MalayMail-Sept 29
Author Cheeming Boey said he was taken aback by the controversy over his now-banned book, When I Was A Kid 3, saying an offending story that described an Indonesian maid as a “monkey” was actually complimenting her climbing prowess and not derogatory. Also known as Boey, the artist and writer said the controversy was due to the comic being taken out of context, adding that he has received very encouraging feedback in the decade since the first of book in the series was published.
He also said many readers had even sent him thank-you notes in appreciation of his work, while others have also encouraged him to continue inspiring others with the illustrations in his books. Boey described how his father, back in the day, wanted to show him how fast his Indonesian maid could climb a coconut tree. However, his father then likened her to a monkey climbing a tree to pluck coconuts. Elaborating on what he felt was a misunderstanding, Boey said his father’s intent was to describe his helper’s superior climbing skills. Protestors from a non-governmental organization known as Corong Rakyat demanded the authorities to stop the printing and sale of the comic book in several bookstore chains in Malaysia. A day later, the Home Ministry issued a gazette banning the book under the Printing Presses and Publications Act. Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/09/28/artist-of-banned-book-says-monkey-remark-meant-to-compliment-indonesian-maids-agility/93415
