Kuala Lumpur, April 17 (IANS) The Malaysian government has closed down Tamil daily newspaper Makkal Osai, rejecting its renewal application. The newspaper ceased publication from Thursday. Its management has said it will appeal against the rejection.

Some businessmen close to former Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) president S. Subramaniam own the newspaper, The Star newspaper said.

“No reason was given for the rejection,” said the Makkal Osai’s general manager S.M. Periasamy. He said the rejection letter was faxed to the Makkal Osai office here Wednesday.

Periasamy told The Sun newspaper that the rejection had left the 102-strong staff in the lurch. The newspaper has circulation of 52,000 copies daily.

Makkal Osai, meaning ‘voice of the people’, started as Tamil Osai weekly in 1981, changed name and turned into a daily in 2005.

The paper was suspended for two weeks last year, after its Aug 24 edition carried a picture of Jesus Christ holding a can of alcohol drink in relation to an anti-alcohol article.