Jakarta – The Indonesian government has delayed plans to pass a controversial new media law that would bar local broadcast outlets from relaying foreign news programmes and allow the government to temporarily shut down news broadcasts deemed to violate the law.

The Bill, which some critics said curtailed the freedom of the media, was supposed to be ratified by Parliament at the end of this month. But the government now plans to consider suggestions from the public on how to amend the Bill, the Kompas newspaper quoted Information Minister Syamsul Muarif as saying.

He did not say which sections of the 65-article Bill might be changed. It is now scheduled to be ratified at the end of October, he was quoted as saying, although other media reports said it could be delayed for up to two months.

Mr Wilson Sihombing, private secretary to Mr Syamsul said: "The people, as well as the media, need to fully understand the Bill." Local broadcasters and media watchdogs have slammed the proposed laws as a setback to the freedom of information in Indonesia.

Local television and radio stations that rebroadcast foreign news programmes by the BBC, Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Australia are especially concerned. Foreign sports programmes would be exempted from the proposed ban.

Government officials have said the laws are designed to limit "unfair" reporting of Indonesia and the promotion of Western viewpoints.

The vaguely-worded Bill also permits the government to temporarily shut down local news broadcasts it claims violate the law, or which show pornographic or "sadistic" scenes.

The broadcasters slammed the proposed law as draconian, and compared it to the strict press laws introduced by former president Sukarno in the 1960s.

But Mr Djoko Susilo, a member of the drafting team, explained that the proposed law was meant to address "the inequality of information flow from developed countries to developing countries". He added: "We are concerned that with 150 local stations broadcasting foreign news services that these stations are becoming franchises of the BBC or VOA."