Malaysians resist censorship as book bans increase, include rom-com novels

Across cities in Malaysia, groups of people have begun quietly gathering in parks to read – no discussion, no assigned texts, just shared silence and books. In Kuala Lumpur’s botanical gardens, mats are unfurled beneath the trees as readers lose themselves in novels, forming a ritual that has quietly caught on.

It is one of several signs pointing to a revival in the country’s reading culture. Yet even as Malaysians flock to book fairs and devour literature in record numbers, a parallel surge in state censorship has left writers and readers alike wondering what, exactly, is being protected – and from whom.

So far this year, authorities have banned 12 books – more than double the total outlawed in the past two years combined. The sudden spike has alarmed freedom-of-expression advocates and sent shock waves through Malaysia’s literary community.

Among the blacklisted titles is The American Roommate Experiment, a bestselling romantic comedy by Spanish author Elena Armas, which follows a woman who leaves her high-paying job to pursue her dream of writing romance novels.

Also banned is Love, Theoretically by Italian neuroscientist-turned-author Ali Hazelwood, whose fiction often centres on women in academia and the sciences.

Local romance novels have not been spared either. Mischievous Killer by local author Ariaseva and Tuan Ziyad: Forbidden Love by Bellesa have also been swept up in the crackdown.

While religious content and LGBTQ themes are commonly targeted, the criteria for censorship are opaque – and seldom explained.

  

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