MCA president Ong Tee Keat has lodged a police report against a Chinese political weekly magazine for criminal defamation.

In a press statement, the magazine known as Special Weekly revealed that Ong had made the report at the Kelana Jaya police station on May 4.

The police report was against three articles published in the 417th issue of the magazine on March 2, which commented on the relationship between Ong and his deputy, Chua Soi Lek, the Perak political crisis and DAP-turned-independent Jelapang assemblyperson Hee Yit Foong.

special weekly chinese magazine 200509 It depicted Ong in a superman suit on its front cover.

The transport minister has asked the police to investigate the magazine under section 8(A) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act and section 500 of the Penal Code, which is related to criminal defamation.

If found guilty of criminal defamation, an individual could be jailed up to two years.

The police have since called Special Weekly's editor Joseph Xeow for a three-hour long interview.

"Police had asked for the identity of the writers, but the editor refused to reveal them," the magazine said.

Writers gave four-hour long statement

However, the magazine said that police had managed to find out who the writers were and had called them in for questioning.

"The two writers believed that their commentaries were based on facts and had nothing to hide, so they gave their cooperation to the police and recorded a four-hour long statement," it read.

Special Weekly is a tabloid-style Chinese magazine owned by Life Publishers Bhd, which is a subsidiary of media tycoon Tiong Hiew King's Media Chinese International Ltd.

Life Publishers Bhd was formerly under Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd, which was controlled by MCA through its investment arm.

However, it was subsequently sold to Tiong and merged with Tiong-controlled Sin Chew Media Corp Bhd and Ming Pao Newspapers Ltd to become Media Chinese International Ltd in 2007.

Editor: We will not apologise

Special Weekly also revealed that Ong had send a letter through his lawyer, claiming the three articles were defamatory and demanding an explanation from the magazine before May 5.

However, Ong subsequently lodged the police report on May 4 - one day before the deadline.

The magazine added that it is unusual for those who are upset with a newspaper report to take action under the criminal law.

"If a newspaper published any content which offended the relevant parties, it is normal for them to take civil law action to ask for compensation, ask for correction or make a public apology," the statement read.

When contacted later, Xeow stressed that the articles were based on fair comment and there was no need for the magazine to apologise to Ong.

"We will definitely not apologise," he said.

The editor also said the magazine has appointed two lawyers to handle the case soon after they received the letter.