Home Ministry Suspends Weekly Newspaper The Heat Following Controversial Najib Report

Home Ministry Lifts Suspension Of Newsweekly 'The Heat'

Malaysia’s Home Ministry confirmed today, 28 Jan 2014, that the suspension on news weekly The Heat has been lifted.

The Home Ministry has lifted the suspension of The Heat, allowing the newsweekly to continue its operation without any change to its current publishing permit.

According to the paper's sister news portal, The Ant Daily, the editor-in-chief David Lee said that they have received an official letter sent to the publisher, Satria Kiara Sdn Bhd dated January 24, allowing the paper to continue its operation without any changes to its current publishing permit.

"The management wishes to thank the ministry for lifting the suspension order and for maintaining the publishing permit. It also conveys its appreciation to all parties, including non-governmental organisations and civil society, which have publicly expressed their support for the lifting of the suspension of order." - The Heat

"The Heat, a member of HCK Media Group, will hit the streets again on Feb 7, 2014, after the Chinese New Year holidays. We thank our readers and advertisers for their patience and support during this period." - The Heat

“Yes, I can confirm that it (the suspension) has been lifted,” Brig Gen Fadzlette Othman Merican, press secretary to the home minister told The Malay Mail Online.

Former Human Rights Chief Tells Why The Home Ministry Cannot Suspend The Heat News Weekly Indefinitely

Putrajaya cannot suspend weekly news publication The Heat indefinitely as it will be seen as acting in bad faith, said a former human rights commissioner three weeks after the newspaper was taken off the streets.

Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman (pic), who once headed the Human Rights Commission, said this was unfair to the weekly's licence holder and those employed with the newspaper. "It will affect the business operation of the publisher and livelihood of those employed in the company. If not, this can be construed as the ministry acting in bad faith (mala fide)," he said.

However, he noted that what would be considered a reasonable time would depend on the facts of each case. If it is a straight forward matter, the ministry must convey its decision to the aggrieved party without undue delay. The amendment to the Printing, Presses and Publication Act (PPPA) in 2012 gives the publisher the right to question the minister's decision if the minister decides to revoke the permit," he said.

"Ideally, licensing of print media should be done away with but the authorities can act against them for flouting the law which went against national security and public order. Action can be taken against the media for promoting something which is against public morality," he said.

He said licence holders must be given the opportunity to prove their innocence in court after going through the due process of law.

"Then, the minister can decide to suspend or revoke licences," he added.

Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman

Image via blogspot.com

Home Ministry Fires Back After Facing Criticism Over Suspending The Heat News Weekly

Apparently upset with public pressure over the suspension of the weekly The Heat, the Home Ministry has warned "certain parties" against tarnishing the image of the Government.

In a statement issued today, the ministry said it viewed seriously the actions of “certain parties that have been tarnishing the Government” following the suspension of The Heat’s publishing permit.

“At this moment, the Home Ministry is studying the reply to the show cause letter and will make an appropriate and fair decision on the publication of The Heat as soon as possible, without being influenced by any parties,” the Home Minister's press secretary Brig-Gen Fadzlette Othman Merican Idris Merican said in a statement uploaded on the Home Ministry's Facebook page today.

"It is not a permanent suspension as it is in accordance with the enforcement permit's procedure as stated in the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984 (Amendment 2012). The publication's permit is only being suspended temporarily.

The statement, however, did not state when the ministry received the weekly's reply nor did it state when a decision would be finalised.

However, a reliable source from the ministry told theSun that a decision will be made after its minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, presents its findings to the Prime Minister's office (PMO).

Lim Kit Siang Warns The Heat's Suspension Will Lead To The Nation's Lowest Press Freedom Index Ranking

Lim Kit Siang Warns Najib To Remove The Heat's Suspension Before Press Freedom Ranking Plunges

Image via straitstimes.com

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should revoke weekly publication The Heat's suspension before it plunges Malaysia's ranking in the 2014 Press Freedom Index to the lowest point, even below that of Myanmar, said the DAP.

DAP party adviser Lim Kit Siang said last year, Malaysia fell by 23 rungs to be ranked at 145 out of 179, the worst since the start of the annual benchmark by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in 2002.

"Is Malaysia heading towards the nation's lowest ranking in the history of the Press Freedom Index, even lower than Myanmar, for the coming new year in 2014?" he asked in a statement today.

Lim said Najib should honour his pledge made two years ago to make Malaysia the "best democracy in the world" before the year ends.

"Nobody, whether in Malaysia or outside, really believe Najib would transform Malaysia into the 'best democracy in the world' but the least they expect Najib to do is not to backslide on his specific promise of democratic reforms.

"The suspension of The Heat would be one such unacceptable instance of Najib reneging on his specific promise of democratic reforms to unshackle the press from authoritarian restrictions of the Mahathirish past," Lim said.

The Heat Denies Home Ministry's Claims Of Not Responding To The Two Show-Cause Letters

The Heat weekly, which was suspended by the Home Ministry last week, has refuted claims that it ran foul of printing regulations warranting the suspension.

The weekly also rebutted a claim by the ministry that it had not responded to two show-cause letters issued.
"We are extending our full cooperation to the ministry to fully resolve the matter.

"The ministry has assured us that it will consider The Heat's appeal to lift the suspension in a fair and prompt manner," the statement added.

