Mahathir defends policy on 'Asiaweek'

Mahathir defends policy on 'Asiaweek'

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
yesterday defended his government's decision to cancel its
subscription to the Hong Kong-based magazine Asiaweek, saying the
publication was "not informative."

"What we buy, of course, is our right," Mahathir said,
commenting on a home ministry order to all state agencies to stop
subscribing to Asiaweek after the magazine printed critical
articles on the country's leadership.

"We are not banning it but we feel it is not informative, so
we don't buy, " he told reporters, adding: "That's all."
Last month, Information Minister Mohamed Rahmat had said the
government might punish Asiaweek for alleged inaccurate reporting
on Malaysia.

Mohamed said the government was considering options,
"including curtailing its circulation," as it had done previously
with the Far Eastern Economic Review.