The show-cause letter issued to Nanyang Siangpau on its use of a logo with the word 'Allah' is in the spirit of the proposed Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) reform, according to Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam.

Instead of cancelling the daily's licence, Mahmood said his ministry had through the show-cause letter registered society's sensitivities with the newspaper.

mahmood adam home ministry director general 2 "Correct. We are in the process of amending the PPPA. This spirit is the same thing, we don't want to suspend or cancel their licence.

"This is the problem in Malaysia, we are a multi-racial and multi-beliefs country, so we have to see the sensitivity in this, that is why we have to register with them, be careful about such particulars," he said at a press conference in Putrajaya today.

Mahmood was responding to a question on whether the ministry's move was consistent with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's proposal to amend the PPPA as part of his political transformation effort.

Najib had on Malaysia Day eve announced that the requirements for publication to renew their annual permit under the PPPA would be abolished and replaced with a one-off application.

However, Mahmood reiterated that even after the proposed amendment comes in force, the Home Ministry will retain its powers as publications will still fall under its purview.

'Ministry yet to receive reply'

Nanyang 's editor-in-chief Chong Choong Nam was on Wednesday summoned by the Home Ministry over the matter, and a day later the Chinese daily issued an apology.

Mahmood said he has not received an official reply to the show-cause letter and a committee will only decide on the appropriate action against Nanyang once the reply has been scrutinised.

"Let them answer the show-cause letter, we have the committee, let the committee decide... I cannot talk on behalf of the committee."

The logo was featured alongside two articles entitled ‘Hudud law becomes a controversial issue' and ‘Hudud law a concern to non-Muslims' published on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

According to the Home Ministry, this contravened Section 7(1) of the PPPA which stipluates that the Home Minister may take action against any publication which produces content deemed prejudicial or likely to be prejudicial to public order, public interest, morality, security or alarms public opinion.