(Source: Malaysiakini)
The Home Ministry has suspended the organs of two opposition parties - PAS' Harakah and PKR's Suara Keadilan - for three months, effective immediately.
With the suspension, both newspapers will not be able to publish until the end of June, missing out on a number of crucial political events including the three by-elections on April 7.
Suara Keadilan editor Zulkiflee Anwar Al-Haq told Malaysiakini that no reason had been given for the ban.
He said that the letter informing the weekly newspaper of the ban was faxed to his office this afternoon. [See below]
The suspension order was addressed to PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
"We fear that this action by the government is a prelude to a general clampdown on press freedom in Malaysia," PKR information chief Tian Chua told AFP.
Previously Suara Keadilan has been asked to show cause by Home Ministry’s Publications Control and Al-Quran Texts Unit last September over a report on police chief Musa Hassan.
The ministry had also seized nearly 20,000 copies of the Feb 4-11 edition that had the frontpage headlines, 'Perak cabar SPR ke mahkamah' (Perak challenges EC to court).
However this latest punishment from the ministry only leaves room for speculations as to why the publication was suspended.
One possible reason could be the publication's continuous negative reports on incoming Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who is set to assume the top post in the first week of April.
Suara Keadilan only obtained its publishing permit a year ago, after the March 8 general election.
KDN official Che Din Yusoh who signed the suspension order could not be contacted for comment.
Why ban? Is the government afraid of opposition? Even Mahathir said, 'We need an opposition.'
2 comments:
they have something terrible on the cards for the next 2 months.
something terrible to the nation as the whole.
When robbers and rapists intend to commit a crime,they invariably gag their victims before the act.
Do watch out for the impending crimes!
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