The Home Ministry today refuted DAP's allegations that it had instructed newspaper editors to black out news reports of the confrontation between former pig farmers of Bukit Pelanduk and MCA over the JE Humanitarian Fund.

Deputy Home Minister Zainal Abidin Zin said the ministry had a code of ethics for the media and would take action against newspapers which did not comply to instructions that had been issued.

"(If we had issued such an order), how is it that the New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia published the report?

"Why was there no action taken against these two newspapers?" he told malaysiakini at Wisma Sri Bentong today, where nomination papers of the two contesting candidates in the Ketari by-election, DAP's Choong Siew Onn and Gerakan's Yum Ah Hwa, were filed this morning.

Yesterday, Kerk reiterated that the alleged telephone call to newspaper editors to block reports of the DAP-led confrontation with MCA over the compensation fund to victims of the Nipah outbreak came straight from the office of the other deputy home affairs minister, Chor Chee Heung.

Lady caller

On Thursday, a war of words broke out between Zainal and Kerk in Parliament, culminating in Kerk accusing Zainal of being a "big liar" when the deputy minister denied any knowledge of such a call being made to newspaper editors.

Responding to Kerk's statement, Zainal today urged DAP to check its source of information.

He added that DAP cannot expect the press to publish only positive reports about the opposition.

"Sometimes there are good things about us, sometimes bad, likewise with them (opposition). We can't have everything and we both have to live ( sama-sama hidup )," he said.

Chor, who is also an MCA central committee member, was present in Ketari to show his support for the BN candidate, but refused to comment on the matter.

However, Kerk today reiterated that a "lady" from Chor's office called up all major newspaper editors to ask that the report be withheld.

Kerk challenged Zainal to check the Telekom listing for Chor's office telephone line.

"I know for a fact this matter had taken place. I am not saying this for political mileage but this is the truth," said Kerk.

'Non-violent' campaign

Meanwhile, speaking on the by-election, Zainal commended DAP for its 'non-violent' campaign tactics.

"They understand the ethics of elections. We are not going to war. We just want to sell our ideas to the rakyat ," he said.

The Ketari state assembly seat fell vacant following the death of its representative, Loke Koon Kam of Gerakan.

The Barisan Nasional candidate beat Choong with a slim 231-vote majority in the 1999 general elections, garnering 5,874 votes.

Ketari has 17,143 registered voters, of which 95 are postal votes. Chinese Malaysians comprise 53.83 percent (9,228) of the constituency, Malay Malaysians 39.12 percent (6,706) and Indian Malaysians 5.21 percent (843).

The Orang Asli comprise 1.3 percent (223), bumiputra from Sabah and Sarawak 0.21 percent (36) and others 0.33 percent (57).

Chor's office made calls to editors, says Kerk