Pakatan says to temporarily suspend all party publications

Pakatan Rakyat will temporarily suspend the publications of its three party organs – Suara Keadilan, Harakah and Rocket – until next week, pending a meeting with the Home Ministry.

PR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told a press conference at his office in the Parliament building here this evening that the decision was made after a meeting with the PR leadership council.

“We will not publish new editions of all our party organs, whether Suara Keadilan, Harakah or Rocket temporarily.

“The party leadership will convene a meeting again next week to review our decision and what step we should take next. This is to enable us to meet with the Home Ministry first to iron out all the issues regarding the publications,” he told reporters.

Anwar said that all PR parties – PKR, PAS and DAP – had unanimously agreed to follow the proper process and rules stipulated by the government.

“We definitely disagree with the ministry attacks on us and we feel that this an attempt to oppress us, to deny us the right to trial and to spread our views and information.

“However, we have unanimously agreed to follow all the proper processes and rules,” he said.

The PR’s decision today seems to be a complete turnaround from the original stand made by PKR to openly defy the law and press on with its publication despite failing to obtain a renewal of its printing permit earlier this month.

The PR now appears to be attempting a more diplomatic approach to negotiate a deal with the government, knowing full well that employing a more confrontational stance could work against them.

The powerful Home Ministry could likely flex its muscles and exercise its full powers by issuing a complete ban on all three of the party publications.

This would mean that if the parties insist on spreading its news through its newspapers, it would have to continue using the loophole in the press law by changing its mastheads for each edition.

Anwar noted that all three PR parties had dutifully responded to the show-cause letters that the ministry had sent to its publications.

“We have responded and we have also asked for our meeting with the Home Minister (Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein) to be expedited.

“He is the one who is fully responsible and he should furnish us with his reasons, give us fair consideration and a space to air our grouses.

“This is so that Malaysia is not viewed as an iron fist and autocratic nation,” he said.

When asked what the PR hoped to gain from its meeting with Hishammuddin, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who was also present at the press conference, said:

“We hope that the ministry will give top priority to open democratic rights of the country and not use this clampdown.

“We hope that whatever the procedural issues or reasons, we can sort it out,” he said.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said that the purpose of the meeting with the minister was to seek an explanation on what the ministry’s intentions were in clamping down on the opposition publications.

“We have given all our answers to them in responding to the show-cause letters. We will send our party representatives to meet with the minister and seek a clarification as well as to answer them on their accusations against our publications,” he said.

Anwar said it was unclear if the government’s sudden attack on the party was an indication that snap polls were around the corner but accused Umno of being afraid of the outreach of the opposition newspapers.

“Information spread by our media is effective and Umno feels pressured. This is why they are taking autocratic action.

“Perhaps Apco Worldwide advised them to do so. Outside the country, Apco gives the picture that Umno is liberal and democratic but in the country, Umno is just repressive,” he said.

Over the past few weeks, the Home Ministry had launched an all-out crackdown on all opposition party organs beginning with PKR’s Suara Keadilan, and followed by PAS’ Harakah and DAP’s Rocket.

The ministry had slapped show-cause letters on Suara Keadilan over allegedly defamatory articles it had been publishing. It had also failed to renew the weekly newspaper’s printing permit, which had expired on June 30.

PAS was queried for its failure to provide the ministry with eight copies of its newspaper prior to each publication and for selling its copies to the general public instead of just to party members.

DAP’s Rocket appeared to escape the ministry’s wrath at first but was eventually pulled onto the bandwagon yesterday when ministry officials issued two show-cause letters to its English and Chinese language editions for publishing with expired printing permits.

PKR, which is now facing a RM200 million suit over on of its allegedly defamatory article entitled “Felda Bangkrap”, had initially insisted on printing its next edition despite repeated warnings from the ministry.

The latest edition was printed late last week under a new name “Keadilan”.



comments


Let the BN does whatever action it wants.For every action there is reaction. BN is definitely is going to lose votes and PR will gain them. BN will never learn any lesson and they will never reform. Good luck PR!

It's so obvious Kerismuddin is going after Pakatan. One may be coincidence, two could be biased, all three is targeted war.

The people are not stupid, no matter what reasons are given. How come Perkasa, Utusan, and Berita not get stopped?????????


Pakatan and Anwar really earn my respect again. It shows that PR is more mature when dealing with external pressure to gain control on their speech freedom. To continue protest by attempting counter-attacking is proven not effective when dealing with an administration that has lost its credibility. I must say it's a wise move by PR. Now, PR has make compromise on its rights, so when is your turn BN?