The chief editor from PKR mouthpiece Suara Keadilan will be meeting with officials from the Home Ministry this Monday over the renewal of its publishing permit.

The meeting will be chaired by Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam at the ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya.

Malaysiakini understands the meeting will be over Suara Keadilan's publishing permit, which is due to expire at the end of this month.

NONE It is believed that Suara Keadilan will be facing problems in renewing the permit this time around.

Yesterday, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Maslan ( left ) said the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) will file a legal suit against Suara Keadilan and several opposition leaders for an article it had published earlier this month.

According to Ahmad, who is also Umno information chief, the article which was published in the weekly's June 22-29, 2010 edition contained errors and “blatant lies” about Felda.

"(The article contained) Fitnah , fitnah , fitnah and fitnah ! It cannot be allowed to go on. It must be stopped,” said Ahmad in a press conference yesterday.

Chief editor: We'll cooperate

When contacted, Suara Keadilan chief editor Dzulkarnain Taib said he believes the Home Ministry seeks the meeting after receiving “pressure” from Umno to move against the organ.

"We were called by the ministry after (it was reported that) Felda is going to sue us.

“The ministry called us two hours after the press conference by Ahmad Maslan (yesterday),” said Dzulkarnain.

 

He said further that he was asked to go to the ministry yesterday itself.

“But I told them I could not, because I was busy with editorial matters.”

 

“I was (also) concerned that if I went without having spoken to lawyers, we wouldn’t have been able to discuss things well (in the meeting),” he added.

 

Dzulkarnain said he will be accompanied by a lawyer to the 5.30pm meeting at the Home Ministry.

 

“We will give our full cooperation,” he added.

Ahmad in the press conference yesterday named Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, PKR supreme council members Zaid Ibrahim, former land and cooperative development deputy minister and Gerakan-turned-PKR man Tan Kee Kwong, Suara Keadilan 's editors and owners and PAS' Kuala Terengganu MP Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut as some of the parties to be sued.

Public spotlight has been on Felda ever since the government admitted its cash reserves had dropped by almost RM3 billion in five years.

It has denied, however, that this was due to irregularities and mismanagement.