Opposition to the takeover of two major Chinese-language dailies by political party MCA gathered momentum today as protest groups race against time to rally public opinion against the proposed deal.

MCA, the second largest party in the ruling coalition, confirmed on Wednesday that its investment arm Huaren Holdings is taking over Nanyang Press, which publishes Nanyang Siang Pau , China Press and 14 other publications.

Forty-one writers for Nanyang Siang Pau , calling themselves Writers Against Takeover of Nanyang Press By MCA, today vowed to stop contributing to the newspaper to avoid being used by MCA "as window dressing to mislead their readers".

"We wish to register, in the strongest possible terms, our protest to MCA for pushing through such a scheme out of narrowly partisan considerations, which runs counter to the principles of a democratic society," they said in a statement released during a press conference this afternoon.

Those who signed the statement included the newspaper's former chief editorial writer Teoh Kian Hoon, New Era College lecturer Chang Teck Peng, ex-member of parliament Sim Kwang Yang and former labour activist Lee Ban Chen.

The writers added that the takeover of Nanyang would mean the end of the relative independence and autonomy of the Chinese dailies.

Fears of total control

News that another Chinese-language daily is also eyeing a minority stake in Nanyang Press has raised fears among media watchers that the takeover would result in certain parties acquiring a complete monopoly of all four major Chinese-language daily newspapers in the country.

On Thursday, malaysiakini reported that Pemandangan Sinar, which publishes top-selling Chinese-language daily Sin Chew Jit Poh and

Guang Ming Daily , is planning to buy an 18 percent stake in Nanyang Press.

Meanwhile, MCA's Huaren Holdings is expected to secure the remaining 52 percent of the 70 percent equity in Nanyang Press held by tycoon Quek Leng Chan's Hume Industries.

Pemandangan Sinar is controlled by Sarawak timber tycoon Tiong Hiew King, who is a former Sarawakian politician.

Erosion of press freedom

According to the Writers Against Takeover of Nanyang, the involvement of Permandang Sinar in the Nanyang takeover "will only mean the further concentration of Chinese media control as well as the erosion of press freedom in the country".

"We regret to learn that neither Sin Chew nor its sister paper Guang Ming Daily saw fit to deny the speculation, excusing itself of not reporting the news (of the Nanyang takeover) because of a 'non-interference of the competitor's internal affairs' policy".

The writers called on the dailies' owner Tiong to come forward to deny reports regarding his interest in buying a stake in Nanyang Press "to ensure healthy competition between the two Chinese media groups".

According to statistics provided by the Audit Bureau of Circulations for 2000, Sin Chew Jit Poh is the country's top-selling Chinese daily with a circulation of 276, 239 copies. This is followed by Nanyang Siang Pau (176,798), China Press (126,596) and Guang Ming Daily (90,033).

The remaining Chinese daily is Penang-based Kwong Wah Yit Poh with a circulation of 72,058.

Call off proposed deal

Meanwhile, 14 Chinese organisations today jointly urged all parties to call off the proposed deal.

"We strongly oppose the direct and indirect control and intervention of media operation by political parties which will manipulate public opinion and work against the realisation of a democratic, liberal and just society," they said in a statement signed by, among others, Suqiu Committee, Chinese education movement Dong Xong and Jiao Zong, Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and Nanyang University Alumni Association of Malaysia.

The group also urged Malaysians to support the yellow ribbon campaign launched by Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press journalists as a show of protest to the takeover bid.

An emergency meeting of concerned citizens, organised by the DAP, was also held this afternoon at a bookshop in Kuala Lumpur. About 40 people attended the gathering and a resolution condemning the proposed takeover was resoundingly passed.

More campaigns to follow

Those opposing against the Nanyang takeover are planning more protests in the coming days.

Nanyang Siang Pau and

China Press journalists are scheduled to hold a joint press conference tomorrow.

A demonstration outside the MCA headquarters is being planned for next Wednesday while opposition party Keadilan will organise a forum on Saturday at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

However, they are running out of time.

The MCA-Nanyang deal is expected to sealed by the end of next week. According to sources, MCA is worried that any delay in the agreement would allow strong public protests to derail the deal.

It is learnt that the deal will be signed by June 1 as MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik is expected to leave for a business trip overseas two days later.

Ling has assured the public that MCA would not meddle with the two Chinese papers that his party is acquiring. He cited his party's non-interference policy in the top-selling English-language paper The Star , which the MCA owns through its investment arm Huaren Holdings.

" The Star is credible, reliable, truthful and responsible. It cares for the poor and under-privileged and is a nation builder. And we will do exactly the same with Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press ," he told reporters yesterday.