Figurine Issue in Malaysia
Aug 11th, 2008 by valho
Two recent articles in a local tabloid regarding figures collecting, hit the jump to read the articles.

Patung terlampau
Oleh Mohd Jamilul Anbia Md Denin dan Syarifah Dayana Syed Bakri
anbia@hmetro.com.myKUALA LUMPUR: Lambakan patung permainan gadis aksi lucah setinggi hampir satu kaki yang dijual di kebanyakan pusat beli-belah terkemuka di ibu negara mengundang rasa kurang senang di kalangan ibu bapa.
Ini berikutan penjualan patung permainan terbabit boleh merangsang minat remaja dan kanak-kanak kepada seks, sekali gus mendedahkan mereka kepada perlakuan tidak bermoral.
Patung terbabit yang tampil sama ada bogel sepenuhnya atau separuh bogel dengan menonjolkan bahagian tertentu diletakkan bersama barang permainan lain, menjadikan sasaran penjualannya di kalangan remaja dan kanak-kanak sekolah.
Difahamkan, kebanyakan patung gadis berahi itu diadaptasi daripada karakter kartun manga atau animasi dalam komik Jepun.
Wartawan Harian Metro membuat tinjauan penjualan patung itu selepas menerima aduan daripada seorang ibu, Normah Abdul Karim, 40, beberapa hari lalu.
Menurut Normah, dia terlihat patung berahi itu ketika membawa dua anak lelakinya berusia 12 dan lapan tahun menonton filem Iron Man di sebuah pusat beli-belah terkenal di sini, baru-baru ini.
Sebelum memasuki panggung wayang, anaknya merayu-rayu di sebuah kedai menjual barang permainan di tingkat lima pusat beli-belah berkenaan.
“Anak yang yang teruja dengan filem berkenaan meminta saya membelikan mereka patung Iron Man di kedai terbabit yang berharga sekitar RM50 setiap satu.
“Sewaktu membelek patung Iron Man, mata anak sulung saya, Aiman, mula menjeling ke rak pameran kaca di belakang kaunter pembayaran yang mempamerkan beberapa patung permainan lain,” katanya yang juga pengusaha taman asuhan kanak-kanak (taska).
Normah yang mulanya menyangka permainan biasa yang diimport dari luar negara itu bagaimanapun terkejut sebaik mendapati rak permainan itu dipenuhi patung gadis beraksi lucah.
“Ada patung mainan itu bogel sepenuhnya dengan memperlihatkan bahagian sulit wanita. Malah, kebanyakan patung itu beraksi mengghairahkan sehingga menyebabkan saya sendiri malu untuk memandang.
“Saya lantas menarik anak daripada terus merenung deretan lebih 30 patung lucah berkenaan kerana bimbang boleh merosakkan minda mereka,” katanya yang sempat mempersoalkan penjualan patung terbabit kepada pekerja kedai itu.
Katanya, pekerja berusia 30-an itu memberi alasan patung berharga menjangkau RM200 itu hanya dibeli golongan dewasa yang meminati animasi Jepun.
Dia berkata, alasan diberikan seolah-olah cuba menafikan unsur seks yang ditonjol patung berkenaan.
“Bagi saya penjualan patung seumpama itu satu penghinaan kepada wanita berikutan cuba mengeksploitasi tubuh kaum hawa bagi mendapatkan keuntungan,” katanya.
Sementara itu, wartawan Harian Metro mendapati patung mengghairahkan itu dijual secara terang-terangan di beberapa kedai permainan di pusat beli-belah terkemuka di ibu kota.
Kebanyakan patung itu yang diimport dari China dan Jepun sengaja direka bagi menonjolkan aksi menjolok mata sama ada dengan sedikit pakaian atau bogel sepenuhnya.
Patung itu yang dibungkus rapi dalam kotak khas djual pada harga RM20 hingga RM300 berdasarkan ketinggian dan ketelitian pembuatannya.
For the translation of the article above, you can read it here.
Koleksi anak orang kaya
Oleh Mohd Jamilul Anbia Md Denin
anbia@hmetro.com.myKUALA LUMPUR: Kebanjiran patung permainan lucah yang dijual di beberapa pusat beli-belah sekitar ibu kota dikesan dibawa masuk peniaga tempatan semata-mata bagi memenuhi minat dan hobi aneh terutama golongan anak orang kaya yang menggemarinya.
Perkara ini didedahkan Ketua Unit Penguat kuasa Pusat, Bahagian Kawalan Penerbitan dan Teks al-Quran, Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) Mohd Rizal Abidin selepas melakukan beberapa serbuan ke premis menjual permainan, susulan pendedahan Harian Metro berhubung penjualan permainan lucah 4 Ogos lalu.
