The MCA is backing Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia and has condemning Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for the ban on the newspaper from covering the state assembly.

Lim was pretentious about his pledge of protecting press freedom, MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok said, "for he is one of the violators" as this had been exposed by journalists who relayed their opinions to him on Thursday.

NONE To commemorate World Press Freedom Day on Thursday, journalists posted yellow notes on two panels facing the main door of the Dewan Negeri lobby.

Lim, his state executive councillors and the assemblypersons were given sharp reminders through the notes, including calls not to ban newspapers from state functions or to blame journalists for no coverage of these events.

Lim was also chided for not giving straight answers as to why he held so many press conferences. However, the chief minister responded that he felt it necessary to repeat his views at press conferences so that journalists could understand what he said.

malaysiakini interview loh seng kok 061108 03 Adding to the criticism, Loh ( left ) said Lim has repeatedly raised old topics for debate and on several occasions gave journalists answers that were wide off the mark.

"Does he treat reporters as infants? Are reporters, in his eyes, so easy to be deceived, like a toddler?" asked Loh, who is also a member of MCA presidential council.

"He is ignorant enough not to know that the reporters have seen through his tricks. They are not foolish people who are bought by his tricks," he said.

"As a result, they gave him a wake-up call by leaving their opinions on the panels, exposing his antics to the public," added Loh, who is also deputy chief of the MCA publicity bureau.

An act of self-defence

NONE On the ban of Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times , which Lim had described as 'an act of self-defence' as the two newspapers had refused to give him the right to reply, Loh described the Penang CM as "shameless" and a "hypocrite".

Lim was also taken to task for making contrasting statements by calling for an independent panel to investigate the violence by the police during the Bersih 3.0 rally and abolishing the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

Loh said that Lim also did nothing when DAP elections publicity chief Hew Kuan Yau "hurled disgraceful insults, likening journalists to prostitutes", although Hew had apologised for his comment.

"He prohibits Utusan Malaysia from covering the Penang State Assembly and practises favouritism when inviting selected news organisations to his press conferences."