KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — The Home Ministry has cancelled its 2019 ban on the comic book co-authored by former DAP member Hew Kuan Yau, popularly known as “Superman Hew”, two years after the Federal Court ruled on it.
The revocation was carried in a federal government gazette dated August 12, based on an order signed by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail dated on August 6.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (Act 301), the Minister revokes the Printing Presses and Publications (Control of Undesirable Publications) (No. 3) Order 2019 (P.U. (A) 288/2019) which has been published in the Gazette on 23 October 2019 which prohibits the printing, importation, production, reproduction, publishing, sale, issue, circulation, distribution or possession of publications specified in the Schedule,” the gazette reads.
The revocation follows the federal government's failed legal bid to reinstate its ban on Hew's book after the Federal Court in 2022 dismissed the home ministry’s bid to appeal and upheld an appellate court ruling that quashed the ban.
Hew had co-authored a book titled Belt and Road Initiative for Win-Winism published in 2019 by the Asia Comic Cultural Museum and available in three languages — Malay, English and Mandarin.
The book was released to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia.
The Home Ministry banned all editions of the book that same year, under Section 7 (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act on grounds that its contents could be detrimental to public order and disturb the thoughts of the people.
Hew then challenged the ban by way of a judicial review at the High Court.
In April 2021, the High Court ruled that the Home Ministry had the right to ban the book and keep all impounded copies.
But Hew again challenged the High Court decision and sought a review at the Court of Appeal.
In July 2022, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court decision and ordered the Home Ministry to return all copies of Hew’s book that it had seized previously.