Menurutnya, rata-rata peniaga ditemui mendakwa hanya menjual patung terbabit terutama kepada golongan anak ‘orang berada’ berikutan harga patung terbabit menjangkau hingga RM200 setiap satu.
“Apa yang dimaklumkan oleh peniaga, kebanyakan patung permainan ‘terlampau’ ini mendapat tempat terutama di kalangan remaja yang membelinya untuk koleksi peribadi atau dijadikan cenderamata kepada rakan-rakan.
“Pihak KDN memandang serius penjualan patung permainan berunsur lucah ini dan siasatan dilakukan sebaik berita berkenaan disiarkan. Tindakan perlu diambil kerana patung permainan lucah ini mengandungi unsur yang boleh memudaratkan moral masyarakat,” katanya.
Menurutnya, susulan itu, beberapa operasi dilakukan membabitkan empat lokasi kedai mainan sekitar pusat beli-belah terkemuka di Bukit Bintang, Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya dan Brickfields sejak Isnin minggu lalu.
“Operasi membabitkan lapan anggota KDN Putrajaya dibantu pegawai KDN Selangor diketuai Penolong Pegawai Penguat kuasa Kanan, Bahagian Kawalan Penerbitan dan Teks al-Quran KDN, Mohamad Hashim Kamaruddin akhirnya berjaya mengesan pelbagai jenis patung lucah didapati dijual secara terbuka kepada orang ramai.
“Hasil daripada bukti diperoleh, pihak KDN bertindak merampas lebih 114 unit patung permainan berbaur lucah berkenaan dari semua premis terbabit,” katanya.
Semua patung lucah bernilai hampir RM10,000 terbabit dirampas dan dibawa ke ibu pejabat KDN Putrajaya sementara tindakan pendakwaan dilakukan.
“Pemilik premis memiliki dan menjual patung itu boleh dikenakan hukuman mengikut Seksyen 7 dengan penjara tidak melebihi lima tahun dan denda tidak kurang RM20,000,” katanya
Menurutnya, rata-rata peniaga menjual patung lucah berkenaan menyedari kesalahan dilakukan.
“Mereka mendakwa patung terbabit yang diimport terutama dari China berjaya melepasi pemeriksaan pihak berkuasa di pelabuhan sebelum diseludup ke negara ini,” katanya.
Title: Wealthy Children’s Collection
KUALA LUMPUR: Surge of erotic figurines sold in several shopping complexes around the city capital had been confirmed being imported by local retailers for the sake of fulfilling the demand and interest of people with such wierd hobbies especially those that are rich.
This matter was unveiled by Central Enforcer Chief, Publication control and Quranic text Division, Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN*, Ministry of Internal Affairs) Mohd. Rizal Abidin - after several raids to toy selling premises, following a cover by Harian Metro (The newspaper responsible) regarding the selling of erotic toys on the 4th of August.
According to him, most of the sellers claimed that they only sell those figurines to ‘the more established youngsters’ due to the price of said figurines reaching up to MYR 200 each.
“According to the seller, most of these ‘obscene’ toy dolls are popular amongst teenagers that buys it for their personal collection, or as gifts for friends.”
“The KDN (see above) take the selling of said erotic themed toy dolls seriously and investigation of this matter is conducted as soon as the news was published. Action had to be taken as these erotic figurines contains elements that can harm corrupt our society’s morals.”
According to him again several operations made involving four locations of toy shops around famous shopping complexes at Star Hill, Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya and Brickfields since last Monday.
“The operations involving 8 officers from Putrajaya’s KDN branch supported by Selangor’s KDN officer led by Assistant Senior Enforcer from Publication control and Quranic text Division, Mohammad Hashim Kamaruddin finally succeeded to track down various erotic figurines found to be sold openly to public.”
“From the acquired evidences, the KDN confiscated more than 114 units of figurines with erotic elements from all of the above mentioned premises.”
All of the confiscated erotic figurines are estimated to be around MYR 10,000 and were brought to the KDN’s HQ at Putrajaya while prosecuting measures are being undertaken.
“Shop owners found posessing and selling of said figurines can be jailed for no more than 5 years and fined for no less than MYR 20,000 according to Section 7 of the Malaysian Law.”
According to him again, most of the sellers of above mentioned erotic figurines are aware of their crime.
“They claimed that those figurines were mainly imported from China and were succesfully avoiding authority’s inspection at local ports before being smuggled into this country.”
Credits:
Original Translation: Exiled_Gundam
Edited by: Quazacolt
My view on the article, I would say lack of research and over generalization. I don’t know about other places, but here it’s easier to find decent and clothed figures rather than those nude ones, which are usually either bootleg or resin. Well you can find them if you really look for it but reputable shop that sells original figures don’t carry them though.
