The Home Ministry has sent a show-cause letter to Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau over their cartoon depicting PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia as monkeys.
Home Ministry chief secretary Alwi Ibrahim said the cartoons could "disrupt public order, encourage ill intentions, enmity, hate, and ill-conceived notions towards people or other races."
"It also inadvertently appears to be making fun of Parliament, and Islam because the Act 355 bill pictured in the caricature is linked to Islamic affairs," Alwi added in a statement today.
Nanyang has three days to respond to the letter, issued under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA).
"Further action will be taken based on the rules and procedures set (by the Act)," he said.
Nanyang must have a licence issued under PPPA in order to print its newspapers.
The Home Ministry has the authority to revoke this licence.
Nanyang had already apologised over the cartoon yesterday and removed it from their website.
The offending cartoon was published on Saturday, two days after Abdul Hadi read out a motion in Parliament, proposing to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355).
Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia then deferred the debate on the motion to the next House meeting in July, causing an uproar among Pakatan Harapan lawmakers.
The cartoon sparked protests today, with PAS Youth calling for the Chinese daily to be shut down.- Mkini
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