Utusan has lost its way, decries NUJ chief

EXCLUSIVE Despite once being the pinnacle of responsible journalism, Utusan Malaysia has lost its way, claimed newly-elected National Union of Journalists (NUJ) president Hata Wahari.

Hata, who is himself a journalist with the Malay daily, told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview said that the Umno-owned newspaper has lost its relevance .

"People no longer read it, because it is not relevant. If they want to be relevant, they must return to their (nobler) origins,"

"I wouldn't be surprised that if things continue like this, one day there will be no one reading Utusan or other mainstream newspapers," he said.

Utusan, which once set the benchmark for Malaysian journalism and activism in the country, is seen by many to have lost its prestigious status after being acquired by Umno in the 1960s, with the spectre of political interference making its editorial policy suspect.

One prominent example of the Malay daily's irresponsible behaviour, said the 15-year veteran of  journalism, is its focus on sensitive issues.

Hata (right ) gave the example of the daily headlining the news of the Christian preacher who allegedly delivered a speech insulting Islam in a church in Kuching.

He said that while other papers like Berita Harian also carried the news, it was not given the prominence that the Utusan gave.

"They focus on stories of Malays disparaging other races, then they run stories of other races making insulting remarks of Malays," he said.

‘Too extreme, without control'

Labelling Utusan 's current slant as "extreme" and "without control", Hata said he was sincere in his criticism because he wanted the daily to change.

"You can be extreme, but there are limits. Don't be too extreme," he said.

His worry, explained Hata, was that if the Utusan continued to fan racial tension and religious issues, it could lead to 1969 all over again.

He was referring to the May 13 incident, a black mark in Malaysian history that saw communal riots and violence break out after racial issues were played up by certain quarters.

"Granted, I was only 10 days old at the time. But even as a baby, the chaos in the surroundings does affect you. I guess that is why I become so worried that it might come to pass again," he said.

Hata contended that the people did not need to have more news of organisations such as Perkasa and its antics.

"I believe that we should control these news (racist and religious issues), we should control (ourselves) and not get too involved in these things."

"Why we did not control it is a question that I, too, have asked but have yet to be given an answer. But I have seen a lot of things in my 15 years of experience to say that enough is enough," opined the union president.

However, things were not always as bad, said Hata.

"Even up until 2008, we still had some editorial independence. Utusan was fair and inclusive in its coverage, it was balanced. We featured both Pakatan and the BN in our reporting. We fought for issues which transcended race.

"But now, it is one-sided. How did it get like this?" he asked.

‘Wartawan wahyus' serving gruel

B ut Hata contends that Utusan is not rotten all the way, and in general he believes that the rank-and-file journalists were still doing their job ethically.

That is, except for those he tagged as wartawan wahyu , journalists who received "revelations and instructions" from the higher-ups to spin stories and serve up the manufactured gruel that is all too common on the front pages of Utusan .

"However, these people are not all-willing. Some are forced to do so because their livelihood depends on it. All I can say to them is to quit if they don't want to do it, or do what I did - revolt!" he said.

Asked if the Malay daily's infamous columnist by the pseudonym 'Awang Selamat', the name behind many of the daily's more scathing diatribes, is one of the wartawan wahyus , Hata said that Awang Selamat is of a different class altogether.

"In the past, Awang Selamat was the pen name of our chief editors like Johan Jaafar. But the gentlemen that they were, they signed off with their own names."

"Now I don't know... All I can say is that Awang Selamat is the most powerful person in the Utusan ," said Hata.

But the real culprits , he claimed, were the top editors who wielded the influence of outside forces.

"Maybe it is their political masters, who knows?" he said.

'Political masters' not just Umno

He clarified, though, that the political masters who pulled the strings of the editors may not necessarily be from Umno, which owns the paper.

"There are not necessarily from the party ... they can be those who wield influence, anyone that the editors are close to," said the reporter.

In actual fact, said Hata, the Utusan is now so far apart from Umno that it has to struggle just to make ends meet, especially with its circulation dropping.

"If truly Umno supports us, its three million over members need only to buy a copy each to help the Utusan survive.

"Umno no longer supports us, the link between the two has all but gone. I don't understand why we still want to maintain the relationship. We should sever all ties with Umno," he opined.

However, Hata admitted that whatever steps that would be taken to reform Utusan would be "rough going", especially for reformists like him, pointing to the attacks that have already started on his person via articles criticising his stand.

"This is Utusan 's style. You have to understand that this was what happened to former NUJ president Yazid Othman (also an Utusan journalist) who was fired because of his activism.

"Prior to his sacking, the Utusan ran a lot of made-up stories about him, saying that he had an affair and had an illegitimate child.

"Now history is repeating itself, they use Perkasa to attack me, then came the article from the Utusan Veterans Club," said Hata.

His final goal, Hata said, was to divorce Utusan from Umno in the same pattern that saw Nanyang Siang Pau liberated from the MCA's grasp and returned to its noble origins.

For this, he is willing to stake his career and future.

 

THE HATA WAHARI INTERVIEW

Part 1: President: Sleeping giant NUJ is arising

Part 2: Utusan has lost its way, decries NUJ chief

Part 3: Free press or face chaos, warns Hata