“The Heat was originally approved on July 8, 2013 as a weekly publication under the “Economy/Social” category. Subsequently, it applied to change its category to “Current Affairs”. Approval was given on Sept 18, 2013,” the statement read.

"We have replied to two show-cause letters (dated November 27, 2013 and December 2, 2013) issued by the Home Ministry within the time frame provided," the editors said in a statement posted at its affiliate website, theantdaily.com.

The Heat Was Supposed To Be A Business Magazine, Not A Current Affairs Newspaper

Action was taken against weekly magazine The Heat because it had violated the provisions of its printing permit.

The Home Ministry had issued a permit for The Heat to be a weekly business magazine, the Home Minister's press secretary Kol. Fadzlette Othman Merican today.

"But the contents of the publication look like that of a daily newspaper with current news, including articles from Parliament, whereas it's meant to be a magazine," he said

Fadzlette explained that while newspaper content is current and immediate in nature, a magazine's content should "have a storyline" which is likened to a feature style – "which The Heat has not adhered to."

"They must comply with the guidelines as they had applied as a weekly business magazine," she said when contacted today.

Putrajaya Denies News Weekly The Heat's Suspension Due To Controversial Najib Report

The Heat weekly was suspended because it did not inform of changes in its ownership and its purpose of being a business magazine, the Home Ministry said today.

The ministry also insisted in the statement that the suspension was not related in any way to the news weekly's report on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

"The Heat's publication permit states that the outlet is required to inform the Home Ministry of any change of ownership.

"Furthermore, the permit provides for a weekly business magazine.

However, these provisions were violated," the Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the first show cause letter required a response from the publisher but none was received.

A second show cause letter was sent but no official response was forthcoming.

Therefore, the ministry said The Heat was suspended until an official response is received from the publisher.

News Weekly The Heat Has Been Suspended Indefinitely By The Home Minister

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Weekly newspaper The Heat has been suspended indefinitely by the Home Ministry.

It Is Believed That The Suspension Order Was Triggered By A Front-Page Article Questioning PM Najib And Rosmah's Expenditure

Sources confirmed with Malaysiakini that the directive came from the Home Ministry, but the exact wording of the suspension has not been made clear.

However, The article in question is believed to be its front page report titled 'All eyes on big spending PM Najib', which questioned the spending traits of the prime minister and his wife Rosmah Mansor.

It Is Believed That The Suspension Order Was Triggered By A Front-Page Article On PM Najib And Rosmah's Expenditure

Image via themalaysianinsider.com

A Statement On Its Website Confirms The News, Saying That They Have Ceased Publication In Compliance With A Suspension Order By The Home Ministry

Image via imgur.com

However, its article on Najib's spending is not the first time it has sounded critical of the powers that be, having run critical reports on the government several times before the latest show-cause letter.

The Heat Received A Show-Cause Letter From The Home Ministry On 10 Dec 2013 With No Mention Of The Exact Article That Was Offensive

Last week, The Heat received a show-cause letter from the ministry, but the letter did not name the exact article that was offensive. "We still have up until Dec 24 to respond to the show-cause letter. We received it on Dec 10," said a source from The Heat .

It is learned that the weekly's reporters were informed about the suspension during an editorial meeting today.

Editor-In-Chief David Lee Boon Siew Was Also Summoned To Putrajaya And Was Told To Tone Down Its Reports

Editor-in-chief David Lee Boon Siew had also been summoned to the Home Ministry in Putrajaya and told to tone down its reports.

The Heat has been suspended

Image via theantdaily.com

Head Of The Home Ministry's Publication Department Says Anybody Who Violates The Rules Will Be Given A Warning Letter

When asked about the suspension of the weekly, Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said he was not aware of it.

A Home Ministry official did not confirm or deny The Heat’s suspension when contacted by The Malay Mail Online.

“That you have to ask The Heat themselves. Whatever we do with the permit holder, that’s between us and the permit holder. If the permit holder has gone beyond the conditions, we would give a reprimand.

“If they want to reveal whatever it is, it’s up to them. It’s not for us to say whatever. Anybody who violates the rules, obviously we will give a warning letter,” said Hashimah Nik Jaafar, the head of the Home Ministry’s publication department.

This Is The First Suspension Since The Printing Presses And Publications Act 1984 Was Amended

The suspension of the weekly newspaper is the first since the amendments to the contentious Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The Najib administration has amended this law by removing provisions that provide the home minister with absolute discretion to grant or deny publishing licences.

Another amendment removed provisions that require the annual renewal of such licences.
However, critics point out that the government can still use the law to control newspapers by means of suspending or withdrawing the licences to publish .

The Heat, Which Started Operating In September 2013, Prides Itself With Its Investigative Stories That "Pushes The Boundaries Of Press Freedom"

The Heat is a weekly that intends to push the boundaries of press freedom, hoping that what we write will challenge readers to think deeper into issues that face us all, and in small incremental ways, bring about positive change to our society.

The Heat's team

Image via theheat.my

It is in our DNA to work on investigative stories that will hopefully give you fresh insights into issues that matter. The Heat covers social, economics and other topical issues.

The Heat currently sells for RM 3.60 per copy, and is published by the HCK media group. The news weekly has only been in operation since September this year.