3) The Watch Dog Role In Media

Malaysia 'bans' Peter Mayle’s book ‘where did I come from’? 

In personal, I believed that this book with the title ‘Where did I come from’ written by Peter Mayle was originally aimed to develop a clear picture of sex education to the younger generation and children who are concerned about sex and teenagers that is going through the growth process that would like to learn and absorb more knowledge about sex. Especially when parents are feeling embarrassed or do not know the way to educate their children about sex. By then, I assume this book could help teenagers and young adults to fulfill their curiosity about sex. Additionally, I think the enforcement of sex education should impose to the younger generation earlier in order to strengthen their knowledge about sex up to a point that it may reduce the probability of early pregnancy as well as child abortion.

 According to Coronel (2008), critics say that privately owned media, independent of the state but slave to the market, are at best, episodic and unreliable watchdogs. However, due to the indication of rules and regulations in Malaysia, the government cannot provide publicity towards people who had written news or items that reveals sensitive issues in the country. According to BBC News (2012), it is stated that the reason Malaysia banned this book was due to it contained elements that is harmful to public morals and will as well corrupt people’s mind. In order to ensure that Malaysia will not have ‘Where did I come from’, government had also reported that there is cooperation from every bookstore in the country to immediately stop the sales of this book. Otherwise, action will be taken towards anyone importing or selling it could face a jail sentence or fine up to MYR 20,000.

In Malaysia, the cultural context is based on the Islamic beliefs, which is dissimilar from other countries among the world. Today in Malaysia, whichever issues are connected to the revelation of immorality or sensitive issues are protected from publishing in order to preserve the citizen’s rights. Therefore, Mayle’s content of this book is considered offensive to the Malaysian law.

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References:

BBC News 2012, Malaysia ‘bans’ Peter Mayle book: Where did I come from?' viewed 5 June 2012, < http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17112635>.

Coronel, S, S 2008, The Media as Watchdog, viewed on 6th June 2012, <http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Conference/Conference%20papers/Coronel%20Watchdog.pdf>.