A controversial plea from Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak urging government agencies and government-linked companies (GLCs) to give more advertisement money to Utusan Malaysia has today been watered down by a minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

Paul Low emphasised today that the Najib had merely expressed his “hope” and the decision to back or not to back the Umno-owned 75-year old newspaper lies squarely with the heads of GLCs themselves and not the country’s prime minister.

NONE "Prime minister just said, he hopes. But the company themselves have to decide accordingly, to do what is proper in the interests of the company," Low, who is in charge of transparency and good governance, said.

"Because ultimately, the decision doesn’t rest with the PM. He did not take responsibility, but the companies themselves take responsibility if the money is not well spent."

Low’s stand on the PM’s move had previously been unclear.

He had declined to respond to DAP’s charge that Najib was using taxpayers’ money to bail out the newspaper, often seen as Umno’s mouthpiece.

Low previously said that it was okay for Najib to give such directives, as long as it was done in a transparent manner.

Najib’s plea was made as part of a speech on Sept 13, when he launched a new building and renamed a street for Utusan .

He had said that more government-backed advertisements in Utusan would elevate the Malay-language newspaper above its competitors, which would be a desirable outcome.

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