Permit for Malaysian opposition party's newspaper approved

Malaysian Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar is promising more press freedom and one of his first acts was to approve the publishing permit for the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) or People's Justice Party's newspaper.

"Even when people talk about press freedom, for me the bottom line is that we need press freedom in order for us to have a check and balance in Government.

"I want to change that paradigm. We are not trying to control you, but we want everyone to contribute to the nation-building process," Syed Hamid said in an interview published by The Star on Sunday.

PKR had been applying for a newsletter for its members since its formation.

"I've just approved the Parti Keadilan Rakyat newspaper and I asked my officers why not. I am open about it.

"All political parties have their own papers. It's their party paper. We have not cancelled the licences of any party newspaper," he added.

Syed Hamid said he had also told his Home Ministry officials to re-look the annual licensing requirement for newspapers.

"I have told my officers that I want to have a re-look at the Printing Presses and Publications Act so that we can move with the times.

"I have asked them to look for other ways of managing the media other than issuing the annual licences," he added.

Asked what was his view on the annual licensing, Syed Hamid said:

"I have not discussed it with the Cabinet. My view is that we should issue licences only once (upon application).

"That way, we will have the right to suspend but you don't have to renew every year. That is one of the things I've been toying with.

"My argument is why should we let ourselves become unpopular by having such regulations when we had exercised the law sparingly over the years but I need to convince more (people)." (****)