Speak Up

Some of the more blatantly BN-propagandist newspapers and TV channels are now having to answer in court for their lies. These cases are between the media agency and the aggrieved individual, but I would like to suggest that we, responsible (and disgusted) citizens, should also play our role in putting a stop to this unethical “information”.

Recently I did just that.

Recently I visited one of my regular bookstores, a well-known one in the Klang Valley. As I was about to pay for my purchases, I noticed, prominently displayed just next to the cashier’s desk, several copies of a book entitled “Anwar dan Boneka Cina (Anwar and the China Dolls)”. A quick glance was sufficient to reveal that this book was nothing more than a collection of baseless innuendos, and far from being a bona fide study was another crude attempt to scuttle Anwar Ibrahim’s career and besmirch his good name – remember “50 Reasons Why Anwar Should Not Become PM” (the ‘50 dalil book’), which launched the disgraceful saga which then gave birth to the Reformasi movement?

Before paying for my books, I picked up a copy of the offending book, made my way to the Customer Service desk and asked to see the Supervisor. She agreed to meet me and after introducing myself as a loyal book club member of the store, I told her that I wished to lodge a complaint about this book. I presented two arguments.

Firstly, the book was obviously not a bona fide study, and clearly had malicious intent, and it was my opinion that the store was destroying its own hitherto good reputation by carrying such a book (what more having it prominently displayed at the cashier’s counter).

Secondly, I recounted how, after Anwar was released from prison, he sued the author of the ‘50 dalil book’, and was subsequently awarded damages amounting to RM4 million. On the other hand, all the court cases against Anwar relating to alleged sexual misconduct have been overthrown, revealing such allegations to be mere slander. I told her that the first time around, the ‘50 dalil book’ had been distributed privately, but the bookstore was now putting itself at risk of being sued by carrying this new book openly.

She thanked me for my input and I went to pay for my books. As the payment was being processed, the supervisor herself came and removed all the copies of the book I had complained about.

So there is something YOU can do.

Animah Ferrar

3 thoughts on “Speak Up”

  1. The counter balance for freedom of speech is a mature
    public which will judge the information themselves.

    Asking the bookstore to remove the books just because you disagree with it’s contents is playing jury, judge and executioner all by yourself.

    Lets the public decide. Who give you the right to decide what goes into our brains.

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