Posted on

Don: Mere warning shows Najib not serious

Tarani Palani | May 13, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: If Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is really serious about his 1Malaysia brainchild, he should have fired the Utusan Malaysia’s editors from the first day he took office, says Professor Abdul Aziz Bari.

He also took Najib to task for the lack of leadership over the Christian Malaysia issue, saying that Najib should have issued an apology to the Christian community for his lack of action.

“Najib should have apologised to them (the Christian leaders) for failing to take stern action like removing Utusan’s chief editor or editors. This is not the first time Utusan has come up with controversial issues like the 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement. It has been making a mockery of 1Malaysia,” Abdul Aziz, the International Islamic University law professor, told FMT.
Continue reading “Don: Mere warning shows Najib not serious”

Posted on

MCA: Presumptuous to assume Utusan’s guilt

Malaysiakini | May 13, 11

MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek said that it would be presumptuous to assume that Utusan Malaysia’s ‘Christian conspiracy’ report was wrong while investigations were still ongoing.

While stating that the party was of the opinion that the home ministry’s reprimand letter on Utusan Malaysia was insufficient, the proper way to address the issue was through a thorough police investigation.

Speaking during a press conference at the MCA headquarters today, Chua said that if the police probe concludes that the report was unfounded, then those who are responsible for the Utusan report should be suspended as a warning.

“I think police should investigate whether the report is true. If it is not true,whoever responsible for the article and the editor should be suspended.
Continue reading “MCA: Presumptuous to assume Utusan’s guilt”

Posted on

10 days in May (6)

Tweets @limkitsiang:-

What abject subservience MCA! Still hope its true? http://bit.ly/kXWOTk MCA wants Utusan editor suspended if Christian claims false (TMI)

Utusan law unto itself! Enjoy absolute immunity/impunity despite seditious/treasonous crimes. Y? Becos Utusan editor >powerful than PM?

Principle: Collective ministerial responsibility. Entire BNgovt responsible 4farce of HomeMinistry handling Utusan “Christian Msia” outrage

Top agenda BN Supreme Council meet 2today shld be: Save 1Msia n demonstrate Najib govt fair 2all Msians n uphold rule of law re: Utusan case

Will honest fair patriotic BN leaders at BN Supreme Council resolve: Ask AG 2prosecute Utusan 4sedition inciting religious tension conflict?

CSL – most shameful! http://bit.ly/iRE4pe “how r u so sure what carried (Utusan) not true? If true ..should b investigated/exposed” Mkini

Posted on

Media syaitan eksploit isu Kristian agama rasmi

Oleh Afiq Mohd Noor | May 13, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Perkara 3(1) Perlembagaan Persekutuan memperuntukkan bahawa Islam adalah agama bagi Persekutuan tetapi agama-agama lain boleh diamalkan secara aman dan harmoni.

Saya pasti ramai di antara kita yang sering mendengar peruntukkan ini, bahkan Perkara 3 (1) seringkali dibaca bersama-sama dengan Perkara 11 berkenaan dengan kebebasan beragama.

Belum pun reda dengan kontroversi penggunaan nama Allah dan Al Kitab, baru–baru ini kita digemparkan sekali lagi dengan laporan separuh masak Utusan Malaysia tentang usaha untuk menjadikan Kristian sebagai agama rasmi di Malaysia.
Continue reading “Media syaitan eksploit isu Kristian agama rasmi”

Posted on

Utusan Malaysia does not enjoy legal immunity

By G Vinod | May 13, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: The consensus is that Utusan Malaysia does not and should not enjoy immunity for its irresponsible reporting. Political party leaders feel that what the paper ran could have caused religious discord.

A common stand among the party leaders is that a mere warning to the paper is not enough.

DAP’s assistant national publicity secretary, Teo Nie Ching, said this was because its headline could have triggered a religious discord among Malaysians.

