The prime minister will reveal the cabinet's response to the News Straits Times ' decision to publish twice a cartoon concerning Prophet Muhammad upon his return from Australia tonight.

Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin, who described the newspaper's decision as unwise and provocative, said the cabinet had made a decision on the matter at its weekly meet today.

However, the decision will be announced by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he returns.

According to Zainuddin, cabinet members, including those who were non-Muslims, had expressed regret with the newspaper's move.

"This is an insensitive act towards Islam which forbids any form of words, speech, act, including drawings that have elements of insult against anyone, let alone the Prophet himself," he said.

NST first published the cartoon on Monday which shows a sidewalk caricaturist offering to draw caricatures of the Prophet.

Following this, several non-governmental organisations and Islamic-based opposition party PAS lodged a police report against the daily.

However, the nation's oldest newspaper decided to reprint the cartoon again today.

Muslims angered

Zainuddin said he was disappointed that NST - a leading daily in this country -had failed to act responsibly.

The move was also against the directive of the prime minister who on numerous occasions had advised the media to be careful regarding this issue, he added.

Zainuddin said although the cartoon published by NST was not directly offensive, it still hurt the feelings of Muslims in this country.

The minister said he too had received many calls and SMS messages from the public who were upset and offended by the newspaper's action.

Previously, the government imposed an indefinite suspension on Sarawak Tribune for reproducing cartoons insulting the prophet, which was first published in a Danish newspaper.

Chinese newspaper Guangming Daily was also slapped with a two-week suspension for a similar offence.