8 December 2000
SENT BY FAX
His Excellency Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
Prime Minister
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
VIA FAX: +60-3-238-3784
Your Excellency:
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is deeply disturbed by recent threats made by Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs to close the popular bi-weekly Harakah, the newspaper of the Islam se-Malaysia Party (PAS), and four other Malaysian publications. These threats constitute a grave and unacceptable assault on press freedom.
On 24 December 1999, the ministry informed Harakah that it faced an 8 January deadline to limit its sales to party members only. The ministry had prohibited the sale of Harakah at public news-stands on 22 December, as authorities accused the newspaper of failing to abide by its publishing permit, which restricts Harakah’s sales to PAS members. At the time, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi warned Harakah that the Home Ministry, which oversees publication licenses, would take "stern action" if newsstand sales continued..
In addition, the ministry has said that it was investigating the conditions of the publication permit of Detik, a bi-monthly pro-opposition magazine whose publishing license expired in December and has not been renewed. This action has already prevented the publication of three copies of Detik since December. In addition, Wasilah, a newly launched youth-oriented sister publication of Detik has received a warning letter. Also warned were another pro-opposition monthly magazine, Tamadun, and the independent weekly tabloid Eksklusif.
With all of Malaysia’s mainstream newspapers directly controlled by allies of the ruling Barisan National coalition, the alternative voices provided by a handful of pro-opposition publications are vital to the maintenance of a semblance of democracy. Since the arrest and trial last year of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Harakah’s popularity in particular has skyrocketed as a source of non-official views on the trial and other controversial issues. We fear that the threat made against Harakah is in direct retaliation for the publication’s opposition viewpoints.
As an organization of Southeast Asian journalists committed to the principles of free expression in the region, SEAPA strongly urges your government to lift any threats made against these five publications and to allow them to be sold freely and openly .
We further call on the government of Malaysia to revoke its restrictive Printing Press and Publications Act, which requires the renewal of publishing licenses annually. The licensing of publications is a violation of all internationally accepted standards of press freedom and limits the Malaysian public’s ability to fairly judge the vital issues facing the country.
We appreciate your attention and await your response.
Sincerely,
Kavi Chongkittavorn
Chairman
A. Lin Neumann, Advisor
Southeast Asian Press Alliance
Phya Thai Court -- Apt. L
65/2 Soi Kolit -- Phya Thai St.
Bangkok, Thailand
office 66-2-653-7393
home -- 66-2-252-3429
handphone - 66-1-860-8106
fax -- USA Number efax 1-253-736-9650
lin_neumann@compuserve.com
A. Lin Neumann, Advisor
Southeast Asian Press Alliance
Phya Thai Court -- Apt. L
65/2 Soi Kolit -- Phya Thai St.
Bangkok, Thailand
office 66-2-653-7393
home -- 66-2-252-3429
handphone - 66-1-860-8106
fax -- USA Number efax 1-253-736-9650
lin_neumann@compuserve.com