“(Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) should prove to the public that Utusan Malaysia does not enjoy legal immunity for its irresponsible reporting,” Teo said in a statement.
Continue reading “Utusan Malaysia does not enjoy legal immunity”

Posted on

Bolehkah BN menang besar dengan menggunakan isu moral?

By Aspan Alias | May 08, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

8 MEI — Nampak cara pemimpin besar kita bercakap dan bergerak pilihanraya semacam dah nak dekat sangat. Kalau dikaji pula cara bergerak pemimpin pembangkang juga menambah keyakinan kita yang waktu untuk memilih siapa yang akan memerintah dan mentadbir negara sudah semakin hampir.

Yang paling menarik sekali ialah isu-isu yang dikeluarkan oleh kedua-dua pihak yang sedang berlumba-lumba mendapatkan keyakinan rakyat semakin panas dan menarik perhatian ramai termasuklah diri saya. Saya dapat agak banyak pandangan dari kawan-kawan yang serius memberi pandangan yang serius baik buruknya sesuatu isu bagi kedua-dua belah pihak itu.
Continue reading “Bolehkah BN menang besar dengan menggunakan isu moral?”

Posted on

Putrajaya directed media to attack ‘Buku Jingga’

By Jimadie Shah Othman | May 13, 11
Malaysiakini

An internal memo leaked from Utusan Malaysia appears to point to the possibility that Putrajaya and Umno have a major say in the daily’s editorial direction.

The internal memo dated March 21, obtained by Malaysiakini, states that the Prime Minister’s Department had issued a special directive to all news organisations to attack two key documents of the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat.
The first is Pakatan’s joint policy statement, better known as the Buku Jingga (Orang Book), and a list of immediate reforms it has pledged to implement within 100 days of taking over the federal administration.
Continue reading “Putrajaya directed media to attack ‘Buku Jingga’”

Posted on

Christian plot allegation part of larger narrative

By Shahril Hamdan | May 13, 11
MalaysiaKini

The allegation of a plot to make Christianity the official religion in Malaysia is but the latest indication of a burgeoning and malignant Malay ethnic nationalism.

Whilst the anger towards Utusan is, of course, wholly called for, the problem at hand seems to have roots far deeper than the paper’s offensive, communalist and partisan journalism can account for.

I say this because such a preposterous charge could only have been leveled if it finds home in an antagonistic discourse of fear and ontological segregation. That discourse exists in the contemporary Malay discursive networks, and it appears to me to be fairly developed.
Continue reading “Christian plot allegation part of larger narrative”

Posted on

An UMNO-owned Newspaper Inflames Malaysia

Asia Sentinel
Written by Our Correspondent | Thursday, 12 May 2011

Utusan Malaysia stirs the racial pot

A week ago, the Malay-language broadsheet Utusan Malaysia printed a story that is sending reverberations throughout an increasingly racially tense Malaysia, to the effect that Christian pastors were seeking to install a Christian prime minister who would change the country’s official religion.

Although the story was ridiculous on the face of it, it has been given wide circulation and drawn considerable comment as well as a series of police reports filed in local stations. Malaysia’s official religion, enshrined in the country’s constitution, is Islam although other religions are guaranteed freedom of existence. Any attempt to change that would probably result in a racial conflagration that no sane individual in Malaysia would want.
Continue reading “An UMNO-owned Newspaper Inflames Malaysia”

Posted on

10 days in May (5)

Tweets @limkitsiang:-

Read Utusan print online 2day: triumphalist vindicated FP :”Pemimpin Kristian akur Islam agama Islam”; “Tiada hasrat cabar agama Islam”.

Utusan totally no remorse over seditious/treasonous headline:”Kristian Agama Rasmi?” abt Christian Msia plot.Culprit r Christian not Utusan?

