Sabah launches first Malay paper

Sabah launches first Malay paper

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia (AFP): The first Malay newspaper in Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah on Borneo island hit the streets yesterday, with publishers saying it would be distributed free for a week.

The 24-page Harian Mercu tabloid is published by Kerah Handal Sdn Bhd, controlled by Sabah's former chief minister Salleh Said, whose wife, Raya Erom holds the chairmanship of the company.

Erom said the newspaper was launched to tap a 500,000-strong Malay readership in the state, which already has three locally published English dailies: Daily Express, Borneo Mail and Borneo Post.

The timber-rich Sabah has a population of 1.8 million people. The publishers said about 12,000 copies of the tabloid would be distributed during the one-week promotion before they determine its price.