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Malaysians accuse Anwar government of ‘pandering to conservatives’ by banning LGBTQ books
- The Home Ministry says the three books – Jacob’s Room to Choose, The Tale of Steven, and Aku – are a potential ‘threat to moral values’
- They were banned for allegedly promoting LGBTQ lifestyles, or for containing lewd and immoral content
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A Home Ministry ban on a children’s book about gender identity issues at school it said was “harmful to Malaysian morals” has stirred condemnation of state-driven culture wars and the reach of conservatism in the Southeast Asian nation.
Jacob’s Room to Choose, which teaches forms of gender expression and understanding – including the conundrum of which toilet a dress-wearing pupil should use at school – was banned in late January, according to a Facebook statement released by the ministry on Tuesday.
Another book, The Tale of Steven, was also banned for allegedly promoting LGBTQ lifestyles while a third, Aku, was accused of containing lewd and immoral content.
The books are a potential “threat to the moral values that are taught by religion and prevailing Eastern values”, the ministry said. It also urged the public to call a dedicated hotline if they see the books on sale or other titles “suspected of contravening the law”.
Dismay at the bans rippled out on Wednesday, more so as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government was seen as more liberal compared to their counterparts in Perikatan Nasional (PN), who saw a surge in Islamist support but fell short of forming government in last November’s election.
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