MakkalOsai suspended 1mth; 2-wk suspended ChinaPress Chief editor;4-yr SarawakTribune closure; SinChew reporter detained under ISA 4true rpt

Utusan’s heinous/seditious/treacherous “Christian Msia” headline just reprimand! Where is justice? Fair Play? Completely wrong msg 2Msians

Home Ministry dept heads responsible 4publications shd resign. Hishammuddin not fit 2b Home Minister subordinating national interests 2Umno

Posted on

Utusan let off with ministry warning

The Malaysian Insider | May 12, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 — The Home Ministry has slapped Utusan Malaysia with a warning letter for publishing an unsubstantiated front-page article alleging a Christian plot to usurp Islam as the religion of the federation, which sparked a furore among the country’s majority Muslims and minority Christians.

The ministry today issued a statement that the editor-in-chief of the Umno-owned newspaper, Datuk Aziz Ishak, has been invited to the ministry to explain the daily’s violation of the Printing Presses and Publishing Act 1984.

The Malaysian Insider learnt he went to the ministry in Putrajaya at 4pm with another senior editor.
Continue reading “Utusan let off with ministry warning”

Posted on

10 days in May (4)

Tweets @limkitsiang:-

Unmitigated 1Msia disaster – only way 2describe outcome of Najib’s meeting w church leaders over Utusan’s outrageous “Christian Msia” lies.

Who in dock of public opinion? Church leaders or Utusan/UMNO? Ch ldrs’ undertakings 2respect Islam’s position/Constitution when not issues?

No word whatsoever from Najib on “mean/fast action” (MohdArshadRaji) agnst Utusan/Umno cyber ringleaders 4Utusan “Christian Msia” outrage?

No wonder in these “10 Days in May” more Msians say: “THOUGHT PAK LAH WAS BAD ENUF. Golly, Najib is annoyingly hopeless!” Real Pathetic.
Continue reading “10 days in May (4)”

Posted on

Utusan publishes notice on blogger’s ‘explanation’

Malaysiakini | May 12, 11

Utusan Malaysia, which came under heavy fire over its unsubstantiated report alleging a ‘Christian state’ conspiracy, today carried a notice that Bigdog, the blogger who created the controversy, had published an “explanation” on his blog.

Contrary to the earlier approach of highlighting Bigdog’s allegation at its front page, Utusan only published a two-paragraph notice on an inside page, without reporting the contents of the so-called “explanation”.

“Bigdog, who sparked controversy when he revealed the pledge by pastors during their meeting in Penang recently to make Christianity as the official religion of the federation, has come forward to make an explanation about this issue,” read the notice titled “Bigdog’s explanation”.
Continue reading “Utusan publishes notice on blogger’s ‘explanation’”

Posted on

Christians pledge to respect Islam’s position, says Najib

Bernama | May 12, 11

Najib Abdul Razak said leaders of Christianity in the country have pledged that they respect the position of Islam as official religion and have no intention of challenging the provision enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

The prime minister said the group had also given their undertaking to cooperate in nurturing peace and harmony between the various faiths so that Malaysia would continue to be a peaceful and prosperous nation.

“I am glad to inform that Christian leaders have given two very important and meaningful undertakings (today),” he told reporters after attending a luncheon with the Christian leaders at his office in Putrajaya today.
Continue reading “Christians pledge to respect Islam’s position, says Najib”

Posted on

Utusan Malaysia doesn’t speak for Malay majority

By Maclean Patrick | May 12, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

What is the ultimate aim of Utusan Malaysia? Is Utusan Malaysia hell-bent on destroying the peace and harmony with sectarian violence? Or is the newspaper the unpaid spin doctors of corrupt political leaders?

Utusan Malaysia’s reporting, if we can call it that, seems to serve the needs of a few who want to maintain an atmosphere of fear and distrust among the communities living in Malaysia.
The few we are talking about here must be in a position of power. Otherwise, what is the reason for Utusan Malaysia not being reprimanded for its brand of reporting.

Utusan Malaysia is not racist; instead it is propagating an even worse mind-set –xenophobia or an excessive fear of strangers. Is Utusan Malaysia referring to those who are not Malays as strangers?
Continue reading “Utusan Malaysia doesn’t speak for Malay majority”

Posted on

Guan Eng to Najib: Replace Utusan editors

By Susan Loone | May 12, 11
Malaysiakini

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng wants the editors and reporters of Utusan Malaysia involved in the DAP-Christian state conspiracy issue to be replaced.

