Following Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's disclosure that he was 'threatened' by a foreign business magazine, the Home Ministry warned today that it will ban any publication that has an agenda to sabotage Malaysia.

Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Hueng said such publications will be barred from being sold to the public if they hurled unfounded allegations against the country and its leaders.

"Until now, the government has been adopting a liberal attitude ... we have allowed constructive criticism but with such threats being issued ... we will have to take very firm action against them," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

"There will be no compromise in matters involving national interest," he warned.

Chor also said that the police would study the possibility of investigating the threat from weekly magazine Business Week .

Yesterday, the premier said the New York-based Business Week magazine had 'threatened' to write adverse articles about him and the country after he turned down an interview.

The magazine wrote a letter to the premier on Sept 8 - through its Singapore bureau chief Michael Shari - demanding an immediate response to the alleged culture of corruption and cronyism in this country.

'Despicable' attitude

Mahathir, a staunch critic of the Western media, launched a verbal tirade, saying the letter reflected their attitude of slandering leaders according to their whims and fancies.

"I just want to say this, the behaviour of the Western press is despicable. I have ... received a letter from Business Week which threatens me.

"They wanted to interview me but I have no wish to be interviewed by Business Week because the last time they did, they told a lot of lies

"So now they have sent me a letter threatening me that if I don't see them or respond to their allegations, they are going to write all sorts of nonsense and nasty things about cronyism, oppression, dictatorship and all that.

"This is the Western press for you. They threaten you, they blackmail you, and when you refuse to do what they want you to do, they will write nasty things.

"If you are nice to them as I was nice the last time, they still write nasty things. So, that is freedom of the press ... to tell lies and to damage other people's countries and reputation," he told a press conference.

'Sensitive article'

It was reported that the letter gave the premier 48 hours to respond to the allegations which Shari said would be part of a 'sensitive article' he was going to write on the leadership transition.

The writer added that the article would also focus on "lavish spending on grandiose public works projects and programmes designed to boost Malaysian prestige abroad and the construction of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Petronas Twin Towers and the Multimedia Super Corridor."

The letter was also condemned by Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar who accused the Western media of not respecting freedom and democracy.

"We should take stock of what we should do and what action we can take against such irresponsible and arrogant media who behave as though they know everything," he said.