ABSTRACT
Malaysian media licences are tightly controlled by the state. Almost all leading electronic and print media companies are owned or controlled by businessmen closely associated with leaders of the Barisan Nasional (see Gomez 1990: 178). Licenses issued to media companies have to be renewed on a yearly basis, and can be retracted - or suspended - at will by the government. This helps ensure that owners of media companies are careful not to fall foul of the ruling elite. In 1995, Mutiara Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, a private company owned by Tan, was awarded a license to launch Malaysia's fourth mobile telecommunication service (Malaysian Business 1 June 1995).
