KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 (AFP) - The Malaysian government has told an opposition newspaper to give reasons why it should not be banned for breaching the terms of its licence to publish, its editor said Wednesday.
"We received the letter from the government a few days ago," Zulkifli Sulong, the editor of Harakah, told AFP.
Harakah is the newspaper of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), which tripled the number of its parliamentary seats to 27 in November 29 elections to become the main opposition party, and took over the state assembly in Terengganu.
Zulkifli said the paper's management and its distributors held a meeting Wednesday. "We will abide by the conditions (of our licence)," he said.
The government, which licenses all newspapers, says Harakah is authorised only for sale to PAS members and not the general public and that it it can only be sold through PAS offices and at party headquarters.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said his ministry will take firm action if the paper continues to defy the conditions.
The ministry confiscated 2,630 copies on sale in one area last week.
Harakah's circulation soared this year to some 300,000 copies twice a week. The mainstream English-language and Malay-language press is solidly pro-government, although opposition statements are carried.
Zulkifli said they would reply to the government in the next few days but urged a grace period of two months to implement a new distribution method.
"While Harakah will be available at PAS offices nationwide and at its headquarters, subscribers will now be able to collect their copies from the vendors directly," he said.
Zulkifli expressed fears the new restricted distribution would hit sales as most of its readers are in Kuala Lumpur.
PAS president Fadzil Noor was Wednesday quoted by the Star newspaper as saying Harakah would seek legal advice on whether vendors and newsstand operators could distribute party membership forms to enable readers to buy it.
Fadzil denied the paper was breaching the terms of its licence and criticised moves to restrict its sale.
"How could the government promote information technology, the mutimedia supercorridor and so on when they block the freedom of the press?" he said.
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