[4] On its 21 August 2007 issue, the Makkal Osai printed a caricature of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette in one hand and a can of beer in the other.
[5] Bishop Julius Paul from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia called for a ban on the Makkal Osai, comparing the situation with the reprinting of Jyllands-Posten's Muhammad cartoons in February 2006 by two Malaysian newspapers,[5] the Sarawak Tribune and the Guang Ming Daily, which were shut down and suspended, respectively.
The party's deputy president, G. Palanivel, wanted the Home Ministry to act against Makkal Osai for offending Christians in Malaysian, while the Youth wing of the party submitted a four-page memorandum to the Prime Minister's office requesting the government revoke Makkal Osai's publication permit.
[4] Makkal Osai news editor B. R. Rajen was also quoted to have explained the publication of the picture was not done with ill intent, and the staff responsible for allowing the image to be published has been suspended indefinitely.
[4] Nevertheless, the Internal Security Ministry acted against Makkal Osai by ordering the paper to seize publication for a month effective 24 August 2007.
[1] By 18 April, the government's move was criticised by members of the Democratic Action Party (DAP): secretary-general Lim Guan Eng expressed disappointment, implying the decision would be counter-productive in the ruling Barisan Nasional's efforts to win back supporters following the party's erosion of support in the 2008 general election; vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran described the ministry's decision as "unfair and unjust" and stated those who agreed upon to move must be held accountable for their actions.