Address issues not ban books, says Uthaya
“Most write only to please authorities. We are not being the voice of the grassroots. We instead become voice of those in power.
Uthaya Sankar SB, Berita Daily
Writer Uthaya Sankar SB of the Kavyan Writers Association urged Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi resolve the impediments faced by local writers before daring them to write literature that is worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize in Literature.
“Ahmad Zahid should go down to the ground and understand issues before making statements,” said Uthaya in response to the politician’s call on Jan 4.
The writer said that the Home Ministry led by Ahmad Zahid itself is creating barriers by banning books.
“Why is there a need to ban books in Bahasa Malaysia but not in English?” he asked in reference to Bahasa Malaysia translated edition of The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin.
Uthaya also questioned the book ban on the works of Faisal Tehrani.
“I have read his books and I don’t see anything that justifies banning. It is different because it contains Shiah teachings.
“If the government is afraid that the people would be influenced, it should educate them, not ban books,” he said.
Last year, four titles by Faisal Tehrani were banned as it contained elements of Shiah teachings.
They are Sebongkah Batu di Kuala Berang, Karbala, Tiga Kali Seminggu and Ingin Jadi Nasrallah.
Another title that was banned is Perempuan Nan Bercinta.
He also said that writers do not mirror the realities in life and echo those in power.
“Most write only to please authorities. We are not being the voice of the grassroots. We instead become voice of those in power.
“Award winning stories and novels also do not deal with issues in the society.”
He added that even publishers shy away from publishing works that touch on sensitive issues.
“Take the example of Deepika Mukherjee who authored the novel, Thunder Demons. She wanted the book to be published in Malaysia but publishers were unwilling because there were scenes similar to the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu,” he explained.
There are also issues with writers not being paid royalty even though their work is used as literature component in Bahasa Malaysia.
He highlighted three cases.
Rohani Deraman authored a novel Cempaka Putih Untukmu and it was used for Form 3 students. Hazama Harum authored Disini Bukan Duniaku and Mohd Faris Ikmal wrote Satu Pengajaran. Both Hazama and Faris’ work were used for Form 1 students.
“Their works were used since 2011 until 2015 but not a single cent of royalty was paid,” Uthaya said.
He said that in the Tamil language scene, honorarium are not paid by Tamil newspapers to the short story writers.
He added that legal restrictions in the form of Publishing Presses and Printing Act and the Sedition Act also prevents writers from exploring issues.
