KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 – The High Court here has quashed the Home Ministry’s decision to two financial publications
which The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily over reports on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). On Monday, High Court Justice Datuk Asmabi Mohamad ordered the three-month suspension against The Edge Financial daily and The Edge Financial weekly and to be lifted and ordered the Home Ministry to pay RM15,000 in costs to The Edge Media group.
The financial publication said in a statement that it had received a letter from the Ministry due to its reporting on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The two publications under The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd filed an application for judicial review on July 27 after the ministry suspended their publishing permits for three months which citing that the reports on 1MDB were “prejudicial or likely to be prejudicial to public order, security or likely to alarm public opinion”.
“In conclusion, the respondents have not complied with procedures and fairness in the show cause letter issued to the applicant that is tantamount to breach of natural justice. The suspension was tainted with illegality and ultra vires of section 7 (1) of the Printing Press and Publications Act,” said Asmabi.
“The Home Ministry’s secretary-general and the ministry itself also had been failed to identify which article was deemed undesirable in the showcase letter that been issued to The Edge media group dated July 1. They should not have made an assumption that the applicant should know which article published had contravened with the PPPA,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry had also suspended the publishing permits of the financial publications for three months effective July 27. While, The Edge through law firm Raja, Darryl and Loh Advocates and Solicitors also filed a judicial review application which to seeking to quash the ministry’s three-month suspension order.
