Group editor Toman Mamora resigned from Sarawak Tribune today following the indefinite suspension of the paper's publishing permit for printing a controversial caricature of Prophet Muhammad last week.

The company's executive director, Polit Hamzah, confirmed he had received the resignation letter this morning.

Toman's resignation had been expected even though he and the paper's editorial advisor Idris Buang had laid blame for the unauthorised reproduction of the caricature considered blasphemous by Muslims on a junior editor.

His subordinate in question, Lester Melanyi, 41, had admitted responsibility and apologised for what he had called an oversight on his part and immediately offered to resign voluntarily.

But a few days later, Melanyi said he was asked to leave by the paper's management. He also claimed that he had obtained prior approval for the caricature reproduction from chief editor Mamora before the page was sent for printing. Mamora had described this claim as a lie.

In a statement today announcing his resignation, Toman said he would defend his integrity and honour against any such claims. He had said Melanyi had acted alone and without the knowledge of the paper's senior editors, including himself

The original caricatures were published by a Danish newspaper last September and this had recently sparked violent demonstrations in many parts of the Muslim world. Melanyi argued that the reproduction of the caricature was to 'explain' to readers the anger felt by Muslims worldwide.

The Sarawak Tribune , the state's oldest newspaper, is owned by Sarawak Press Sdn Bhd, which is a company linked to Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's family business interests.

Ban order received yesterday

Meanwhile, the paper's owner said they will not be publishing the Sunday Tribune , even though it can do so as it has a separate publishing permit, according to a senior editorial member.

Only the permit of the Sarawak Tribune , which appeared on Monday to Saturday, is affected by the suspension order issued yesterday, according to the ministry's senior officer in Kuching, Yusniza Sapiee, today.

The assistant publication officer in the Public and Quranic Text Control in the Internal Security Ministry's office in Sarawak had personally hand-delivered the suspension order to the Sarawak Press executive Polit Hamzah at the newspaper's premises at 8.45 last night.

Also presence was the paper's editorial adviser Buang, a lawyer by training who wears a number of hats - he is chief political secretary to Sarawak's chief minister as well as a senator.

The printing presses stopped running after the order was received and the paper did not make its usual appearance in the street today.

At a press conference after receiving the order, Idris talked about the shame felt by the owners and the hurt it had caused to both Malaysians and Malaysia by the reproduction of the offending caricature in last Saturday's issue of the newspaper.

He said the company's board of directors had decided at their meeting in Sibu yesterday to 'self suspend' the publication of the newspaper even if the government did not issue the suspension order.

End of the Tribune

He also indicated that the Sarawak Tribune might not see the light of day again even if the suspension was lifted.

An Internal Security Ministry officer told malaysiakini that under the law there was no provision for appeal as the minister's decision was final.

With Toman's resignation, the remaining 70 editorial staff are now temporarily under executive editor Kenny Ee, whose father, the late Ee Ghim Yam, was one of the early shareholders of the paper and a former accountant of the company.

The police are still questioning senior editorial and management staff in the on-going investigations under the provisions of the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

Rival paper Borneo Post , the other English daily in Sarawak as well as other local Chinese dailies were snapped up by people who wanted to know more about the fate of Sarawak Tribune .