Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo today expressed his disappointment that the media emphasised more on the negative matters involving celebrities.

According to a Bernama report, he said there was a tendency to play up their suffering than their happiness and often on the front page.

Examples, he said were of celebrities getting divorced and failed engagements for marriage.

Mohd Khir said the media should come out with more reports on celebrities that served as inspirations for Malaysians.

He also said the practice of kissing the hands of parents and elders should be promoted as the younger generation seemed to be placing less emphasis on it.

The New Straits Times today highlighted on its front page that local singing sensation Asmawi Ani, better known as Mawi, is contemplating calling off his engagement with his fiancee Nor Diana Mohd Naim or Ina.

According to the daily, Ina, who was in tears when contacted, said Mawi had asked her to be patient and accept the decision which would be delivered to her by his eldest sister within the next two or three days.

Growing intolerance

In another development, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has called on the government to stop radio and print censorship in Malaysia.

In a statement, its executive director Sonia Randhawa said over the past two weeks, the government has shown growing intolerance for diversity of opinion.

"CIJ is concerned with the banning of 33 books by the Internal Security Ministry and the closure of a popular Chinese language radio call-in programme," she added.

She said the government must respect the public's right to freedom of expression and information by lifting the ban on the books and allowing radio stations to determine their own programmes.

Among the books banned is the New York Times bestseller, The Battle for God. Fundamentalism in Christianity, Judaism and Islam by Karen Armstraong.