Anwar's party to get own newspaper

Somehow I find there's more to this than meets the eye.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — The Malaysian government plans to give Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's political party a permit to start its own newspaper as part of reforms to allow more press freedom, according to news reports today.

The Star daily quoted Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar as saying there was no reason the People's Justice Party (PKR) should not have its own newspaper when other political parties do.

"I've just approved the newspaper and I asked my officers 'why not.' I am open about it," he was quoted as saying.

Syed Hamid's office was closed for the weekend and could not be reached to confirm the report. Anwar's party spokesman also could not immediately be reached for comment.

Media organisations in Malaysia can operate only with a government licence, which needs to be renewed every year. This has resulted in self-censorship by editors who want to avoid the possibility of their licence not being renewed.

"I want to change that paradigm," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying. "We are not trying to control you, but we want everyone to contribute to the nation-building process."

He said he was toying with the idea of doing away with annual licensing and switching to licences that only need to be issued once.

"For me the bottom line is that we need press freedom in order for us to have a check and balance in government," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying.