Malaysia bans political CDs

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--First, it was pirated and pornographic CDs. Now, the Malaysian government will take harsh action against CDs with political content and speeches by opposition politicians.

After a much-publicized announcement last week against street peddlers who deal in illegal copies of CDs with movies, music and pornography, the Home Affairs Ministry has warned that the government will initiate legal action against those producing and selling "political" CDs and cassette tapes.

Deputy Home Affairs Minister Chor Chee Heung said authorities recently confiscated hundreds of such video CDs in the city, many containing speeches made by opposition leaders.

He claimed that the speeches are inflammatory and a danger to society.

"This is a threat to our multiracial community. If we allow this to go on, I believe there will be chaos in our country," he was quoted as saying in the daily newspaper The Star. --Sreejit Pillai, Special to ZDNet News