The local distributor for Hong Kong-based magazines Far Eastern Economic Review and Asiaweek have not been informed of violating any regulations set by the Home Ministry, which has been holding up sales of the two weekly magazines.

An official from distributor Magazines Services (M) Sdn Bhd told malaysiakini today that they have yet to receive any explanation from the ministry or told of its continued delay in releasing the approval letters for the distribution of the foreign periodicals.

Counting this week's issues, the sales of both magazines have been delayed four times in a row.

On Saturday, national news agency Bernama quoted Deputy Home Minister Zainal Abidin Zin as saying that the last two issues of Review were delayed because its distributors and printers failed to meet conditions set by the ministry.

The report did not specify what those violations were, but said that Zainal denied that the delay was due to the magazine's negative reporting on Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

It did not mention anything about Asiaweek .

However, Zainal was quoted in The Sun yesterday as admitting that the delay in the approval for both the magazines "could have been due to some sensitive articles on Malaysia".

He added that it was within the government's power to stop or delay the distribution of foreign magazines found to have breached certain conditions.

The March 8, 15 and 22 copies of Review and March 9, 16 and 24 issues of Asiaweek have not yet been approved for distribution although the magazines usually hit the streets six days before the cover date.

The ministry had earlier delayed the March 1 and 2 editions of Review and Asiaweek by two and three weeks respectively.

The release letters for the sale of the foreign publications are usually given at the beginning of each week after a few copies are submitted for vetting at the end of the week before.

The Review is printed by Dai Nippon Printing Co (HK) Ltd. Attempts to contact the magazine's editor and publisher Philip Revzin today were unsuccessful as he was not in his Hong Kong office.

Attacks on the press

Meanwhile, New York-based press freedom group Committee to Protect Journalists said today that Mahathir's "deeply entrenched ruling party and its allies maintained a stranglehold on the press by using internal security laws and the Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984, which requires annual licensing of all publications".

In a 550-page report, "Attacks on the Press in 2000", which documents more than 600 cases of media repression in 131 countries, including assassination, assault, imprisonment, censorship, and bureaucratic harassment, CPJ said that virtually all mainstream newspapers in Malaysia are owned or controlled by Barisan Nasional.

"Alternative publications were curbed or banned last year. Critical journalists were threatened with prosecution. There is no independent radio news, and allies of the prime minister control all television broadcasting," it said.

CPJ added that self-censorship remained the most insidious effect of the official attitude towards the press.

"Malaysian journalists are among the best-paid in the region, and they have a lot to lose by bucking the system. As a result, most journalism is tame, and reporters have no effective organisational voice to fight for greater freedom," it said.

CPJ also criticised the National Union of Journalists for failing to protest any of the closures or other restrictions placed on alternative publications last year.

Sedition charges

In a related development, Singapore's Straits Times reported yesterday that journalists with several foreign publications and wire agencies could face charges of sedition for their coverage on last week's clashes in Kampung Medan, Petaling Jaya, which left six people dead.

An Umno Youth official was quoted as saying that a police report has been filed against the International Herald Tribune , Associated Press , Agence France Press and the South China Morning Post .

They were accused of writing seditious articles, and malicious reporting, the Straits Times reported.

Four opposition leaders were also taken to task last week after Selangor Police Chief Nik Ismail Nik Yusof described a media statement by the opposition coalition on the clashes as seditious in nature, designed to spread enmity among the various races.

A police report was lodged against PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali, PAS secretary-general Nasaruddin Mat Isa, Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock for questioning the official number of deaths in the clashes given by the police, which is six.

According to Nik Ismail, the police have classified the report under Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948 and would call on everyone involved to assist in the investigation.

A similar report was also said to have been lodged against malaysiakini which had quoted the opposition leaders doubting the official death toll.

Sedition is punishable by up to three years' imprisonment. Four opposition members have been charged under the Act in the past 15 months.