Politico-religio issue brewing up storm in Malaysia

The Malaysian Home Minister, Mr.Syed Albar, has warned 'The Herald', a local Catholic publication, of an impending suspension or, worse, a revocation of its permit to publish, print and the sale of the weekly tabloid to its own members.

A local by-election for a parliamentary seat in Permatang Pauh, a constituency in the state of Penang is apparently the cause of the threat since the editor of the paper, Fr.Andrew SJ, has revealed that he would run an editorial on the by-election.

The minister has forbidden any political discourse or articles, especially on Islam, to be included in its content saying these articles had breached terms and conditions of the permit.

The latest edition of 'The Herald' does have an editorial on the subject but it remains to be seen if the minister would take any such action. The regime in power, led by Mr. Abdullah Badawi has recently racheted up its authoritarian streak with dire warnings of racial disintegration in this volatile nation of Chinese, Indians and Malays and a host of other races, all with their own religion and beliefs.

The equatorial nation is another Yugoslavia in the making and the pressure within has reached critical mass. A conflagration of hateful and vicious voices is imminent, if not already begun.