'Instead of a reprimand letter, someone should just give the Utusan editor two tight slaps for being an extremely naughty boy.'
Utusan gets slap on the wrist from Home Ministry
Anonymous_40a7: Utusan Malaysia published a malicious slander from an irresponsible blogger, which caused a uproar of epic proportions as well as racial disharmony in this country, and all it got was a ‘slap on the wrist' from the Home Ministry?
You guys might as well say, "Hi, Utusan . How are you holding up? We're just going to leave you with a warning (claps slowly three times). Hey, in case you are wondering, continue on what you're doing because you are immune to sanctions and the ISA. Just remember not to include the government or Perkasa when publishing your articles...".
Paul Warren: Does Umno think that the Malays will be happy with this? I think even the Malays know fair from unfair, good from bad, below the belt from knock out punch.
And if PM Najib Razak thinks the Malays will feel proud of this "you can't touch me" message that is being sent, I think Najib better think twice. It actually shames the Malays. Any victory coming from this must surely be embarrassing to them.
I wonder what proportion of Malays will look at the treatment given to Utusan as just? Or if this is going to be a salivating victory for some, it must surely be that they know it's from a poisoned chalice.
Wira: If it had been another paper, an immediate show-cause letter would have been issued and nothing short of the dismissal of the chief editor and a front-page apology would have satisfied the Home Ministry. As most of us see it, this is just another sandiwara by Umno.
Cannon: The Sin Chew Daily journalist who reported Ahmad Ismail's 'pendatang' slur gets slammed with the ISA. Utusan for its sedition, gets off lightly with a reprimand. Where is justice? This is Umno's double standard.
The Christian representatives pledged in good faith to respect the position of Islam. Did Utusan retract and apologise for its piece? Did it pledge to respect the rights of non-Malays to worship their own God in peace?
Did the home minister who himself made a seditious remark against the church, apologise? Clearly, Najib, in meeting the church group, has no intention of dealing with Utusan , the two Umno bloggers, and his cousin. Umno is up to no good stirring up unrest using Christians as the bogeyman. Where are the voices of the BN parties? Is this acceptable?
The caution letter is an admission that Utusan has been found blameworthy for committing sedition. But the letter is insufficient. The Home Ministry should require Utusan to retract its story and apologise. While at it, the home minister should also serve himself a reprimand letter for his own conduct in offending the Christian community.
Audrey Teow: Reprimand letter? Wait a second, isn't this why we have the Sedition Act and ISA for? Why isn't the Home Ministry using this against Utusan ? But, yes, Utusan is doing Umno's dirty work.
Singa Pura Pura: Unrepentant for knowingly and maliciously publishing news that is false and untrue, the Utusan editor-in-chief gets invited to the Home Ministry to be handed a reluctant letter of supposed reprimand.
If it were The Star - supposedly and inaccurately alleging Muslim cruelty to Christians and Hindus in Malaysia - then may Allah help that newspaper and its entire workforce. Such flagrant double standards are plainly unacceptable in Malaysia today.
You don't slap a person on both cheeks, spit on his intelligence and then in the same breath ask for his sponsorship at the ballot box.
Tkc: This episode is so pathetic. Instead of reprimand letter, someone should just give the Utusan editor two tight slaps for being an extremely naughty boy.
I just hope that the next time an Utusan reporter sees a bunch of Chinese and Indians huddled together in a rugby field, he/she would not report it as "non-Malays conspiring to take over the country by force".
Bluemountains: Why should Utusan be punished when it is only a tool? It is the master who should be penalised.
Louis: Disgusting is the right word to use. Utusan is pampered sky high by the authority. When a child is pampered, he will keep behaving like a hooligan and will never learn. Anyway, this is the reality of life in Malaysia.
Umno supporters will always be given special treatment in whatever they do, be it in business or when committing offences. For the same offence committed by an opposition and Umno supporters, the former might end up in Kamunting, while the latter is laughing gleefully after a small pep talk by a minister.
My gut feeling is the authority has no guts to discipline Utusan although Umno is the boss of the company.
DNA: The action taken against Utusan by Hishammuddin Hussein shows there are two sets of laws in Bolehland, one for Umno supporters who can write crap and get away with a slap on the wrist, while non-supporters are 'detained' under ISA for their own 'protection'.
Gen2: What do you expect? This was the home minister who personally went down to console the cow-head stompers and gave them moral support.
Terus: Action speaks louder than words. In this case where the home minister, meaning the government and the cabinet, metes out such action, it can only back fire against BN.
It speaks badly of our political leaders and this seemingly inaction will definitely affect MCA, MIC and other component parties of BN. It's a shame that our leaders in Umno do not have the strength and political will to do the correct thing.
Dood: Ah... so it is true, the tail wags the dog.
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As expected, Utusan gets away with it
