The chief editor of MySinchew , the English news portal of Chinese-language daily Sin Chew Jit Poh was let go from his post in what the media company says is a restructuring exercise.

NONE Thomas Lee ( left ) said he received a letter from the management on March 7, giving him two weeks’ notice to vacate his post.

He left on March 15, although his contract is only due to expire in May.

“The management sent me a letter to say that it was revamping the set-up and that it was facing financial difficulties,” he said when contacted.

“(But) they have also previously hinted that the Home Ministry’s officers are not quite happy with what I write and believe that I am biased against BN.”

Lee said his post was yet to be filled and that MySinchew is being temporarily headed by an editor from the media group.

NONE According to the letter from MCIL Multimedia Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd) general manager Ooi Hooi Cheng, the management is being restructured as a result of the crisis in the Middle East.

“It is foreseeable that times will be getting tougher for us (in) the media business. As a result MCIL Multimedia plans to restructure the operations of MySinchew by maintaining minimum staff to beef ( sic ) itself for trying times,” Ooi said in the letter.

He invited Lee to contribute to a bi-weekly column. However, according to Lee, his writings have thus far been rejected by the “person-in-charge”.

“The person-in-charge told me said that it is company policy not to publish my writings,” he said.

Hard-hitting editorials

Since assuming the post 10 months ago, Lee has written several hard-hitting editorials criticising the government on various issues, including the National Civics Bureau (BTN), the proposed interfaith committee and the role of Malay daily Utusan Malaysia in stoking racial sentiments.

A journalist of 35 years and a Christian, Lee has also voiced discontent over the impoundment of the ‘Al Kitab’.

Other publications have been issued a warning by the home ministry over this issue.

“They have given their official reason and I cannot assume anything. But at the same time (financial daily) the Edge has reported that the Sin Chew group is making more money than Star (Publications),” he said.

He added that this could also be related to the fact that he contributes political commentaries to other news portals, including the Malaysian Insider and Malaysian Mirror , as well as blogs Malaysia Today and Malaysian Chronicle .

The Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd also publishes Chinese-language daily Guang Ming, as well as various magazines and other publications.