Suaram chief loses appeal against Kampung Medan book ban

(Bernama) — The Appeals Court here today upheld a high court decision which had dismissed an application by the author of a book on the 2001 violent clashes in Kampung Medan to quash the home minister’s decision in banning the book.

A three-man panel headed by Justice Datuk Seri Apandi Ali ruled that the appellant had put forward the same arguments and issues raised at the high court.

“It’s our unanimous decision that there was no reason to disturb the high court’s findings and therefore, the appeal was dismissed,” he said.

He also informed the appellant’s counsel, Edmund Bon, that the grounds of judgment would be made available in due course.

The other two judges on the panel were justices Datuk Linton Albert and Datuk Mokhtaruddin Baki.

On Feb 23, 2007, engineer-turned-lawyer K. Arumugam filed an application for a judicial review seeking to declare null and void the order made by the government on Nov 21, 2006, prohibiting the publication, sale and distribution of the book, on grounds that it was a threat to national security.

In his application, Arumugam, 53, who is Suaram chairman, had named the internal security minister and the deputy internal security minister at that time, as well as the Malaysian Government, as respondents.

They were represented by Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bol Hassan.