Malaysian opposition paper to miss issue after official permit delayed
Hishamuddin Yahya said the cancellation of Friday's issue would be a "financial blow" to Harakah, newspaper of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).
The Home Affairs Ministry earlier moved to curb sales of the newspaper. Its editor Zulkifli Sulong and its printer are also facing a sedition charge over an article about the trial of jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.Zulkifli said the bi-weekly had applied two months ago for renewal of its annual publishing permit, required for newspapers under Malaysian law, but had been given no information despite approaching the ministry.
Hishamuddin said the permit expired Monday. "There is no news if it will be renewed. The ministry seems to be sleeping on it," he told AFP.
"It puts us in very great difficulty," he said. "I think officials have acted on it (the permit) but the minister has not decided.
"Whether it's procrastination or deliberate is difficult to say. It should not happen in an efficient government."
The Home (interior) Minister is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also deputy premier and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's preferred successor.
Hishamuddin said Harakah's circulation touched 377,000 for each issue just before last November's election, comparable to or higher than major mainstream newspapers.
He said circulation was now 277,000 following government moves to restrict sales to PAS party members under the terms of its licence.
PAS more than tripled its parliamentary seats to 27 in the election, dealing a major blow to Mahathir's United Malays National Organisation.Hishamuddin also said he understood that an application by PAS to publish a new daily newspaper had been rejected.
In January PAS applied to the home ministry for permission to publish a paper to be called Purnama.
"This government does not care for public opinion or international opinion," Hishamuddin said.
The mainstream press is solidly pro-government, although some opposition news is carried, and in some cases is owned by businesses linked to the ruling party.
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