KL suspends tabloid 'Perdana Sari'

KL suspends tabloid 'Perdana Sari'

MALAYSIA: The government on Thursday barred a tabloid from publishing for three months after it alleged that a prominent member of Malaysia's ruling party was a lesbian.

Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi suspended the weekly because a government probe showed that it veered toward sensationalism and could hurt moral values, the national news agency Bernama reported.

Khalid Jafri, owner of the Malay-language tabloid Perdana Sari - or "Prime Content," said he would abide by the decision.

Malaysia's Press and Publications Act requires newspapers and magazines to seek annual permits and gives officials sweeping powers to act against publishers.

Khalid's tabloid, launched in March, claimed in several articles that Azalina Othman, a member of the United Malays National Organization's policy-making body, was a lesbian. --AP