Harakah has in the last two years emerged as an effective alternative voice for the opposition to criticise questionable government policies.

It is a terrible blow to the freedom of the press and a blatant denial of access to information. There is no justification to reduce the frequency of Harakah's publication by 75 per cent.

By severely curtailing the printing frequency and stringently restricting the circulation of Harakah, the Barisan Nasional government has finally and inadvertently conceded defeat - that it is no match to counter opposition criticism. Instead of crossing swords armed with truth and logic, the BN government has clamped down on freedom of expression.

By abusing its authority with puerile and primitive methods to safeguard its political interest, the BN government stands naked, stripped of all its pretences that it respects democracy and supports the rule of law. Its justification for this undemocratic decision sounds hollow and hypocritical.

It is absurd for Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who is also Home Minister, to state that ''the standardisation of the publication period is to give a fair opportunity to other political parties.'' What kind of logic is this? If he is all that concerned about giving fair opportunity to other political parties, then what happened to his concern for fair-play and a level playing-field during the last general election campaign. Why didn’t he speak up when the mainstream media refused to give fair coverage to opposition views?

In justifying the restrictions on Harakah, Abdullah said that UMNO will also publish its newsletter twice a month. Just because UMNO cannot match Harakah's frequency, it does not mean that Harakah has to be restricted to conform to UMNO's inability to publish more often. Is it a matter of time before we are told that since other political parties are unable to publish, Harakah must also cease publication altogether?

In any case, it his not Abdullah's business whether a political party wishes to publish weekly or daily. If a political party has the means and the resources to publish as often as it wishes, why should it be regulated?

Abdullah's announcement yesterday smacks of political vindictiveness however much he may deny it by claiming "it is not a political decision." Thinking people will be flabbergasted and will shake their heads in disbelief; they will certainly not be convinced that his decision is based on rational or logical thought. It is instead a decision prompted by fear that Harakah will further undermine Malay confidence in UMNO, which has already suffered a sharp erosion in support from the Malay community; it is a selfish political decision to ensure UMNO's survival and the preservation of the ruling elite.

The timing of the announcement is also questionable: it came on the day that UMNO divisions began meeting to nominate candidates for the UMNO leadership. Is Abdullah trying to project himself as a brave and strong leader to boost his prospects in the ongoing campaign for the UMNO elections?

Aliran condemns the politically motivated restrictions on Harakah and calls for the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act. As long as this Act remains, it will be abused to curtail freedom of the press and to serve political ends.