According to Lim, this is the only way Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak can convince Malaysians that Utusan does not enjoy full legal immunity and that Umno, its largest shareholder, diagrees with the newspaper publishing “dangerous lies.

“Najib Razak can also convince Malaysians by directing Utusan Malaysia to withdraw and apologise for the false report and replacing the editors and reporters involved in such dangerous lies that can burn 1Malaysia,” he added.
Continue reading “Guan Eng to Najib: Replace Utusan editors”

Posted on

‘Utusan’ best recruiting agents for Pakatan

By Yin Ee Kiong | 12 May 2011
CPI Asia

First things first: DAP’s ban on Utusan Malaysia is wrong. Wrong because it is hypocritical to damn Umno-BN when they ban certain media from covering party or official functions and now DAP is doing the same thing.

DAP banning Utusan is wrong because it is the right of every paper to attend events so that they can report to their readers. Let the readers decide on the veracity of each report and let the authorities deal with the paper if it has overstepped the mark. Wrong because to call for freedom of the press on the one hand and now to ban a paper on the other all only the party does not like what it’s reporting is an indefensible position to take.

And wrong again to kick up such a ruckus as it did over the Utusan issue. It is enough to refute such false statements. There is no need for the brouhaha because it is in the opposition’s interest that Utusan and their fellow travellers be given enough rope to hang themselves.
Continue reading “‘Utusan’ best recruiting agents for Pakatan”

Posted on

DAP plans to censure Hisham, Rais

By Patrick Lee | May 12, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: The DAP may move motions of censure in Parliament against two Umno ministers for their reactions over an alleged Christian plot.

DAP national vice-chairman M Kulasegaran took Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim to task for their acceptance of the plot without any prior investigations.

“These are two government leaders in charge of ministries that should immediately investigate the malicious and baseless report.”

“Yet, instead of giving immediate orders to investigate the report and calling for calm among the people, they have chosen to play politics,” he said.
Continue reading “DAP plans to censure Hisham, Rais”

Posted on

Lim: Konflik agama, kaum gagalkan konsep 1Malaysia

By Fazy Sahir | May 12, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Penasihat DAP Lim Kit Siang berkata konsep 1Malaysia yang sering dicanangkan oleh para pemimpin Umno-Barisan

Nasional (BN) mula tercemar apabila timbul konflik keagamaan dan ketegangan kaum sejak kebelakangan ini.

“Para pemimpin Umno-BN bertanggungjawab di atas kegagalan konsep itu yang diperkenalkan Perdana Menteri (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) sejak mentadbir negara ini mulai April 2009,” katanya ketika dihubungi FMT.

Sambil merujuk kepada fitnah berterusan yang dilemparkan ke atas DAP sejak akhir-akhir ini, Lim berkata Umno-BN kini kian terdesak untuk mengembali dan mengukuh kuasa mereka.
Continue reading “Lim: Konflik agama, kaum gagalkan konsep 1Malaysia”

Posted on

Cartoons are no threat to public order, Utusan is

Comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers

‘Cartoons can cause public disorder? Then what do you call the writings by Utusan and the two pro-Umno bloggers?’

‘Terrible accusations’ in Zunar’s cartoon books

Mt KK: Never in any country have I learnt that cartoon books created public disorder or even banned. Indeed, many people, except Malaysiakini fans, may not have heard or read about Zunar’s cartoons. This ban has made it more popular.

My copy of Zunar’s cartoon book has been circulated to more than two dozens people so far. All enjoy the candid illustrations and not one was agitated enough to cause any disorder. They only felt upset at the ways the Home Ministry arbitrarily took actions and/or made partial decision to go after any matter not in favour of Umno leaders.
Continue reading “Cartoons are no threat to public order, Utusan is”