Sarawak's oldest newspaper Sarawak Tribune returned to the newsstand today after a four-year hiatus, selling RM1 per copy.

Tribune Press Sdn Bhd chairperson Hamed Sepawi said during its shutdown, the management "took time to reflect and reinvigorate ourselves".

"Today the journey continues, the new Sarawak Tribune will continue the footsteps of the (old) Tribune to further contribute towards the progress and development of Sarawak," he said at the daily's launching by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud in Kuching today.

The 61-year-old English daily was suspended indefinitely on Feb 9, 2006 for reproducing the controversial caricature of Prophet Muhammad.

The board of directors of Sarawak Press Sdn Bhd, the newspaper's owner and publisher, however, decided to shut down the daily despite the suspension order having been rescinded.

In his speech, Taib suggested the new Sarawak Tribune to be more innovative in its content and harness the power of social media such as Twitter.

Abdul Taib said to improve skills among journalists, the state government was prepared to consider offering scholarships to local media representatives.

Sarawak Tribune started publication in Sibu at the end of World War II in 1945 as The Sarawak Times .

Its name was changed to Sarawak Tribune when it moved to Kuching.

- Bernama