Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), said the home (interior) ministry should grant a licence for Purnama newspaper forthwith "as any delay or excuse is another undemocratic manifestation."

The opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), allied to the DAP, last Wednesday applied to the ministry for a licence for the new daily.

The mainstream press is solidly pro-government and in some cases owned by businesses linked to the ruling party. Newspapers need a licence to publish.

"This is a test of whether there will be democracy or not," said Zulkifli Sulong, editor of the PAS party newspaper Harakah, after submitting the application to start the separate publication.

Deputy Home Minister Zainal Abidin Zin said Friday a decision could not be made in a short time but gave no timeframe.

Zainal said the committee scrutinising the application had to study all aspects in the interest of the public.

Lim said in a statement the comment indicated the home ministry would "sit on the application for months and even years on end."

He said Zainal, when a member of a breakaway opposition party called Semangat 46, had publicly committed himself through its manifesto to a free press. Semangat folded in 1996 and its members rejoined the ruling party.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Saturday the application for the new paper "has not reached my desk yet."

Abdullah, asked whether he would consider the application, was quoted by the state Bernama news agency as saying: "Whatever is submitted to me, I have to read, have to see. The decision is another matter."

Zulkifli and Harakah's printer Chia Lim are facing a charge of sedition over an article in Harakah. They were arrested earlier this month along with three other opposition figures who are all free on bail pending trial.

The government has threatened Harakah with closure on the grounds it is violating its licence by selling copies to non-members of the party.

Zulkifli has said Purnama would have no connection with Harakah and would not be an opposition paper, presenting both opposition and government news fairly.

Last week the editor-in-chief of Malaysia's largest newspaper group, the New Straits Times Press group, started six months' leave and Lim said he had fallen foul of Mahathir. Newspaper executives have been unavailable for comment.

Abdullah also announced the ruling United Malays National Organisation would soon re-start publication of its official organ "Merdeka" (Freedom), with a new name which would be announced later.

"The newspaper is needed as members must be informed of the many issues faced by the party, especially matters pertaining to UMNO politics that cannot be published in regular newspapers," he said.

UMNO has some 2.7 million members.