Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has defended the ban on Utusan Malaysia from the state legislative assembly, describing it as "an act of self-defence" against the paper's misreporting.

Lim said he could not afford the time nor the money to initiate legal action against the paper on a daily basis for its reports as Utusan does not offer nor provide him with the right of reply.

NONE "The ban was decided by the state assembly's rights and privileges committee," Lim replied when asked if the ban imposed last year would be reversed.

"We can at least cut down the frequency of filing suits (against Utusan )," he told a press conference at the Dewan Negeri today.

He was asked the question after calls were made by journalists for Utusan to be allowed to cover state assembly proceedings.

He denied that the Umno-owned Malay daily and another pro-government English daily, New Straits Times , were banned from his daily functions and press briefings.

 They were not invited to attend the eventsby his office, he added.

 Right of reply a necessity

Asked if he would chase the journalists out if they appeared at his public events, Lim said he would not say anything against them.

"We still have friends in Utusan Malaysia . Remember, former senior journalist Hata Wahari is a DAP member. We have nothing personal against the journalists, only the editors," he added.

NONE Lim explained that he had no choice but to treat the two newspapers thus to prevent his statements from being twisted and misrepresented.

Further, he had no ability, nor the capacity, to stand up against big media corporations like Utusan and NST.

When it was suggested that his action may not be effective in preventing "twists and spins", Lim said, "At least it reduces the risk."

He said Pakatan was not forcing the newspapers to support its cause but wanted its leaders to be given the right to reply to allegations raised by them.

"If there is press freedom, then why is it that I do not have the right of reply? This is the basic principle," he said.

"Or is it only press freedom when Pakatan leaders are bashed up (in these papers)?" Lim asked.