KUALA LUMPUR • The Attorney- General has confirmed that Putrajaya is appealing against the High Court's ruling against the suspension of The Edge's two newspapers, The Malaysian Insider news website reported yesterday.

The move comes two days after the court quashed the Home Ministry's order to suspend The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily for three months beginning on July 27. The publications were suspended for their critical coverage of state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

The Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, confirmed the move in a WhatsApp message when asked whether the Attorney- General's Chambers (AGC) would appeal against the court's decision and also file a stay against the order.

The AGC also filed an application to stop The Edge from resuming publication of both newspapers pending the outcome of its appeal in the Court of Appeal.

The application was filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Tuesday but no dates have been fixed for a hearing.

Lawyers familiar with such an application told the news website that it would be heard before the same judge who heard the judicial review application. The AGC could also file a fresh application in the Court of Appeal if a stay is rejected in the High Court.

The Edge Financial Daily resumed its print publication immediately, putting out its first issue on Tuesday.

High Court judge Asmabi Mohamad allowed the media group's judicial review, the first time in Malaysia that a media publisher is seeking legal recourse against such orders by the Home Minister.

She said the minister did not comply with "procedural fairness as he did not give particulars of the suspension", and breached Section 7 (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.