Grassroots leaders from several Perak MCA divisions today censured party president Dr Ling Liong Sik for misleading the members on the recent acquisition of Nanyang Press Holdings by giving conflicting statements.

"Two weeks ago, Ling said that buying Nanyang was a good business deal but yesterday he called it a 'strategic political investment'. It's all too confusing for ordinary members to understand," said the group's spokesperson Dr Yap Yit Thong.

"We believe the 32 central committee members who voted for the purchase were equally confused and do not know the real reason for the purchase," added Yap, who is the deputy secretary of Perak MCA.

The other leaders are from the Kampar, Gopeng, Tambun, Ipoh Timur, Ipoh Barat and Batu Gajah divisions. The six divisions make about 40 percent of some 370 central delegates in the northern state.

Two thousand five hundred central delegates nationwide will be expressing their stand on the Nanyang takeover at the party's extraordinary general meeting on Sunday.

Despite strong protest from Chinese community and certain party leaders, MCA acquired Nanyang Press Holdings, publisher of dailies Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press , late last month for RM230 million through its investment arm Huaren Holdings.

Amid widespread fear that the Nanyang takeover by MCA would jeopardise the diversity of opinions, particularly criticisms of the party, Ling then said the acquisition was just a good, purely business deal.

He also assured the Chinese community that there will be no interference in the editorial operations of the two newly acquired dailies.

Yesterday, however, Ling said the party would not hesitate to buy any media company as it is a "strategic political investment".

"If it is Rediffusion (radio) or a TV station up for sale, we will be interested because the media has a very important role in our party," he reportedly said.

Following Ling's latest about-face, Yap said the MCA president has lost all credibility and is therefore no longer fit to lead the party.

He said although Huaren's stake in Star Publications, which is worth RM287 million, is said to be enough for the Nanyang takeover, the listed company would have to set aside RM250 million for redemption of its bonds which will mature by 2005.

He added that MCA should not have forced Star Publications to purchase Nanyang Press as most of the minority shareholders of Star perceive it as a bad investment.

Yap also criticised the way Ling acted in the acquisition of Nanyang Press as characteristic of a leader of the past and not the present 21st century.

"In this era of information and communication technology, controlling the press and mass media is of no use. People can go to the electronic media," he said.

Hidden agenda

Meanwhile, DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang said Ling's statement yesterday had contradicted his earlier claims that MCA has no political intention in the Nanyang acquisition.

"Ling's confession has confirmed the worst fears of the Chinese community about the hidden agenda of MCA in the gobbling up of the two dailies," he said in a press statement.

This also reinforced the predictions by many that the Nanyang takeover by MCA could be disastrous to press freedom in the country as well as Chinese community interests, he added.

In another press statement, DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock called on the MCA delegates to object to the Nanyang takeover at the party's EGM this weekend.

"I would like to urge them to put national interest above party interest and reject overwhelmingly the party's purchase of Nanyang Press," he said.

Academicians and civil groups have long expressed concern over local media ownership linked to the ruling coalition and business groups close to it.

Huaren also owns Star Publications which produces leading English paper The Star .