News portal Malaysiakini has been accused of undermining the royal institution in today's front-page report in Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia .

Under the headline ‘Questioning of sultan’s decree condemned’, the report is a prelude to two other articles in an inside page that also condemn Malaysiakini .

NONE “ Malaysiakini failed to exercise prudence as a media organisation. The action of publishing those comments clearly undermines the credibility of the Selangor sultan,” Malaysian Youth Council president Mohamed Maliki Mohamed Rapiee is quoted as saying.

He was referring to readers’ comments on a Malaysiakini report quoting constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari on the Selangor sultan's decree relating to an event at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church.

Abdul Aziz had described the sultan’s intervention in the raid by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council as unconventional.

He said that any intervention by the head of Islam in the state has to be in line with the principles of the religion.

The report also quoted Malaysian Malays Network chief Azwandin Hamzah as accusing Abdul Aziz of being disrespectful to the sultan.

In a separate report on the same page, it quoted Senator Ezam Mohd Noor calling on the government to investigate Malaysiakini .

“Their action is clearly to incite dissatisfaction against the main institutions... The action of allowing its readers to leave comments is also seen as sowing more conflict over the issue,” Ezam was quoted as saying.

On Monday, the Selangor sultan had said in a statement that, based on a Jais report, there were indications of attempts to proselytise Muslims, but that there was insufficient evidence for action against any party.

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