The home ministry has officially directed all major English-language newspapers to "adjust" their reports o­n the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) by leaving out any mention of fatalities.

In a letter dated March 28, it appealed for the cooperation of top editors from the New Straits Times, New Sunday Times, Malay Mail, Sunday Mail, the Star, Sunday Star and the Sun.

The two-page directive under the publications control unit of the ministry was signed by Abdul Rahim Mohd Radzi o­n behalf of the ministry's secretary-general Aseh Che Mat.

It reads: "As you already know, SARS cases have received wide coverage in mainstream newspapers of different languages, including specific cases of deaths.

"The government is concerned that such comprehensive and widely-publicised reports will lead to undesirable implications, including striking fear among the people and jeopardising tourist arrivals.

"Therefore, the ministry seeks the cooperation of editors to adjust the reports (menyesuaikan laporan) o­n the SARS, by not focusing o­n death cases (as it) could adversely affect the confidence of the public and tourists."

Last Friday, the directive was faxed to the newspapers even before the Health Ministry called a press conference to declare that Malaysia was SARS-free. The ministry director-general Dr Mohamad Taha Arif said all the suspected cases have so far tested negative.

'Tell the truth'

Only two of the seven editors named in the ministry's letter could be reached for comments today.

Said Sunday Mail editor Aishah Ali: "It is better to tell the truth as it is. Since it is a ministry directive, I will use my discretion to weigh the information against the stated 'sensitivities', but I feel the truth must be told.

"People need to know more about the disease, including the extent of danger, symptoms and the preventive measures.

"If you are truthful, the public will understand the issue better and take the necessary precautions. That is why this information needs to be in the press."

Aishah cited past instances involving the haze and the Nipah viral outbreak when the ministry had similarly sought to prevent information from reaching the public.

On SARS, she said Malaysians and foreigners knew that the disease has affected the region as cases have been reported in Singapore, China and Hong Kong.

She said if it were true that Malaysia has not been affected by the SARS outbreak, then news reports should reflect that point.

"People would certainly be wondering about the situation in Malaysia when so many are dying elsewhere," said Aishah.

"You cannot pull wool over people's eyes. For instance, you cannot avoid reporting deaths, right?"

A senior editor in a newspaper - who spoke o­n condition that he and his newspaper are not named - said his counterparts in other major newspapers felt strongly about the SARS issue and the need for the government to be open about it.

"I think most of them would have called Acting Prime Minister and Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's office earlier today for the directive to be raised at tomorrow's cabinet meeting," he said.

"We feel that the issue is about people's lives, and there's nothing political about it. The Health Ministry should tell people what's going o­n."

He said the editors were not sure if Abdullah has knowledge of the directive or if it had been issued by "an officer who does not know much about the SARS issue".

The Star executive editor Wong Chun Wai, when contacted, declined to comment o­n the issue.

More deaths

A week ago, the ministry issued a travel alert cautioning Malaysians to avoid SARS-stricken countries.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) also issued a global warning o­n the illness which was first detected last month and has since sparked a worldwide health alert after cases were reported in 15 countries to date.

The largest number of cases have been recorded in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and North America.

According to the WHO statistics updated as of today, a total of 1,700 persons are confirmed to have been infected worldwide, of whom 60 have died.