Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz today backed a mooted newspaper industry merger which is believed to be opposed by sections of the ruling party, saying it will not curtail their freedom.

The merger of Utusan Melayu Bhd and New Straits Times Press Bhd (NSTP) would create the nation's biggest press group, but has reportedly been stalled due to opposition from within Umno.

Nazri said the alliance would create a financially stronger entity which would be able to share facilities and raise the standards of the media.

"On the issue of losing the journalistic spirit, it is understood that the merger plan will not curtail the newspapers' freedom and doesn't involve the editorial, editing and reporting levels," he told the state Bernama news agency.

Umno is the majority owner of Utusan Melayu, whose flagship Malay-language daily, Utusan Malaysia , competes with the NSTP's Berita Harian .

Utusan Malaysia has for decades promoted the concerns of the country's majority ethnic Malays, and Umno members are reportedly opposed changing its identity.

The NSTP, which also publishes the influential English daily, the New Straits Times , is controlled by the country's largest media conglomerate, Media Prima.

Nazri promised that the government would preserve the identities of the newspapers under the merger.

Activists have criticised the proposed merger, saying the move could see Umno directly controlling a large slab of the country's media outlets and further concentrate media ownership.