herald in bahasa – 2 issues together

last week’s herald (11 jan), there was no bahasa section… because the gov’t banned herald from publishing in bahasa, but then the gov’t flipped flopped and said, no they didn’t ban herald from publishing in bahasa… so this week’s herald (18 jan), herald’s bahasa issue was out… together with its 11 jan issue!

the 11 jan issue front-page:
heading which read ‘church wants the ban of the bahasa publication in the herald canceled’.

then the flipped floppe, so the 18 jan issue front-page said:
‘gov’t withdraw ban on bahasa section for herald‘

another crazy thing from the gov’t – the first letter from the home ministry which ban the bahasa section, one of the condition is that herald should put on its front-page ‘for non muslim only;’. the editor, fr. lawrence had objected because it said already under the masthead it was printed ‘the catholic weekly’ so it is understandable it is for catholic only… BUT the second letter from the home ministry which gave permission back to herald to publish in bahasa, contained the condition that herald should publish on the front page the word ‘limited’. excerpt from the letter:

di halaman hadapan penerbitan ini, tertera perakataan ‘TERHAD’ yang membawa maksud penerbitan ini adalah terhad untuk edaran di gereja dan kepada penganut kristian sahaja.

gosh! isn’t that crazy!! what’s the point of putting in ‘limited’ when it is already a known fact that it is limited (only 12,000 copies) and sent to churches for sale only. i really can’t understand the mentality of the home minister!!

even with the first condition ‘for non muslim’  (before it flipped flopped to ‘limited’), soudns so silly and laughable to me. as if with those words printed, muslim dare not pick up the paper if they happen to see it? grr! dunno lah. don’t want to talk further of the home ministry antics because i get so geram talking about it.

ok, in this 18 jan. issue of the herald, there was a mention of this news of the silliness of the home ministry in banning the bahasa publication and in not allowing the word ‘allah’ captured world attention! the news appears in many news agencies.  this is from the herald, showing the mastheads of the international press which carries the news of the herald’s dilemna.