Also those that collect figures are mostly young working adult and not school going children as mention in the article, grouping figures together with children toy is so wrong imo. Students won’t even be able to afford to buy those figures anyway unless their parents buy for them.
I don’t really blame the mother for making the complain, though I blame the shop for displaying suchs figures in the open and the over zealous reporter that wrote the first article without proper research. This becomes a problem for us genuine figures collector, since those above mention figures are mostly bootleg version and probably makeup only a small percentage of the local figures market. I just hope the articles doesn’t make it hard for us to continue with our hobby.
Anyway more rant from Aiko, LilKeV84, Setsuna and Fat Cat Lim.



WHY SO SERIOUS?
[...] rants can be found below (updated as more rants come in): http://toysworkz.valiantho.com/2008/08/11/figurine-issue-in-malaysia/ http://otaku-aiko.blogspot.com/2008/08/figurine-issue-in-malaysia.html [...]
Anime figures seem really popular over your place.
Even if the interrest for such figures is growing here in France, only mangas are being blamed for now (because of sex, violence and some other stupid excuses…).
Figures are not (yet?) targetted. Because I guess there is also, and already since many moons, a lot of comics (US and Franco-Belgian) goodies, more or less naked, and some are much more suggestive.
Its always sad when the government blames the societies problems on a niche market like Videogames/MAnga/Anime/Figures instead of searching for the real reasons.
But oh well its sooo much easier this way….
@Lu-k
Yeah Mangas are in Germany known as “those Porn and Violence Comics” among the general public…
This situation reminds me of how everything is blamed on video games here in North America especially the one includes a lot of violences like GTA4 for example.
I hope this does not affect any otakus in Malaysia in anyways to continue with their hobbies
@Blowfish: totaly agree with you. It’s easier to blame the niche market since it’s there and pretty obvious than trying to actually find the root of the problems.
This is the exact same daily tabloid that stir some shit end of last year in Malaysia on anime is hentai.
The faggotry of generalizing anime is hentai and all figure is erotic and only for ‘rich kids’ really shows that the author really lacks researchings and/or has a grudge against anime/manga community.
It wont be long before they raise on issue of cosplay is goth loli/punk culture generalization. You just wait and see >_>
@gordon~It’s very serious xD
@lu-k~well they have already banned yaoi manga from stores but other manga seems to be ok though. I guess since no one complains they won’t care about it. I just hope the thing dies down like what happen to the anime article quite a while back.
@Blowfish~Well it’s easier to blame something else rather than themself. Parents like to do that too.
@Saku~Yeah and that’s when there are even more violence being shown on TV. Yeah I hope it won’t affect our hobbies too.
@ejump~Yup I read the article regarding anime is hentai as well, it shows how little research was done prior to writing the articles. Reporters are suppose to report all the facts not simply whatever they want but I guess that’s how “Bolehland” reporters work.
[...] Valho [...]
they need to learn that these are not children toys.. can’t put the figurines together with toddler toys..
if they generalized too much, why not put sex toys as well together, they are also toys -_-
Moralfags being moralfags always try to force their “superior” values on others.
EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING.
Once the heat dies down, our unelected, officially unrecognised moral police will just simply forget about it. I remember 10 years ago that a ‘moral purge’ against any items that depicts images/shapes/symbols of Satan were frequently made and many stuff were confiscated. I look at shops today (for example, my hometown of Kota Kinabalu has one particular shop): they’re selling em’ openly (and people are wearing em’ openly!) and the authority won’t give a shat about it.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a Muslim myself, but I don’t call a country that practices corruption, manufactures beer, has a casino on top and allow Muslim women to go outside without a headscarf and openly dating other men without worries of being stoned to death an Islamic country. People should wake up and face the reality that Malaysia is seriously a secular country.
PROTIP: we should deport all these crazy moralfags to a deserted Island, and let them rule there autonomously.
[...] ToyzWorks [...]
[...] Mall’s Kevin is understandably pissed about this. Valho has a more reasonable outlook on the whole situation, though Setsuna is [...]
Haha, wow. Doing this sort of stuff instead of bothering to prevent actual crime. Bravo.
The media loves to do these kind of things to make the general public think that these are bad and are harming the society, supported by people who don’t try to step into their shoes and understand about the hobbies. Generalisation is inevitable by outsiders, and I feel sorry for those who have suffered.
I am pretty sure that I have more to say, but I am constantly running out of time. Hope the heat dies down like what Hangmen has said.
OMG….. overkill of figure bashing…. none of the figures I own even class as erotic. None of them are fully castoffable and none of them are doing anything pervy. I hope to god the UK doesn’t get like this when they finally pick up on the figure-scene.