The views expressed in Selangor Terkini are on valid grouses faced by the community, said Kuang assemblyperson Abdul Shukur Idrus, who admitted he had distributed the publication.

 

"Coincidently Selangor Terkini 's content is parallel to our opinion of the state's affairs and it happened to be sent to my service centre in Kuang by members of the public, so I gave it away during a function in my constituency," he said.

 

NONE The Selangor Umno information chief however denied that the newsletter was published by his party.

He claimed to be unaware of who had delivered the copies to his service centre.

 

The newsletter came under fire yesterday by Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim's political secretary Faekah Husin, who accused the publisher of abusing the use of the state’s coat of arms without the state government's permission.

The publication is believed to have been printed and distributed without a licence from the Home Ministry and permission from the state authorities.

 

Faekah had said the state authorities obtained copies of the newsletter when it was distributed by Abdul Shukur during an event at his constituency last week.

 

She said Umno had lied about not being involved in publishing the newsletter as it was being distributed at the assemblyperson’s function along with the Umno branch’s 2011 calendar.

 

"I was going to give out my calendars on that day and it happened to be that there were ample copies of Selangor Terkini lying in my office," Abdul Shukur reiterated.

 

"There is no need for anyone to worry. The people can make up their own opinion from what they read," he said.

“If we (Umno) printed it (without approval), why would we distribute it outright? Definitely we would not do it in the open."