It is "infantile" to get the Home Ministry to intervene every time the press publishes something perceived to be offensive, said a media expert.

"It is stupid and reflects the infantile nature of our psyche if we need to rush to the Home Ministry, or any other official 'nanny', every time we feel 'offended' by something in the media," communications and media studies professor Zaharom Nain said to Malaysiakini.

He was responding to an incident today in which editors of English daily The Star were called in by the Home Ministry to explain the front page of its May 27 edition, which has been deemed insensitive to the feelings of Muslims in the country.

The Star's front page on May 27 consisted of a photograph of Muslims performing terawih prayers on the first night of Ramadan under the bold headline, 'Malaysian Terrorist Leader'...