PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today defended the ministry's action of seizing eight books from independent bookstore Gerakbudaya, allegedly containing communist content.
He said it was merely part of the ministry's due diligence.
When asked why the ministry continues to "seize" books, Saifuddin argued that the connotation used for the authorities' action was considered aggressive and did not align with its real intention.
"The term is 'take' because Gerakbudaya also mentioned that enforcement officers acted politely during the confiscation. So, I thought I would choose softer words. Words like 'seize' is considered aggressive and rough.
"When there is a complaint from the public, certainly the enforcement and control section of the Home Ministry will use the relevant clauses from the act to visit the premises that are complained about," he said.
He further explained that the ministry would investigate whether the books in question truly contained those elements.
"So at the end of that examination, for example, if the content does not display the intended elements, they will return it," he added.
Earlier this week, news portal MalaysiaKini reported that the Home Ministry had seized eight Chinese-language books from the independent bookstore Gerakbudaya, citing the presence of "communist elements."
The confiscated books reportedly were not included in the list of publications banned under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA), as reported by an anonymous Gerakbudaya staff member.
According to the news portal, the incident occurred during what was initially perceived as a routine inspection when three Home Ministry officers visited the Petaling Jaya bookstore three days ago.