Home minister revokes ban on Shamsiah Fakeh’s memoir

KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has lifted the ban on two memoirs written by Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Shamsiah Fakeh. The Home Minister exercised his authority under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 to revoke the ban on "Memoir Shamsiah Fakeh: Dari Awas ke Rejimen Ke-10" and "Komrad Asi (Rejimen 10): Dalam Denyut Nihilisme Sejarah", another book penned by a CPM member, Aziz Suriani.

Both books had been banned in February due to the presence of communist elements and ideologies, according to the government. Publisher Chong Ton Sin had sought to challenge the bans in the High Court, arguing they were irrational as the books had been circulating for many years. However, Chong's lawyer, S Abhilaash, announced they had since withdrawn the legal challenges.

Both Shamsiah's granddaughter and PKR's Petaling Jaya MP, Lee Chean Chung, as well as DAP's Bandar Utama assemblyman Jamaliah Jamaluddin, had previously criticized the ban. Jamaliah expressed disappointment in the ministry's actions, stating that the memoir focused on her grandmother's life journey and experiences and had not led to any extremist activities.