Malaysia's poor ranking in Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) 2006 World Press Freedom Index is a result of the concentration of media in the hands of pro-government businessmen.

In a statement yesterday, RSF raised several instances where media ownership fosters self-censorship including billionaire Tiong Hiew King's move to purchase 21 percent of MCA's controlling 44.4 percent stake in Nanyang Press Holdings.

Tiong who owns the country's most popular Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily and its sister publication Guangming Daily , acquired Nanyang Holdings' two dailies Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press and a staple of magazine titles.

Nanyang Siang Pau's only Chinese-language rival is Oriental Daily News , owned by the estate of the late Sarawak businessman Lau Hui Kang.

Despite a promising launch in 2003, most of its staff has been replaced and it routinely practices self-censorship in its coverage of Malaysian affairs.

The other Chinese daily, Kwong Wah Yit Poh , is a regional newspaper restricted to the northern states in Malaysia.

RSF has described this "a threat to media diversity and pluralism" and fosters self-censorship

"We hail Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's honesty when saying in an interview for CNN on Oct 14 that, 'the main press self-censor but other little ones ... print all sorts of things'," the organisation stated.

The French-based international media watchdog also found the media concentrated in Media Prima, that is partly owned by the Malaysia Resources Corporation Berhad and has close links with Umno.

Liberalise legislation

Under its ownership include New Straits Times , Berita Harian , Malay Mail , Harian Metro and Shin Min Daily News as well as four terrestrial TV stations.

RSF then proceeded to call on Parliament to liberalise several legislation that hinders press freedom and results in self-censorship while introducing anti-monopoly clauses.

Those laws are:

Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (that governs newspapers, books and foreign publications) which gives the Internal Security Ministry immense discretion in granting and revoking newspapers' publishing licences.

Sedition Act 1948 that punishes "seditious tendencies... inciting hatred or contempt for the government, administration or justice... provoking discontent among subjects, hostility between races and classes... [and] questioning the articles of the constitution concerning language... [and] the sovereignty of rulers."

Official Secrets Acts 1972 allows the authorities to classify almost any administrative matter as secret, and to arrest and hold without a warrant anyone "suspected of acting in a manner likely to prejudice Malaysia's interests... until proof to the contrary."

Defamation Act was used to sue almost every newspaper and TV station in 2000 and 2001.

"These four laws place considerable curbs on the media's coverage of domestic affairs and result in a very high level of self-censorship," RSF added.