PKR has condemned the Home Ministry for seizing copies of the party’s mouthpiece Suara Keadilan from newsstands.

PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil (below) said that threats of closure by the ministry against newsstands that sell the publication is also "cruel".

"PKR condemns this move by the Home Ministry to curb freedom of expression, a fundamental right under the Federal Constitution," he said.

He also demanded that Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi clarify the status of Suara Keadilan ’s application to renew its publication permit, which was submitted last year.

He added that such requirements of a permit, albeit relaxed in 2012 under the Printing Presses and Publications Act is also not fitting of a democracy.

"The prime minister needs to show political will as a moderate democrat and repeal this Act immediately," he said.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi refused to grant Suara Keadilan a publication permit, citing "reckless" reporting.

Home Ministry publications and Quranic text unit text control department secretary Hashimah Nik Jaafar said 300 copies Suara Keadilan were seized in Kedah due to the lack of permit.

She told Malaysiakini that this is part of an ongoing operation.

Don't need permit?

However, Suara Keadilan editor-in-chief Mohd Najib Hashim claimed that by right, Suara Keadilan does not need a publication permit as it is not a periodic publication.

"But if the home ministry really wants to be transparent about it, then issue a permit. It is impossible for PKR, as a political party, not to have a permit to publish Suara Keadilan , just like other parties," he said when met.

Additional reporting by Radzi Razak