As we all know, Malaysiakini has been operating for the past ten years and focuses on politics, corruption and social issues including race relations. Through the years, it has become a leading source of information in the Southeast Asian nation whilst the MSM has been decreasing in terms of popularity and for some, even in circulation.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini filed a case in the High Court on Tuesday to challenge the home ministry's decision to reject its request to publish its newspaper.
As we all know, all MSM in Malaysia need a KDN (Kementrian Dalam Negeri) permit from the Home Ministry which must be renewed annually. This sword of Damocles that hangs over MSM companies, allows the government to close media outlets at will and puts publishers under pressure to toe the line.
The rationale behind having a newspaper is to reach out to a wider audience beyond its current 1.8 million readers per month.
I believe it is a very positive business move. The popularity of other newspapers is waning and given the credibility, popularity and track record of Malaysiakini, I am sure if launched, its newspaper will be a hit. I would definitely subscribe to it!
Read HERE for more information. Strangely, this piece of news has yet to be featured in Malaysiakini.
So, there seems to be NO NEW NEWSPAPER for us at the moment unless the Home Ministry approves its application.
In the mean time, if you have yet to subscribe to Malaysiakini, hop over to their website HERE.
Tiger As always, this Government is unwilling to face the truth!