PUTRAJAYA, 19 Sept 2008: The Home Ministry has yet to receive a reply from the Suara Keadilan newspaper to its show-cause letter issued on 12 Sept 2008 for breaching publication guidelines.
The ministry’s secretary-general Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the two other newspapers, Sin Chew Daily and TheSun, which were also issued with show-cause letters, had responded.
"Until this afternoon, Suara Keadilan had still not replied to us. Perhaps their letter will reach us later, failing which, we will take the necessary action," he told reporters after handing over charity contributions to 289 low-income staff of the ministry by its minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, here today.
On 12 Sept, in issuing the show-cause letters to the three publications, the ministry gave them one week to respond.
Suara Keadilan received the letter over an article, quoting sources, which alleged that Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had become paralysed after his by-pass surgery.
TheSun was issued a show-cause letter for allegedly manipulating and highlighting sensitive issues, and Sin Chew Daily for highlighting the controversy over the alleged racist statement by former Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail against the Chinese.
Under the law, the Home Minister has the discretion to suspend or cancel their publication permits if the newspapers fail to give a satisfactory explanation.
Meanwhile, Syed Hamid said he had not gone through the reply letters of two of the publications.
"But at the end of the day, I think the most important thing is for everyone to behave responsibly. All of us need to contribute to the well-being of our society in exercising our freedom," he said. – Bernama
