KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's Home Ministry has banned the popular "Fifty Shades of Grey" books, after forbidding cinemas in the country from screening the movie adaptation of the erotica trilogy, the Malay Mail reported on Friday.

An order dated February 24 issued by the ministry bans the printing, publication and even ownership of Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed by British author E.L. James in Malaysia - three years after the books first became available in stores, the report said.

"The printing, importing, production, reproduction, publication, sales, distribution and ownership of the books listed in this schedule that could be a threat to morality are banned wholly throughout Malaysia," Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is quoted as saying in the order, which cites the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

The Film Censorship Board (LPF) had earlier banned the film adaptation of "Fifty Shades of Grey" on grounds that the movie contained unnatural and "sadistic" sex scenes, such as scenes of a woman being bound and whipped.

The "Fifty Shades" trilogy has sold more than 100 million copies around the world since its publication in 2012.

The softcore erotica books chronicle the sadomasochistic relationship between college graduate Anastasia Steele and billionaire Christian Grey.