KUALA LUMPUR, 12 Sept 2008: Three newspapers — theSun, Sin Chew Daily and Suara Keadilan – have been given show-cause letters by the Home Affairs Ministry in connection with their articles on recent political developments.
The ministry’s Publications and Quranic Text Control Division secretary, Che Din Yusof, said the letter was issued to theSun for allegedly manipulating and playing up sensitive issues.
Sin Chew Daily was given the show-cause letter for reporting a racially sensitive and controversial statement involving Datuk Ahmad Ismail, the head of the Bukit Bendera Umno Division in Penang.
The letter issued to Suara Keadilan, a fortnightly newspaper belonging to Parti Keadilan Rakyat, was for its report which quoted sources as saying that the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan is paralysed following a coronary bypass surgery.
“The ministry issued the show-cause letters yesterday (11 Sept) and all three publications are given a week to respond,” Che Din told Bernama.
The minister has the authority to suspend or cancel their publication permits if they fail to provide a satisfactory response to the letters. – Bernama
