Challenging laws that oppress and criminalise.

Section 7 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) grants the Ministry of Home Affairs the authority to ban publications deemed “undesirable,” which includes materials that are considered harmful to public order, morality, or national interest. The broad and vague language of the law allows for wide discretion in its application, particularly against LGBTQ-related content. 

From 2020 to 2024, the PPPA was invoked 11 times to ban LGBTQ-related books, including notable titles like Gay is OK! A Christian Perspective, Heartstopper Volume 2, and Aku, a local story about a gay couple. Other works such as What If It’s Us and Scattered Showers were also prohibited under claims of being “detrimental to public order, morals, and public interest.” Even Pride-themed Swatch watches were confiscated and banned for symbolising solidarity with LGBTQ rights.

This database documents publications banned under the Printing Presses and Publications Act between 2020 and June 2026, with a specific focus on LGBTIQ-related publications. A third of overall banned publications during this period are LGBTIQ-related publications. 

Users can click on individual entries for additional information and use the filters to explore and navigate the database.

Source: https://epq.kdn.gov.my/e-pq/index.php?mod=public