The Sarawak Tribune, the local newspaper which published a controversial caricature of Prophet Muhammad in its Saturday edition, faces the prospect of its printing permit being either suspended or revoked.

The newspaper's group editor Toman Mamora has been summoned to Putrajaya tomorrow to meet with officials from the Internal Security Ministry, which is empowered by the law to punish errant media organisations through its strict licencing regime.

According to the Sarawak Tribune's management in a front-page notification on Sunday, the editor who was responsible for the mistake, had resigned from his post.

A senior editorial staff member told malaysiakini that the state's oldest-established English daily would publish a second and an even stronger apology tomorrow.

Malaysiakini understands that the decision for this second apology was made on the advice of those in state authorities as the Sunday apology was deemed insufficient to assuage the feelings of many Muslims.

There is also discussion that the newspaper's board of management may insist on further action which could result in a major editorial revamp beyond the resignation of the editor responsible for publishing the offending caricature.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein Onn has called on the newspaper's top editor Mamora to resign and that Sarawak Tribune be suspended until a probe on the matter has been completed.

Emergency meeting

The management met in an emergency meeting on Saturday afternoon after receiving complaints for the publication of the caricature.

The caricature had accompanied a foreign news agency report about violent demonstrations in many parts of the world over the publication by a Danish newspaper of a dozen of cartoons, which Muslims consider as blasphemous.

A number of other newspapers in Europe have also follow suit in publishing the offending cartoons as the controversy gather storm. The Sarawak Tribune's caricature was one of the published cartoons.

Thousands of Muslims rioted in downtown Beirut on Sunday, setting fire to the Danish consulate, attacking a prominent Maronite Catholic church and smashing car and shop windows in protest against the publication of cartoons.

Meanwhile, one person was killed and two were wounded when shooting erupted at a protest in the eastern Afghan town of Mehtarlam. On Saturday, Syrian protesters set fire to the Norwegian and Danish embassies in Damascus.

The Sarawak Tribune editor responsible for the publication, who was in charge on Friday and Saturday, was asked to quit immediately after he wrote to admit his responsibility and offered to step down.

Editor told to lie low

The editor, who is in his early 40s (his name is being withheld by malaysiakini for his safety), had worked previously with various newspapers in Sarawak and Sabah.

He told malaysiakini that it was an oversight on his part and he regretted making that mistake.

A Sarawak Tribune senior editorial staff member who asked not to be identified said: "After what is happening, particularly the reaction from the government and the public, the staff are all afraid and worried."

The sacked editor, who worked as editor-on-duty for two days in a week - Friday and Saturday - had been advised to lie low and keep in touch with his lawyer regularly as the matter has touched on the raw nerves of some people.

Last night, Deputy Internal Security Minister Chia Kwang Chye said on national TV news that Sarawak Tribune would be asked to explain its action.

The ministry will be sending a show-cause letter today and if no satisfactory explanation was given within three days, the newspaper could have its printing permit either suspended or revoked.

The Sarawak Tribune, along with a Malay daily Utusan Sarawak, are owned by Sarawak Press Sdn Bhd, which is a company linked to the Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's family business interests.