The ministry said it engaged with members of the Malaysian Book Publishers Association on April 21 to discuss matters related to the publishing industry.

In line with the outcomes of the engagement session, the ministry said it would strengthen its existing approach by holding discussions with any publishers involved before taking action against their publications.

“This step is part of the improvement efforts to ensure a more transparent and constructive process.

“At the same time, the ministry will review and reassess ban orders on the gazetted publications by taking into account the views and suggestions put forward by the stakeholders,” it said in a statement.

The ministry also said that while it respects and welcomes creative freedom and intellectual discourse, it is still responsible for safeguarding public security and order.

As such, it said all publications must comply with the law and must not contain elements that could undermine social harmony and public well-being.

“We urge all parties to allow the ministry the necessary space to manage and address the matter effectively, to ensure a continued balance between creative freedom and public safety,” it added.

The statement comes a day after home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry was in the midst of revoking a ban on three books said to contain communist ideologies, including one authored by a DAP assemblyman’s grandmother.

Saifuddin said the previous book-banning process had forced him to “firefight”, as he only learned about the bans after enforcement had taken place.

He said that under a new mechanism, reports from the Special Branch would no longer be enforced immediately.

Instead, the minister will scrutinise the reports before approving the book for public circulation or ordering action to be taken.