The Home Ministry has refuted a media report today that claimed the ministry will not renew PKR organ Suara Keadilan ’s permit.

Speaking to Malaysiakini today, the ministry’s Publications Control and Quranic Text secretary Zaitun Ab Samad said no such decision was made.  

“We have not taken any action because we have yet to receive a satisfactory explanation from the publisher.

“I did not say that we are not going to renew the permit, (but) it has now expired,” she clarified when contacted.

suara keadilan report on felda bankrupt 220610 Zaitun also refuted the report which states that the ministry has closed its file on the matter, saying that “there is no basis” for it to do so.

The ministry is waiting for the second explanation letter from the publisher before it makes a decision, having found their initial response last month unsatisfactory .

Suara Keadilan was earlier slapped with a show-cause letter, seeking an explanation on several articles it had published, including a front-page splash ( above ) alleging that Federal Land and Development Agency (Felda) is bankrupt.

The Ministry has suspended its decision to renew PKR’s printing permit, which expired on June 30 this year.

Keadilan not silenced

The party has taken advantage of a loop hole in the regulations by printing its editions under different names, as non-serialised publications do not require a permit from the ministry.

NONE The latest publication is called Utusan Keadilan , the fourth, since Keadilan , Obor Keadilan and Sinar Keadilan .

Meanwhile, Zaitun confirmed that the ministry has received the DAP’s response to its three queries and will be making its decision on their mouthpiece the Rocket .

DAP’s publisher was hauled up for publishing under expired permits, for printing an inaccurate permit number on its issues last year and for failing to submit eight copies of each edition to the ministry.