The National Union of Journalists has today declined to comment on the recent ban imposed by the Home Ministry on bimonthly magazine Detik .

"I don't want to comment on it as I have not read Detik for a long time," NUJ president Norila Md. Daud told malaysiakini today. "The last time I read it, I felt that some of the articles were quite well-balanced while some were more pro-opposition."

Norila, who is also an editor in Utusan Malaysia , however added that the union hoped to see more independent newspapers and magazines published in the country.

On press freedom in Malaysia, she said that the press industry today has become more challenging and journalists are not as free as before in terms of expressing themselves.

Meanwhile, NUJ secretary-general Hong Boon How, who is attached to the business section of The Star newspaper, also refused to comment on the ban.

"We have a union policy to speak to the president before making any statements," Ong said when contacted.

He promised to speak to the president before giving a response but when contacted later in the afternoon, he said that he could not get in touch with Norila.

Meanwhile, Centre of Independent Journalism coordinator Sharaad Kuttan said that the ban gives the impression that the licencing system in this country is arbitrary and an easily politicised legal instrument.

"The bureaucracies have a responsibility to be fair and impartial. Any act of censorship must be truly justified because the public has a constitutional right to a free flow of information," said Kuttan.

Detik received an official letter from the Home Ministry today confirming that its publishing permit would not be renewed. The ministry did not give any reasons for the banning of the magazine.

Former editor-in-chief Ahmad Lutfi Othman, however, told malaysiakini that a ministry official had informed him by telephone that the magazine was banned because "the original permit was handed over to another party".