KL comes under fire from inside, outside over 'censor'<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): An international press freedom group
\ncriticized on Friday Malaysia's decision to delay sales of two
\nforeign news magazines which carry articles on Prime Minister
\nMahathir Mohamad's government.<\/p>\n
\"If the government is trying to bar the distribution of
\nforeign publications, that's very troubling,\" said Lin Neumann,
\nAsia representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists.<\/p>\n
As of Friday evening, censors were still holding back editions
\nof Asiaweek and the Far Eastern Economic Review. They would
\nnormally have gone on sale six days earlier.<\/p>\n
There was no indication whether the latest editions of the two
\nmagazines, which would normally go on sale Saturday, would also
\nbe delayed.<\/p>\n
The Control of Publications and Film Division, part of the
\nHome Affairs Ministry, routinely inspects imported news
\nmagazines. But local distributors say they believe it is the
\nfirst time for many years that it has delayed sales.<\/p>\n
Mahathir's government has for years fiercely criticized the
\nWestern media for alleged biased and inaccurate reporting. But it
\nhad previously made no overt moves to suppress its operations or
\nto curb sales.<\/p>\n
Tengku Mahmood Tengku Ismail, assistant undersecretary of the
\npublications control division, told AFP on Thursday that the
\ndelay \"could be due to some problems with the contents.\" He
\ndeclined to give details of the problems but added: \"We have to
\nbear in mind national interest.\"<\/p>\n
Rohaizad Abdul Rahim, press secretary to Home Affairs Minister
\nAbdullah Ahmad Badawi, declined comment when asked if a new
\npolicy of censoring foreign publications has been introduced.
\nAn information ministry spokesman also declined comment. A source
\nsaid the ministry was not consulted about the decision.<\/p>\n
The Far Eastern Economic Review's web edition for March 1 has
\na report on opposition to Mahathir from within his ruling party.
\nAsiaweek's March 2 issue, as seen on the Internet, carries a
\nreport of links between unidentified Malaysian businessmen and
\nIslamic separatists in the southern Philippines.<\/p>\n
Asiaweek also has a report on the new administrative capital
\nof Putrajaya which was pioneered by Mahathir. The article is
\nentitled Building a Legacy.<\/p>\n
Neumann said the New York-based Committee to Protect
\nJournalists had for years been critical of the government's
\ntreatment of the local media.<\/p>\n
He told AFP from Bangkok that any attempt to screen or delay
\nforeign news magazines was censorship. \"That is not in keeping
\nwith what a nation that professes to be democratic should be
\ndoing.\"<\/p>\n
Neumann said the action would damage the government. \"It makes
\nthem look silly. It's a pretty sophisticated country with
\nenormous economic achievements ... but such policies make them
\nlook like they're in league with Burma (Myanmar).\"<\/p>\n
Lim Kit Siang, chairman of Malaysia's opposition Democratic
\nAction Party, said the home ministry should \"stop making a fool
\nof itself,\" especially when the magazines could be read on the
\nInternet.<\/p>\n
In a statement he said the delay in releasing printed copies
\nshowed the world that \"Malaysia is not a democratic country but
\nreminiscent of authoritarian regimes like the previous communist
\ngovernment of the Soviet Union or the Myanmar military junta.\"<\/p>\n
The latest round of verbal attacks on the Western began Feb. 1
\nwhen Mahathir accused Asiaweek of deliberately using a cover
\nphotograph of him which makes him look like \"an idiot.\"<\/p>\n
Three days later the government announced it would set up a
\ncommittee to handle what it called inaccurate reports in the
\nforeign media.<\/p>\n
Asiaweek sells more than 25,000 copies in Malaysia, its
\nlargest sales volume in any country.<\/p>",
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