The Rocket was founded in 1966. The magazine is affiliated with Democratic Action Party.[1][2] Although it was started as a publication aimed at the general public, the Malaysian government restricted its sale to party members,[3] because one of the major funds for the party was revenue from sales of The Rocket.[3] Following this regulation, it has been sold only to party members.[4]
Since its establishment, The Rocket has been subject to bans. For instance, on 22 May 1969, the magazine and other political party publications were temporarily banned in Malaysia.[5] In the late 1990s, it was again temporarily closed.[6] In 2010, the renewal of the publishing permits of the magazine and of other opposition publications was delayed.[7]
The Rocket is published on a monthly basis.[2] The magazine has Malay, Chinese and English editions.[8] The circulation of The Rocket sharply decreased following the Malaysian general election in 1990.[9]