A delay in distributing the latest edition of ‘The Economist’ has been attributed to a photograph of a gay couple kissing.

News portal FZ.com quoted Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ( right ) as saying this, and that the magazine will be released to book stores now that the photograph has been blanked out.

The cover story featured the ‘crony capitalism index’ which ranks Malaysia third worldwide.

There are also articles on the missing Flight MH370 and the Court of Appeal decision against Anwar Ibrahim in the government's appeal in the sodomy trial.

In the past, the popular magazine had published several articles which were critical of the Malaysian government or the BN.