KL media curbs condemned

KL media curbs condemned

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): International press rights groups called on Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday to lift curbs on an anti-government magazine, saying that Malaysia's trend of muzzling media violated international conventions.

The World Association of Newspapers and the Committee to Protect Journalists, in separate statements faxed to news agencies, joined growing condemnation of the government's move not to renew the printing license of Detik magazine, a Malay- language political magazine published twice a month.

"We respectfully remind you that refusal of a publishing license on political grounds is a clear breach of the right of freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international conventions," the Paris-based World Association of Newspapers said in a letter to Mahathir. Copies of the letter were forwarded to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other United Nations agencies.

Detik was informed last week by the Home Affairs Ministry that its printing permit, which had expired on Nov. 30, would not be renewed. Detik was launched last January amid huge public uproar after the sacking and jailing of Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.