The Rocket (magazine)

Last updated

The Rocket
CategoriesPolitical magazine
FrequencyMonthly
Founded1966
Country Malaysia
Website The Rocket

The Rocket is a monthly political news magazine published in Malaysia. Founded in 1966, it is one of the oldest magazines in the country. Subtitled as "From Malaysians for Malaysians", it is also one of the alternative media outlets of Malaysia. [1]

Contents

History and profile

The Rocket was founded in 1966. The magazine is affiliated with Democratic Action Party. [1] [2] Although it was started as a publication aimed at the general public, the Malaysian government restricted its sale to party members, [3] because one of the major funds for the party was revenue from sales of The Rocket. [3] Following this regulation, it has been sold only to party members. [4]

Since its establishment, The Rocket has been subject to bans. For instance, on 22 May 1969, the magazine and other political party publications were temporarily banned in Malaysia. [5] In the late 1990s, it was again temporarily closed. [6] In 2010, the renewal of the publishing permits of the magazine and of other opposition publications was delayed. [7]

The Rocket is published on a monthly basis. [2] The magazine has Malay, Chinese and English editions. [8] The circulation of The Rocket sharply decreased following the Malaysian general election in 1990. [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 Mustafa K. Anuar (2014). "Defining Democratic Discourses. The Mainstream Press". In Francis Loh Kok Wah; Khoo Boo Teik (eds.). Democracy in Malaysia: Discourses and Practices. Curzon. p. 149. ISBN   978-1-136-82508-8.
  2. 1 2 Ezhar Tamam; Manimaran Govindasamy (2009). "Political communication practices and research in Malaysia: an overview". In Lars Willnat; Annette Aw (eds.). Political Communication in Asia. New York; London: Routledge. p. 138. ISBN   978-1-135-89511-2.
  3. 1 2 Edmund Terence Gomez (September 2012). "Monetizing Politics: Financing Parties and Elections in Malaysia". Modern Asian Studies . 46 (5). doi:10.1017/S0026749X12000200.
  4. Azahar Kasimal; Mohd Azizuddin Mohd San (August 2016). "The 2013 general elections in Malaysia: An analysis of online news portals". Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences. 37 (2): 119–125. doi: 10.1016/j.kjss.2015.05.001 .
  5. Philip Mathews, ed. (2014). Chronicle of Malaysia: Fifty Years of Headline News, 1963-2013. Kuala Lumpur: Editions Didier Millet. p. 116. ISBN   978-967-10617-4-9.
  6. "Alternative media springs up to challenge". The Irrawaddy. 7 (6). July 1999.
  7. Kannan Loganathan; Ali Salman; Emma Mirza Wati Mohammad (2015). "Fetters on Freedom of Information and Free Speech in Malaysia: A Study of the Licensing and Sedition Law". E-Bangi. 10 (2).
  8. John D. H. Downing; John Derek Hall, eds. (2011). Encyclopedia of Social Movement Media. London: SAGE Publications. p. 21. ISBN   978-0-7619-2688-7.
  9. Anil Netto (2002). "Media Freedom in Malaysia". Media Asia. 29 (1): 17–23. doi:10.1080/01296612.2002.11726658.