When Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi took over the reins of power in late 2003, he was expected to usher in a new era of openness and tolerance for differing views. But, of late, a slew of books offering alternative or critical perspectives on a range of subjects have been banned, confiscated or monitored while their authors have come under political fire or indirect pressure.

Initially after his takeover, Abdullah appeared ready to live up to his promises. "He did give the impression he was willing to listen to the people. He did advise political leaders that they should take heed of the public's comments and views," recalled media analyst Mustafa Kamal Anuar.

But contrary to expectations, that did not lead to more democratic space.

"It should have translated into encouragement of investigative journalism and freedom of the press and of expression," Mustafa told IPS.

Instead, he noted, things were made worse, as a couple of prominent bloggers found themselves the objects of official scrutiny. The popular independent website malaysiakini, too, has felt the heat, after an April Fool's joke on its website rubbed senior officials the wrong way, while its application for a license for a print publication seems unlikely to receive approval.

Abdullah succeeded Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister in October 2003, when Asia's longest-serving elected leader retired after 22 years in power.

In March 2004 Abdullah was sworn in for a new, five-year term after his coalition government won a landslide victory in parliamentary and regional elections. Media correspondents said the victory boosted the prime minister's chances of pushing through his package of democratic reforms, which included a promise to stamp out corruption.

In contrast to his predecessor, Abdullah has been described as self-effacing; he has been called the "Mr Nice Guy" of Malaysian politics. But appearances can be deceiving.

Limited tolerance

Recently, it is the traditional media - books, to be precise - that have drawn the most official reaction. There appears to be limited tolerance for books offering more critical, controversial or alternative views, especially on subjects deemed sensitive by the state, such as religious interpretation that does not conform with the state's.

Unlike newspapers and magazines, the publication of books in Malaysia does not require a permit. But the monitoring, confiscation or banning comes after the books have been released.

"There is freedom of expression - but not freedom after expression," goes a familiar joke among Malaysians.

The president of the opposition Islamic party PAS Abdul Hadi Awang, discovered this firsthand. PAS officials have alleged that Home Ministry officers seized copies of his latest book, Hadharah Islamiyyah bukan Islam Hadhari (Islamic Civilisation, Not Civilised Islam), in several parts of the country. The book apparently challenges the concept of civilisational Islam (Islam Hadhari ) that Abdullah has been promoting since taking over.

But it is not just local books that have come under scrutiny. Last month it was revealed that a ban had been imposed on 11 books on religion, spirituality and Islam, written by foreign authors, on the grounds that they were "detrimental to public order".

Two of the books are by author Karen Armstrong, including the best-selling A History of God, a comparative study of monotheistic faiths. Other banned titles among the 11 are Mercy Oceans' Lovestream by Sheikh Nazim Al-Qubrusi; The Cross and the Crescent by Phil Parshall; and Messiah War in the Middle East & Road to Armageddon by Grant R Jeffrey.

"The decision of the ministry to ban the books concerned is clearly retrogressive and does not square with the government's aspiration of creating a knowledge-based society," opposition DAP politician Teresa Kok pointed out in a statement. She said people should have the fundamental freedom of access to all information - not only information that the authorities deem appropriate.

Political books

Books on subjects other than religion have also been targeted.

Last month, writer Mohammad Rafi Awg Kecil, who had just published a book that alleged corrupt practices by the chief minister of central Selangor state, found himself the focus of unwanted attention. Before his book Khir Toyo: Di Antara Amanah dan Khianat (Khir Toyo: Between Trust and Betrayal) could reach bookshops, police demanded that he hand over all 5,000 copies to them and even visited the printers twice. Mohammad said he was also approached by politicians offering hundreds of thousands of dollars not to release the book.

"I told them I didn't write the book to sell my soul. I wrote the book to be with the people," he was quoted as saying. "Although all this is new to me, it does not scare me. If at all, it motivates me ... this will not be my last book."

In March, book vendors were "advised" not to sell copies of another controversial book, Khairy Jamaluddin - Future Prime Minister? by Yahaya Ismail, pending a government decision on whether to ban it. The book puts the spotlight on Abdullah's fast-rising son-in-law and speculates on his future path to the nation's top job.

Even the National University of Malaya has felt the heat.

Its publication about an aging former Communist Party leader sparked a heated reaction in the forum and letters pages of a leading pro-establishment Malay-language daily. The university was accused of lending credibility to the communist struggle and of projecting the communists as warriors and heroes in the country's struggle for independence. The sharp reaction in the Malay-language press prompted the university to set up a high-powered internal inquiry into the book.

Ironically, Malaysians are notorious for not reading enough serious material and educators have often urged Malaysians to cultivate the habit for reading.

"If we keep banning books, we will continue to impose our anti-intellectualism on the people," malaysiakini columnist Azly Rahman said in a recent commentary. "We wish to live as a nation of readers, not a nation of efficient propaganda consumers, lazy thinkers and electronicall -shackled beings."

The onus should be on the authorities to prove the government's case, said critics.

"Unless the authorities can show that such books will really jeopardize national security, they have no grounds to ban or crack down on such books," argued Mustafa.