A month after lodging a police report against malaysiakini, Umno Youth now says the o­nline daily is a healthy development in the local media scene as it has raised issues and sought answers to improve political discussions in the country.

The movement's information chief Azimi Daim reportedly said this in an interview with youth magazine Siasah published in its March edition.

"Actually malaysiakini is a platform used by various political leaders; there are those who raise issues and there are those who will reply. It is a platform for discussion of political issues.

"I see what malaysiakini is doing as an alternative media as a healthy thing. It is a healthy development," he was quoted as saying.

Azimi said Umno Youth believes in press freedom because the media should be allowed to "write anything that is of public interest unless it is based o­n lies or false information".