KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia’s government on Thursday made the decision to ban a book titled “When I was a Kid 3” by Boey Chee Ming, a Malaysian artist based in the United States.
The ban came almost a decade after the book’s original release in 2014, sparking a wave of protests and controversy. The ban was attributed to protests over what was perceived as an insulting depiction of an Indonesian maid, a character featured in the book.
The Home Ministry of Malaysia cited that the book contained material “likely to be prejudicial to morality” as the basis for the ban, as reported by local media on September 15. The controversy was further fueled by a rally staged by the Indonesian non-governmental organization Corong Rakyat outside the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta in June, protesting the book’s alleged belittlement of Indonesian maids.
Boey Chee Ming expressed shock and disappointment upon learning about the ban and issued an apology for the offensive material. The artist clarified that a particular chapter in the book, in which his father likened their Indonesian domestic helper to a monkey due to her swift tree-climbing skills to pluck coconuts, was unintentionally offensive.
In a statement on Instagram, Boey explained that his intention was not to denigrate but to admire the impressive speed at which their helper could scale a coconut tree, similar to a monkey. He expressed regret for any unintended offense caused and offered a sincere apology to those hurt by the content.
Boey acknowledged the learning experience this incident has brought and emphasized the importance of understanding the impact of words and imagery in storytelling. He vowed to learn from this incident and expressed gratitude for the enriching journey of storytelling.
Indonesians constitute a significant portion of the more than 2 million foreign workers in Malaysia, with over 200,000 of them employed as domestic workers in Malaysian households, enjoying better wages than they would receive in their home country. This incident underscores the need for cultural sensitivity and understanding in artistic representations, especially concerning sensitive topics such as race and ethnicity.
