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Alert

Government suspends another daily in the cartoon affair

(SEAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 16 February 2006 statement by the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), SEAPA's partner in Malaysia:

The CIJ is deeply concerned about the two-week suspension issued to Guang Ming Ribao Sendirian Berhad, the publisher of the newspaper "Guang Ming Daily" afternoon edition. The suspension followed closely on the heels of the indefinite suspension earlier this month of the daily "Sarawak Tribune". Both newspapers had reproduced caricatures from a Danish newspaper which were thought to be offensive towards Islam.

According to a statement issued by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's office, in his capacity as Internal Security Minister, the publisher's permit is to be suspended from 16 February until 1 March 2006, under Sub-section 6(2) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

Additionally, Badawi also issued an order under Sub-section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, completely prohibiting the printing, importation, reproduction, publication, sale, circulation, distribution or possession of any publication throughout Malaysia which relates to the issue of the offensive caricature. This order took effect on 15 February.

While CIJ holds that the reprinting of the offensive caricatures was a clear violation of journalistic ethics, we are deeply troubled by the increasingly interventionist role that government is playing in the media.

A free and self-regulating press is the cornerstone of a democracy, and the actions taken against both "Guang Ming Daily" afternoon edition and "Sarawak Tribune", which in themselves are only the latest in a history of censorship of the mass media, are indicative of the gradual decline of democratic principles in Malaysia's administration.

The Centre for Independent Journalism urges the government to lift the suspensions of both "Guang Ming Daily" afternoon edition and "Sarawak Tribune", in the interest of promoting media freedom. These continued controls over the media must stop and we call on the government to repeal the licensing conditions of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, which has been used to muzzle the Malaysian media and deny both the fundamental rights of freedom of information and freedom of expression.