The book was in the news much before it hit the stands, clearly due to the popular image of Macau islands as a centre of sex tourism. However, writer of Marakkanavatha Macau Yathra , A.P.Abdullakutty, MLA, said it was deliberately against the pseudo morality of Malayalis. Speaking at the release of the book here on Saturday, he said it was sad that the book picked up unnecessary controversy. He explained that it would not have happened if people who talked about it had actually read it.
Santhosh George Kulangara, noted for his visual travelogue on various countries, who released the book said it was high time we shrugged away from the blanket of pseudo morality. He addressed Malayalis as a whole and asked them not to boycott subjects that they found offensive, but be ready to discuss them. Malayalis should shed their hypocrisy and face the real issues.
“Kerala would change into a much better State when Malayalis start travelling a bit more. The new generation is ready for the change. All we need are leaders with vision to execute them,” he said. Writer P. Surendran who presided over the release function, said it was a book that could be given to children as textbooks. He said the cultural heritage of Macau, similar to Bangkok or Singapore or Hong Kong, was very rich and that it was not merely a centre for gambling or sex tourism. Ghazal singer Umbayi received the first copy of the book. The function was followed by a Ghazal concert.
