Just how long does it take the Internal Security Minister to renew a publishing licence? In Aliran Monthly's experience, it takes more than three months.

Every year, as the Dec 15 licence expiry looms, Aliran staff would be frantically calling the ministry for updates to their application. Often, this process continues up to one month of the expiry date.

The magazine, published by Penang-based rights group Aliran, has been in existence for 26 years, and its president P Ramakrishnan is getting tired over the annual ritual with the ministry.

"When there is no sign of the permit, we become desperate in December. That is when we start 'chasing' them," said Ramakrishnan in a statement today.

The chase involves dozens of phone calls to Putrajaya, where the ministry's headquarters are located. Most of the time, there will be no answer, or, the answering machine would be full, said Ramakrishnan.

Even if someone picks up the call, the response would be lacklustre, he added.

"On one occasion, we had the shock of our lives when we were told sometime in November that they had not yet received our application, which had been submitted well before Sept 15."

"Luckily for us, we had the registered mail card as proof. When this evidence was faxed to them, they miraculously discovered our file," said Ramakrishnan.

Third-class service

This is the same story this time too.

Between November up until yesterday, Aliran had made 16 calls to the ministry, only to be given the runaround, like the previous years, with no news about the renewal of their publishing licence.

"Surely, ours cannot be an isolated case of frustration and distress. There must be hundreds of others who are similarly affected but must feel rather intimidated by the bureaucracy and the officialdom."

"Many would conclude that to criticise or complain would jeopardise their application and therefore choose to suffer in silence. But in a civilised society, this cannot be tolerated," added Ramakrishnan.

Ramakrishnan urged Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to fulfil his pledge of shaping up the civil service.

"If the system within his domain cannot function efficiently and effectively to deliver the service expected of it, how can he enforce a delivery system throughout the country that can be meaningful and serve the people as is expected of a civil service?" he asked.

Under the 1984 Printing Presses and Publications Act, the ministry licences publications, including newspapers, which are subject to an annual review.