YOURSAY 'Did MCA speak up when Utusan and NST spewed venom in their daily newspapers to disunite Malaysians?'

Press freedom: MCA 'not fit to point fingers'

Anonymous #60197595: Saying that MCA is being hypocritical does not justify what Penang Island municipal councillor Ong Ah Teong is doing.

He should take the higher ground by the absolute principle of freedom of press. Banning any press based on what they write is just the same as Umno barring Malaysiakini from their press conference.

Ong says, "This is far worse than merely barring some journalists from attending events out of one's ‘personal choice'."

As a politician and a public servant, any choice made in his professional capacity is never just a 'personal choice'.

ONG: Anonymous #60197595, you are correct about what you referred to as "absolute principle of freedom of press" but unfortunately, it appears that you are blissfully unaware those rascals from Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times are not journalists.

They are merely Umno stooges masquerading as journalists. Would you allow a bomoh who calls himself a surgeon to take out your inflamed appendix?

20121221Disaster : Anonymous #60197595, talk is easy! How can we allow those who always misquote the opposition to continue their misquoting by allowing them to attend the opposition's events?

Moreover, these newspapers don't provide space for clarification by those misquoted. It is a waste of time entertaining such newspapers.

Hplooi: Utusan and NST do not deserve the title of 'press', they have been proven to commit repeated criminal ‘assault'. For example:

1. The (willful) misrepresentation of Australian senator Nick Xenophon, which is criminal and put Xenophon in actual threat of jihadist reprisal.

2. The criminal and serial 'assault' of Penang CM Lim Guan Eng and his family by the printing of libellous allegations which put his family in public danger.

3. The continuous drumming-up of the so-called threat of a 'Chinese takeover' of Malaysia which is serious sedition.

4. The persistent couching and twisting of any issues which require reasonable public debate (e.g. Bersih issues, transparency in citizenship, etc) into racial or religious (them against us) themes.

And I can go on and on.

Yet despite the abovementioned, the rags responsible remain untouchable by law and reason. The Star has been heavily penalised for much, much less.

So in my opinion, the said papers do not deserve the approbation of 'independent press' or even 'press'.

Lim Chong Leong : Those who are barred are those who do not report the truth, their acts disqualify them as journalists and make them running dogs.

We saw many of those reporting MCA chief Dr Chua Soi Lek's ‘thumping victory' over Lim Guan Eng during their Debate 1.0. That is not journalism but political propaganda.

We also saw the word 'scientology' changed to 'Islam' in Utusan and NST . That is not journalism, but lies.

Odin: This report has already shown why those supporting ‘press freedom' for NST and Utusan have no right to make the comment, but here is another example.

In his speech made and reported last Chinese New Year, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang called on all Chinese Malaysians to unite in the Year of The Dragon and together with their other Malaysian brothers and sisters work at making Malaysia better for all.

Only the first part of that particular sentence of his was reported by a certain newspaper, who used the partial quote to accuse Lim of being racist. You tell us if that is professional, ethical journalism.

If you say it is, then you are so hopeless as to be beyond redemption. If you say it is not, and if you are a gentleman, then you would apologise and withdraw your statement.

Avatar1: I find it utterly ridiculous that all the MCA and Gerakan goons do in Penang is find fault with the state government and try to be a champion out of nothing.

Why didn't MCA speak out when Malaysiakini was barred from all the Umno proceedings? Did MCA speak up when Utusan and NST spewed venom in their daily newspapers to disunite Malaysians?

It's the Penang government's prerogative to allow or bar certain papers. This is what MCA should respect and not find fault and try to be a champion of press freedom when they themselves are not practising such things.

CYP: I urge Utusan's shareholders to attend the AGM next week and grill the board over the many court cases against the newspaper.

Never in the history of the local press has there been so many court cases launched to counter the alleged defamatory reports by the newspapers.

The Utusan editorial team may ignore such criticisms, but the board cannot ignore its shareholders at the AGM.

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