The chorus of discontent over the one-month suspension of Tamil-daily Makkal Osai was joined today by PKR's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim who called for the suspension to be revoked.

In a statement today, Anwar described the suspension as an opportunist act in a bid to clamp down on the newspaper which had been highly critical of Barisan Nasional coalition partner MIC.

"Given Makkal Osai 's incisive reporting regarding the Maika (Holdings) scandal and K Sujatha (mysterious death), there are clearly political motives behind their suspension," said Anwar.

Maika Holdings is the problem-ridden investment arm of the MIC, while Sujatha, 31, was a television drama actress acquainted to top MIC politicians whose sudden death is being investigated by Serious Crimes Division (D9) of the Kuala Lumpur police contingent.

Makkal Osai was prominently covering both issues up to the day the Internal Security Ministry announced the suspension over the publication of a purportedly offensive picture of Jesus Christ.

The suspension was announced despite several Christian leaders publicly accepting Makkal Osai 's apology, which was published in the daily for two days.

A punishment

Given the circumstances, Anwar believed that the suspension was not motivated by government efforts to safeguard religious sensitivities.

"This suspension has less to do with the offensive picture, and is in fact an act to punish Makkal Osai for revealing all the fraud, mismanagement and lies concerning both Maika Holdings and Sujatha (death),

"This is the only explanation as to why the government would suspend Makkal Osai even though the (relevant religious leaders) has accepted the daily's apology and expression of regret regarding the suspension," added the former deputy prime minister.

The two-year old daily has a staff strength of nearly 100 and had already suspended indefinitely the junior staff that was responsible for using the purportedly offensive picture.