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 Legal
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05 Mar 00 11:51
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Malaysia Censors Oppositions Net-newspaper
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Despite Minister Mahathir Mohamad's promises not to censor the Internet
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<A HREF="http://www.newsbytes.com" TARGET=NEW>Newsbytes.com</A>
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Martin Stone
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Malaysia's government is reportedly under pressure from the international Internet community following a crack-down on the Web edition of an opposition newspaper.
A Reuters report today said the online version of the Islamic Party's newspaper, Harakah, faces unprecedented restrictions after the government appeared to shift policy on Thursday when it said limitations on frequency would be extended to the Web edition.
The Malaysian government controls printed publications' annual permits through a colonial-era law that critics say breeds a timid mainstream press, but so far has carefully avoided interfering with the Net, in an effort to further attempts to attract cutting-edge technology and investment with a goal of reaching developed country status by 2020, Reuters said.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has promoted the country as a high-tech center, boosting the creation of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) - a 15- by 50-kilometer (9- by 31-mile) zone south of the capital mirroring California's Silicon Valley, the report said, adding that part of the MSC campaign includes promises to not censor the Internet.
But, Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung said on Thursday that Harakah's daily Internet edition faced the same restrictions on frequency of publication as the printed version, which is limited to twice monthly, Reuters said.
Information Minister Khalil Yaacob confirmed that the same conditions apply to Harakah's online edition and its printed version, but other government officials have stated the restrictions do not constitute a change in government policy.
Harakah editor Zulkifli Sulong said the newspaper was waiting for a clear signal from the government on Web policy. "We are very upset," he told Reuters. "We are no longer calm."
Courtesy of Newsbytes.com
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