So the waiting is finally over. No, we're not talking of the mob vigil for fast-food McDonald's much sought-after Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel toys, but it's about the "fate" of Harakah 's annual publishing permit application.

As many concerned Malaysians would have known by now, Harakah , PAS' party organ, was recently granted the coveted permit by the Home Ministry, but only to given the right to publish not the usual twice a week but twice a month, which is indeed a "paradigm shift" of some colossal proportions.

The official explanation given is twofold: one, the publisher of Harakah had contravened a legal provision, that is, its sales should be strictly confined to PAS members only. Hence, the publisher has to be, as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed insisted, "gently" punished.

Two, the frequency of Harakah 's publication has to be reduced to twice a month so that some form of "standardisation" can be achieved by putting Harakah "on par" with other less regularly published party organs.

Such a "justification" would only invite criticisms. For one thing, while it is legitimate of the government to enforce the "sales for party members only" ruling, it is nonetheless undemocratic.

For, a political party in a thriving democracy ought to have the right and freedom to propagate its ideology and programmes to as many people as possible through various means, and that's include the party's newsletter.

Furthermore, the political party concerned should have the right to decide on the degree of regularity of its own publications. A party organ such as Harakah cannot and should not be punished for its prolific output just because there are ugly laggards in our midst.

Questionable rationalisation such as the above inevitably gives rise to some speculations. One, that the government simply cannot stand criticisms that have been levelled against it via alternative publications such as Harakah .

It appears that the only response the government knows best is to place certain obstacles against, or snuff out alternative and critical publications.

Two, that Harakah has grown very popular and influential within the Malay community particularly since the ouster of the then deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

There was also a suggestion that Harakah might be able to influence (read: "poison") to a certain extent the minds of some Umno members who will be attending their branch meetings and, later, their May general assembly.

To arrest this "unhealthy trend", so goes the contention, the publisher of Harakah will have to be made to incur financial losses and less regular contacts with the reading public. This move may also give credence to the suspicion that the government will act on a publication that has become very popular among the people, and, therefore, regarded as a threat to its status quo.

Three, Harakah has of late been able to arouse the political and intellectual interest of non-Malays especially pertaining to issues of public importance and concern. This seeming flirtation of PAS with the non-Malays has even incurred the wrath of a Sunday columnist of a pro-establishment tabloid, let alone the anger that comes from certain Barisan Nasional politicians.

Four, that the circulation of Harakah , which has soared to more than 350,000, has eaten into the revenue of a number of the ailing mainstream newspapers associated with the ruling party. Thus, it was thought, the new legal stipulation would somehow help "bail out" these troubled media companies.

Five, Harakah has given many concerned and curious Malaysians a taste of what press freedom is all about. This awareness is partly reflected in their participation of the recent media boycott. There is a growing number of Malaysians who now are demanding democratic and people-friendly media in the country.

And six, that the Printing Presses and Publications Act that governs the print media is often misused to protect the interests of the ruling party. In other words, so goes the argument, the law has given the government of the day the licence to harass, put pressure, and threaten local journalists and the media organisations concerned. The act violates freedom of expression.

The fact that a publisher has to apply for an annual permit and, often, has to wait indefinitely for approval from the Home Ministry is a severe punishment. This is because such a waiting game - as is still being played by the Ministry in the case of the magazine Detik - can unleash a number of implications.

For one, the publisher cannot have a long-term planning especially when there's a likely "interruption" at the end of the permit's life. Secondly, an uncertain wait brings forth idle machinery and manpower which, in turn, can translate into mounting financial losses and debts. Sales will definitely be affected.

The Harakah case, like other related cases, indicates that the Act concerned has outgrown its usefulness, if any at all. But more than that, it is contemptuous of the human mind, and inimical to intellectual development in society. It must be repealed if we are to regain our dignity as an independent and democratic nation.