The Home Ministry has found that various daily newspapers and tabloids did not comply to permit regulations and publishing guidelines as provided for under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

Its Publications Control and Quranic Text Division secretary Zaitun Ab Samad said the ministry had issued 43 warning letters to newspapers in 2009 and 10 such letters in 2010.

Tabloid newspapers have received 19 warning letters from the ministry in 2009 up till May 2010.

For the same period, six warning letters and a show-cause letter for a political party newsletter.

She said according to Section 7(1) of the Act, publications cannot be prejudicial to public order, morality, security, the relationship with any other country, alarm public opinion or be contrary to any law, or prejudicial to public interest or national interest.

"Publications found printing malicious false news would be flouting Section 8A of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984," she said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

- Bernama