Hours after its soft launch in selected parts of Malaysia yesterday, Chinese newspaper Oriental Daily News was slapped with a suspension by the Home Affairs Ministry.

Sources from the daily said the ministry did not give any reason for the suspension of the publishing permit.

They added that the management explained the situation to the staff at an emergency meeting this afternoon held at the paper's headquarters in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

The 200-odd staff were also told that work will continue as usual but the daily will not be published until the permit issue is resolved.

Industry sources believed that the suspension was linked to a breach of a 'technical procedure' under the Printing Presses and Publications Act which requires any periodical to obtain an annual permit.

At least 50,000 copies of the newspaper controlled by Sarawakian timber tycoon Lau Hui Kang were distributed for free in Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Melaka and East Malaysia yesterday.