‘Becoming Hannah’ vetted by national library, not a religious book, UUM lecturer admits in court

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff told the High Court today that he is aware that the book, Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, has been vetted by the National Library of Malaysia and is not categorised as a religious book.

Kamarul Zaman said this when questioned by lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, representing Hannah, at the trial of a defamation suit filed by the minister over two Facebook posts he made in May 2017.

Sangeet Kaur: I would like to confirm that Dr Kamarul is aware the book Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey, has been catalogued by the National Library of Malaysia under Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

Kamarul Zaman: Right.

Sangeet Kaur: So, Dr Kamarul agreed with me that after the vetting by the National Library of Malaysia, the book was catalogued under the title Yeoh, Hannah, 1979; Women Politicians-Malaysia and Malaysia-Politics and Government.

Kamarul Zaman: Agree.

He also agreed with the lawyer’s suggestion that the book is not categorised as a religious book and that the word “Personal Journey” means a personal story and journey of the Segambut Member of Parliament.

However, Kamarul Zaman disagreed with the lawyer when put to him that there was no issue with spreading Christianity in the book.

In the suit filed in 2022, Hannah claimed that Kamarul Zaman uploaded two Facebook posts between May 10 and May 17, 2017, in which he alleged that she had a motive to proselytise Christianity through her politics.

The lecturer also cited Hannah’s biography Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey as driving a Christian agenda and claimed that she intends to convert Malaysia into a Christian country.

In his statement of defence, Kamarul Zaman said his two Facebook posts were not defamatory and were justified.

He said that as a lecturer and a Muslim, he must inform the people of the book’s contents for fear that they may be influenced by Christianity.

The hearing before Judge Datuk Aliza Sulaiman continues tomorrow. — Bernama