MCA has taken Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan to task for ordering public funds be spent on private enterprises when he called for government-linked corporations (GLCs) to advertise more in Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia .

NONE Calling it an abuse of ministerial power, MCA vice-president Gan Peng Sieu ( right in photo ) said the government has no duty to subsidise or favour a privately-owned media company like Utusan .

“If Sinar Harian, Metro, Kosmo, Star, Sin Chew Daily, Oriental Daily, The Malay Mail and many other media houses can compete, as they should in the marketplace, in attracting more readers and advertisers on their own merits, I see no reason why Utusan should enjoy privilege with public funds.

NONE "It is also an affront to their competence and professionalism,” Gan said in a press statement.

Ahmad Maslan told reporters in Gombak over the weekend that out of the combined advertising budget of the 35 top GLCs in the country, only a meagre 3.7 percent went to Utusan .

He said he had written in to GLCs to spend more in the newspapers like Utusan and Berita Harian to support the papers' "struggle".

MCA's criticism of Ahmad echoes that of the DAP, which also slammed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in September for making the same suggestion to GLCs.

Najib made the call when he launched the Malay media group's new building and even renamed a road after the 75-year-old newspaper. 

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low then said that Najib had only expressed a hope and did not issue an order to GLCs, which come under the prime minister’s purview.

NONE Gan said: "The PM sent a wrong signal in September. Ahmad ( left ) carries out a misconduct. Ahmad must retract the instruction," Gan said.

He said MCA has also set an example by not favouring English daily The Star , even though the party holds the majority ownership of the newspaper and is part of the ruling coalition. This is because the party believes in free market competition.

"MCA is pro-business, pro-competition and is a political party believing in equal opportunity. We abhor privilege mentality in the marketplace," he said.

The MCA respected all responsible media as "the fourth estate in our country".

"All of them contribute to nation-building.  No particular media should be favoured over the others, be it print or online," Gan added.

Related stories

Ahmad Maslan confusing his roles, says PKR rep

MP: GLCs, do public duty by advertising more in Utusan

GLCs, your choice - Utusan or the rakyat?