Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has not fulfilled the promise of openness which he made when he assumed office in 2003, said Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The Paris-based press freedom watchdog released its 2007 annual report on the state of press freedom in Asia yesterday and it painted a bleak picture of Malaysia.

"Censorship and self-censorship have not gone away and media concentration in the hands of the families of government members has been further boosted this year," the report stated.

The report highlighted Abdullah's comment in Parliament that he planned to intervene regularly with the media to warn them off certain subjects in Dec 7 last year.

"If the media persist in not respecting the law, the ministry will send a caution, which could turn into a suspension or withdrawal of a licence," the premier was quoted as saying.

Suspensions and pressure

It goes on to list several incidents in 2006 that have resulted in the country's static status including:

demonstrations against the hike in the price of petrol went off without any mainstream media coverage in March

the presenter of a Chinese radio talk show was replaced and the phone-in section of the programme was axed in June

the police summoned several journalists and told them to cut back their coverage of a particularly grisly murder in which police officers were implicated in November

also in November, a weekly and its editor were suspended for having published an article about sexuality

hundreds of international publications and books on sex and religion are banned in the country

authorities invoke Article 6 (2) of the press law to punish media accused of putting out indecent news

publication of the Danish cartoons resulted in the suspension of three publications, one of them permanently and the government exploited the case by condemning western arrogance.

Political links

The link between the ruling parties and media ownership which affects press freedom was also raised by RSF.

The biggest press group, Media Prima, is owned by Malaysia Resources Corporation Berhad which has close ties with the ruling UMNO and government.

Media Prima owns the leading English-language newspaper The New Straits Times , the second biggest Malaysian-language paper Berita Harian , Maly Mail , Harian Metro and the Shin Min Daily News . In addition, Media Prima owns four terrestrial TV channels.

In 2006, the Sin Chew group owned by tycoon Tiong Hiew King strengthened its control of the Chinese-language press by buying Nanyang Holdings.

"This press tycoon, who also has a presence in Hong Kong and South-east Asia, does not hide his ambition to build a worldwide Chinese press empire," the report stated.

RSF pointed out that bloggers and discussion forums also found themselves in the government's sights.

It also said that independent publications found online, including malaysiakini, did not suffer any official harassment in 2006.