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不得公然放屁！ 馬拉威擬立法禁止
新頭殼 更新日期:"2011/02/10 17:17" NewTalk 新頭殼
新頭殼newtalk 2011.02.10 王常和/綜合報導
非洲國家「馬拉威」為了促進社會文明運動，打算立法禁止在公共場所放屁，在人民反彈之下，國會將進行辯論。該國金融重鎮布蘭岱（Blantyre），也擬在地方立法將公然放屁列為犯罪行為，該地居民對此大為不滿。
馬拉威司法部長喬治沙蓬達向媒體證實，有關該國政府準備立法禁止在公共場所放屁的報導確有其事，他說，議會辯論這一立法草案是政府促進社會文明運動的一部分，禁止在公共場所放屁和禁止在公共場所大小便是同樣的性質。
而布蘭岱下周將審議的地方法案內容為：「任何人在任何地方污染空氣，以致於對當地居民、從商人員和路人造成健康上的損害，應被判處輕罪。」此外，即將提出的法案還包括，阻礙死者屍體下葬者和喬裝為算命師者，也都可能列為犯罪行為。
馬拉威人對此法規極度不滿，他們認為政府有許多更重要的事情需要解決，不該拘泥於這種「幼稚的」小事上，且每個人都會在公眾場合放屁，很難去辨認出是誰做的；還有民眾氣憤地說：「每個人都會放屁，法規頒布後人們要到哪裡放屁呢？」還有一名大學生痛斥政府這樣的提案根本就是對公共資源一個很大的浪費，浪費全民的時間和金錢。
馬拉威老百姓現在很疑惑，不知這一法令會怎麼執行，他們在肚子漲氣時將怎樣控制，才能避免違法。
馬拉威位於非洲東南部，差不多整個國家都處於高山之上，人口約有1250多萬人，政局在非洲堪稱穩定，曾被聯合國評為世界上最不發達的國家之一，全國約有55%的人生活在貧窮線以下，人均國民生產總值只有600美元，於2007年底與中華人民共和國建交。
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Chaponda blunders, fouls the truth
Friday, 04 February 2011 17:01 Deogratias Mmana
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[Chaponda: Fouling air does not necessarily mean farting]
Chaponda: Fouling air does not necessarily mean farting
It is not every day that Malawi’s Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister George Chaponda makes headlines on BBC. But Friday morning he was a big newsmaker when he told the world Malawi will soon criminalise breaking the wind in public.
The international broadcaster quoted the minister as having said Malawi Government has pushed to Parliament a bill to criminalise farting in the open in order to "preserve public decency."
Chaponda’s statement, which was also a major item in BBC’s morning show Network Africa, attracted negative feedback from listeners across the continent who felt government was being petty.
On Thursday, Chaponda was featured on Capital Radio’s Straight Talk programme to justify the rationale behind some of the bills that government wants to table in this sitting of Parliament which includes Local Courts Bill that prohibits fouling the air.
Asked whether fouling air means people will be punished for farting, the Justice Minister confirmed it on the radio, saying government wants to mould citizens to be responsible and disciplined other than just urinating in public or farting.
"I think the government has a right to ensure decency," he said. "We are entitled to introduce order in the country."
Chaponda said similar laws were in place in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.
"
Have you gone to Singapore? Have you gone to Malaysia?
If you go to Malaysia and chew your chewing-gum and throw it in the street, you will be arrested," he said.
He said Malawians should be able to control their gas other than releasing it in public.
"You can control your farting. Why not go to toilet instead of farting in public?" Chaponda said.
"Would you like yourself that people should be farting in public everywhere?" Chaponda asked Capital FM presenter Brian Banda.
But later in the morning Friday Chaponda told this paper that he got it all wrong and explained that fouling air "does not necessarily mean farting".
We sought clarification from the minister after it emerged that his position on the matter contradicted his own Principal Secretary Anthony Kamanga who said on Tuesday that ‘fouling’ in the proposed law does not include ‘farting’.
In the earlier interview, Kamanga said Malawi Parliament cannot be that childish to debate farting. He asked for seriousness from those who interpreted fouling air as farting.
All this comes after the issue also made headlines in various British newspapers that Malawi wants to criminalise farting.
"Let’s get serious. This is not a joking matter. The people who were working on these things [the Bill] were reasonable people. Our Parliament cannot be that stupid to waste time and debate over such issues," Kamanga said.
The Solicitor General said fouling air can come in the form of burning tyres, rubbish and old computers and smoking in the neighbourhood thereby spoiling the air in the atmosphere of the neighbours.
"These are minor offences and not farting in public. These laws have been there but not being enforced. In countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe, you cannot just burn rubbish anywhere," said Kamanga adding that fouling air is stipulated in the Penal Code 198 while fouling water in 197.
Reads Penal Code 198, "Any person who voluntarily vitiates the atmosphere in any place so as to make it noxious to the health of persons in general dwelling or carrying on business in the neighbourhood or passing along a public way, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour."
Section 197 of the same Penal Code reads, "Any person who voluntarily corrupts or fouls the water of any public spring or reservoir, so as to render it less fit for the purpose for which it is ordinarily used, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour."
Various papers in Britain published stories that Malawi was working on a law to punish people who fart around. Their basis for the stories was from online publications.
UK’s Mirror had the headline Breaking Wind is to Become a Crime in Malawi and added "and it is already causing a stink".
It further said, "The government of Malawi plans to punish persistent offenders who foul the air in an effort to mould responsible and disciplined citizens."
No More Farting Around In Malawi was the headline of the celebrity blogger PerezHilton.com
"If this sounds pretty ridiculous to you, you’re definitely not alone. Many citizens feel the country has bigger fish to fry than holding people accountable for living by the phrase ‘better out than in’," reported the blog.
PerezHilton then added its opinion: "If it’s a decency issue, may we remind you that sometimes the forces of nature just take over and you just can’t control it! "
Malawi Poised to Outlaw Farting was another headlined in The Register. It added a sub-headline titled Clampdown on undisciplined bowels.
The Register quoted a Malawian, "How can this government criminalise the release of intestinal gases? Everyone does that, even if it’s in public or it has an accompanying sound which is boring; making it criminal is a joke of democracy."
The Daily Express had the headline, Law that Put the Wind up for You… Malawi Bans Flatulence.
It reported that critics of the proposal fear it could lead to potential miscarriages of justice as guilty parties try to pass on the blame.
It quoted one saying prankster children could use any new law to embarrass respected elders.
Better in Than Out: African Country Set to Make Breaking Wind a Crime, was the headline of the Daily Mail, reporting that the bill also outlaws pretending to be a fortune-teller.
