Home Ministry to probe comic book distribution

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry is investigating how a comic book criticised as containing political propaganda made its way into schools.

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the ministry will allow the Home Ministry to carry out the investigations when asked if his ministry will conduct its own internal investigations into how former DAP member Hew Kuan Yau’s comic book titled Belt and Road Initiative for Win Winism was distributed to national secondary schools and national-type secondary schools.

The Education Ministry, in an Oct 17 statement, said that it had never given permission for the comic books to be distributed to schools.

“All state education departments and district education officers have been instructed to ensure all schools do not receive or distribute (these books) from any party or supplier,” it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Hew’s official Facebook account was deactivated yesterday.

It is believed that the closing of the account was due to the overwhelming flak that he drew over the fiasco of the comic book.

Hew had defended the comic book on his Facebook, saying its aim was to educate the students on the belt and road initiative.

The comic book made headlines after former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak alleged that it was being distributed in school.

MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon also slammed the distribution of the comic book to schools, saying the content “poisons the minds of our students”.