GOOD GROUNDS WHY NEWSPAPERS SUSPENDED, SAYS M'SIAN PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry has good grounds to suspense the publication permit of Harakah and Suara Keadilan, the party organs for PAS and People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat - PKR), said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

PAS or the Islamic Party of Malaysia is an Islamist opposition political
party and The People's Justice Party (PKR) is a centrist political party,
respectively in Malaysia.

PAS and PKR together with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) formed a
coalition called People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat) following the Malaysia's
2008 election.

"(There) must be a good reason to it," he told reporters after delivering
his message to the 2,500 delegates who would be attending the United Malays
National Organization (Umno) General Assembly 2008 at the Putra World Trade
Centre (PWTC), here Tuesday.

UMNO is a right-wing party and Malaysia's largest political party; a
founding member of the National Front (Barisan Nasional -BN) coalition, which
has been Malaysia's ruling political party since independence.


The Home Ministry Monday suspended the newspapers for three months with
immediate effect as they had violated the conditions of their permits.

Abdullah declined comment on Umno's decision not to issue press tags to The
Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini to cover the general assembly.

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who was
present, interjected, "It was because of their irresponsible reporting. If they
have been responsible in their coverage, we will not take the action."

Also present at the news conference were Umno deputy president
Najib Tun Razak and Umno information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib.

-- BERNAMA