Malaysian government closes opposition newspaper

The Malaysian government has suspended the publication of Suara Keadilan, the main opposition newspaper, for “publishing false news that could incite public unrest,”
The Associated Press reported.

The weekly newspaper, directed by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Keadilan party, last month ran a front-page report revealing that the Federal Land Development Authority was bankrupt, the news site Free Malaysia Today noted.

Three days ago, the Home Ministry gave Suara Keadilan a seven-day deadline to explain why it had published the story. However, yesterday, after reviewing the newspaper’s answer, the authorities decided not to renew the paper’s publishing permit, which expired Wednesday.

“We will only consider the newspaper’s application to renew its permit after we have received satisfactory explanation from its management,” the ministry said in a statement, quoted by The Star.

Lee Boon Chye, vice president of the Keadilan party, told the AFP they would continue to publish the paper even if the permit was denied. “This is utter rubbish and certainly it is not an isolated incident. The government is trying to crack down on dissent. This is an interference on press freedom,” the politician said.