In a 10 January 2000 letter to Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mahathir Mohamad, CPJ expressed its deep concern over the Ministry of Home Affairs’ recent threats to close five Malaysian publications, including the widely-read opposition biweekly “Harakah”. In a 24 December 1999 letter, the home ministry accused “Harakah”, the newspaper of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party […]
In a 10 January 2000 letter to Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mahathir Mohamad, CPJ expressed its deep concern over the Ministry of Home Affairs’ recent threats to close five Malaysian publications, including the widely-read opposition biweekly “Harakah”.
In a 24 December 1999 letter, the home ministry accused “Harakah”, the newspaper of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), of ignoring the terms of its publishing license by selling to non-party members. The ministry has ordered PAS to stop distributing “Harakah” via public newsstands by 8 January.
The home ministry apparently retaliated against “Harakah” for its critical coverage of the arrest and trial of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last year. These events broadened “Harakah”‘s readership considerably and established it as a source of alternative news on the trial and other politically sensitive subjects.
Also on 24 December, the privately financed, pro-opposition fortnightly “Detik” received a show-cause notice from the home ministry asking management to state reasons why its publishing permit should not be revoked. “Detik” allegedly broke the terms of its license by failing to inform the ministry of its new chief editor’s appointment, by not printing a mailing address on its masthead, and by transferring its permit to another publishing company without the ministry’s consent. “Detik”‘s license expired in December and has yet to be renewed. The delay has disrupted the magazine’s publication schedule, causing it to miss three issues since December.
“Detik”‘s new sister publication, “Wasilah”, also received a show-cause notice on 24 December. The ministry warned the monthly magazine that it must abide by the terms of its license and publish under its full name, “Al Wasilah”.
Two other publications received similar threats this past fall. In a 28 October letter, the home ministry accused the monthly opposition magazine “Tamadun” of publishing material that “could cause hatred among the people towards the government,” according to the online publication Malaysiakini.com. And soon after the November 1999 elections, the ministry accused the independent weekly tabloid “Eksklusif” of “spreading rumors.”
According to CPJ. Malaysia’s few pro-opposition publications provide a necessary counterbalance to the country’s government-controlled mainstream press. In the absence of such alternative voices, Malaysia cannot be called a democratic state. CPJ joins the Southeast Asian Press Alliance in urging the government of Malaysia to retract its threats against “Harakah”, “Detik”, “Wasilah”, “Tamadun”, and “Eksklusif”, and to ensure that all five periodicals may continue to publish freely.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the prime minister:
– stating that, in your opinion, his government’s use of licensing regulations to intimidate local media clearly violates international standards of press freedom and severely restricts the Malaysian public’s ability to evaluate important issues facing the country
– urging the government of Malaysia to repeal the 1984 Printing Press and Publications Act, under which publishing permits must be renewed annually
– further urging the government to retract its threats against “Harakah”, “Detik”, “Wasilah”, “Tamadun”, and “Eksklusif”, and to ensure that all five periodicals may continue to publish freely
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
His Excellency Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
Prime Minister
Jabatan Perdana Menteri
Jalan Dato’ Onn
Kuala Lumpur 50502
Malaysia
Fax: 60 3 238 3784
E-mail: http://www.smpke.jpm.my/fr_fback.htm
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.