of the reproductive organs, which coincidentally comes in a form of a penis for male, and vagina for females. How will children know what their reproductive organs are if you don't show it to them on picture form? Or would the parents prefer to show the kids theirs?

"Detailed position on certain sex positions". Karma Sutra would probably be THE book with the detailed position on certain sex positions, I doubt Peter Mayle was able to beat that, not in cartoon form anyway, because that is how the illustrations are in his book. So it's either these auta-rities had limited sexual positions which coincides with their limited imagination, or John Gray was right and men, specifically these men, came from Mars and they only make love in missionary position (well, they seem to think that they are men with mission).

It's an EDUCATIONAL BOOK for God's sakes!!! How can you educate your child without risking from blushing without the aid of such educational material!!

George Carlin once said 'There are no bad words, bad thoughts, bad intentions. The only reason a word is bad, is because we as humans made it bad.

So, what next? Ban cartoon porn, e-books (you can download this book from internet by the way) ?

I have had pregnant teenagers who don't even know that they were pregnant and a few who did not even realize that they actually had sex. ( and no, the boyfriend did not have the smallest of penis in such cases)

We talk about child abandonment but without sex education, I think it is just hypocritical to ban sex education books and claim that we care.

At the end of the day, it's the parents who will buy these educational book, because, well, it's educational. I don't think a child can afford to snatch this book, go up to the counter and pay for it. Trust me, if they are able to do this, "Playboy Magazine" and the likes would be their first choices.Would you prefer your child to learn about sex straight from porn sites, or worst, when their boyfriends insists that fondling one's vagina has nothing to do with sex but an act that gives one pleasure like digging any other bodily cavities such as the nose/ears?

I mean, what are these people worried about? That it's not Religious to educate our children about sex ? I think they underestimated our spirituality since most of us call on God's name even whilst we have sex. I can't vouch for the atheists though...

Here is another interesting question to ponder on. This book is first published in 1973 and have been around for quite some time in our book stores. The question need answering is "why now"? As in anything ridiculous that becomes an issue in Malaysia, normally it will have to do with politics. Who complained? Pemuda UMNO. Walla!

Politicians pfffhh!! Maybe they call for a ban of this book because they don't agree to "Where the rest of us come from". ....we all came from our mothers' wombs...politicians in general, I suspect comes from the neighbouring hole... something Anwar and Saifool would be an expert of.