Hew was a “angry young man”, unorthodox and irreverent, to the extent of being extremely crude and vulgar, to fight for justice and a better Malaysia and the last thing he would do is to be a communist or to promote communism

I have known Hew Kuan Yau for over three decades, since the early years as an “angry young man” who was unorthodox and irreverent, to the extent of being extremely crude and vulgar causing great embarrassment all round, to fight for justice and a better Malaysia, and the last thing he would do is to be a communist or to promote communism.

It has therefore come as a shock to me that his comic book titled Belt and Road Initiative for Win-Winism was banned yesterday by the Home Ministry under Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for among other reasons promoting communism and sympathy for the communist struggle.

I do not agree with all of Hew’s thoughts and ideas, and I have not read his comic book when the controversy blew up but Hew is neither a communist nor a communist sympathiser.

I do not believe that the Home Ministry had acted rightly in levelling the charges that Hew’s comic book was promoting communism and sympathy for the communist struggle.

I call on the Home Ministry officials to review the ban as the Pakatan Harapan Government had come into power on the promise to usher in an era of greater openness without undermining national security.

In fact, in Promise No. 27, the Pakatan Harapan had specifically made the pledge in the 14th General Election to repeal oppressive laws like the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.