The printing permit of Tamil newspaper, Makkal Osai, has been revoked by the Home Ministry. The newspaper's owner, former MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam, is said to have met Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar today over the ban of the newspaper, which has been critical of the MIC. An appeal, it is understood, has been submitted to the ministry.
Last year, Makkal Osai ran into trouble after printing a picture of Jesus Christ holding a cigaratte in one hand and a can, resembling a beer can, on the other hand. The newspaper then printed an apology.
But Makkal Osai was suspended for 30days following the uproar. The MIC Youth also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office calling for the revokation of its KDN.
The decision to ban Makka Osai has surprised editors who thought that the government would be more liberal following the elections, which saw a massive swing to the opposition.
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Dato',
Want to do something that will go down in history?
Get chief editors of all the newspapers together, sit down and hammer out an editorial on:
1. Voters have spoken. They want to see more tolerance for dissenting views. The ban on Makkal Osai will only serve to highlight the BN government's refusal to listen to the people's demands.
2. The ban is a further blow to the credibility of the mainstream media, whose image has taken a battering over the past several months. How to regain readers' trust like this? Malaysians now will take to the Internet media and blogs even more.
3. Urge government to reconsider decision.
Publish the editoral in all the newspapers, word for word. Of course vernacular papers will run the translated version, but everyone should stick to the agreed text.
That way, everybody is in it together, and no one can be singled out. Strength in numbers.
Readers will sit up and take notice that the mainstream media is also now speaking up and pushing for greater press freedom.
It will give big boost to the media's credibility.
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