Yes, I read and I possess reading material that many may frown upon. And since possession of reading material on Shia is a crime and you can get arrested and get sent to jail for being in possession of such reading material, I would probably face no less than 150 criminal charges if the Malaysian government ever gets its hands on me.NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
(Bernama) - Two individuals, including a female doctor, pleaded not guilty in the Lower Syariah Court here today to possession of documents and books on Syiah teachings.
The doctor, Nur Azah Abdul Halim, 41, is alleged to have committed the offence at No 41, Jalan Medan Kamunting, Medan Kamunting, while Mohammad Ridzuan Yusof, 31, is charged with having the documents and books at a house, No 125, Lorong Jelutong, Kampung Jana Sambungan, Kamunting.
The offence, under Section 16 of the Perak Syariah Criminal Enactment 1992, was allegedly committed last Aug 5.
Nur Azah and Mohammad Ridzuan face fine of RM3,000 or two years' jail or both, if found guilty.
Syariah judge Azman Saad set Oct 8 for mention and ordered the two accused to be released on bail.
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Apparently being in possession of documents and books is now a crime in Malaysia and you can get arrested and will be sent to jail for being in possession of ‘forbidden’ material.
But what would these forbidden material be? Well, it all depends on what it is that the government classifies as forbidden. In the news report above it relates to material regarding Shia (or Syiah) teachings.
You see, Shia teachings are banned in Malaysia. Therefore, if you practice Shia teachings or are a follower of the Shia movement -- and apparently if you are even just in possession of Shia material -- you can get arrested.
What else is banned or considered a crime in Malaysia?
Communism is a crime in Malaysia. In fact, Communist parties are banned. But what if you have books or material about Lenin, Stalin, Che, Trotsky, Mao, etc. -- or you have a copy of Chin Peng’s memoirs -- will you be arrested and get sent to jail? I have numerous books on the above, plus more.
I suppose if you go by the above news report regarding Shia teachings then you can be arrested for being in possession of those as well. Hence, if I return to Malaysia, and even if they do not charge me for my ‘old crimes’, they can always charge me for ‘new crimes’ such as being in possession of books on Communism and being in possession of the biographies and autobiographies of renowned Communist leaders.
Malaysian Muslims are not allowed to leave Islam (or follow what some would regard as ‘deviant’ Islam). Apostasy and heresy are a crime in Malaysia. But I have many books about atheism, Christianity, and books on Islam written by authors whom orthodox or fundamentalist Muslims would regard as blasphemous or heretics. Even the books on Islam that I possess question the ‘popular’ belief regarding Islam and ‘shed new light’ on what the orthodox or fundamentalist Muslims believe to be the ‘correct’ version of Islamic history and Islamic teachings.
In fact, if you were to search my library both here in Manchester as well as back in Kuala Lumpur, you would probably find more than 100 books on politics, religion and so on -- including biographies, autobiographies and books on history -- that would most likely constitute a crime in Malaysia.
Yes, I read and I possess reading material that many may frown upon. And since possession of reading material on Shia is a crime and you can get arrested and get sent to jail for being in possession of such reading material, I would probably face no less than 150 criminal charges if the Malaysian government ever gets its hands on me.
Let me assure you, my books on organised religion will curl the toes of the Malay ulama’ (religious scholars). They will shudder and utter mashaAllah if they see the books that I possess. They will ask me to taubat (repent) and ‘return to the right path’. Some may even get a heart attack if they see my library.
Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia, as is same-sex relationships. I also have VCDs about gay marriages -- some are even comedies. And they are damn good and award winning movies, may I add. Can I get arrested and be sent to jail for this?
I am also a subscriber to Netflix and amongst the many genres that it has is a section on gay movies. These are not porn or sex movies but dramas. And they are damn good dramas, mind you. So I watch them. Will I get arrested and be sent to jail for watching ‘forbidden’ movies?
In fact, my first Oxford course that I took about three years ago was Philosophy of Religion. And I published my essay here in Malaysia Today. I actually passed that course with full marks and that gave me the encouragement to take more courses on English and European history (all which I also passed with full marks).
One friend, lawyer Rosli Dahalan, was actually quite perturbed when he read my essay because I had written that the original religion of the Abrahamic faith is the religion of Abraham whereas Judaism is Version 1.0 (which Jesus opposed) while Christianity is Version 2.0 and Islam is Version 3.0 of Abraham’s religion.
Hence the roots or ‘operating system’ is the religion of Abraham while Judaism, Christianity and Islam are merely Versions 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 respectively -- in other words, modified or ‘improved’ versions if you wish (depending on whether you are a Jew, Christian or Muslim).
That assumption or conclusion got me full marks and Oxford saw fit to agree with my view. Can that essay get me arrested since it breaks away from the ‘traditional view’ about what Judaism, Christianity and Islam really are?
Yes, if learning, expressing your views, being in possession of ‘forbidden’ reading material, etc. -- or material that disputes what the government says -- is a crime, and if each offence attracts two years jail and/or a fine of RM3,000, then I shall be in jail for 500 years plus will have to pay a fine of not less than RM500,000.
How in heaven’s name do I return to Malaysia without serving a 500-year jail sentence and be RM500,000 poorer for the 150 ‘crimes’ that I have committed?
And you want the Malays to be progressive? Forget it! No community that is banned from reading and thinking can ever be progressive. And you think that the New Economic Policy can help the Malays to progress if the Malay mind is forever closed?
Nonsense! Until the Malays are allowed to think they will forever remain backward. Trust me on this one.
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