Umno Youth has asked its Barisan Nasional partner MCA to cease its public campaign to declare Malaysia as a secular state.


 <img align="left" height="217" hspace="5" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/88/8d0ffcebd76213c107e31ef02ba84dcf.jpg" width="200"/>
 "
 
 Saya beri amaran kepada pemimpin MCA supaya berhenti membuat kenyataan sedemikian
 
 . (I am giving a warning to MCA leaders to stop making such statements).


 "I would like to stress that I'm not a naive leader and allow this matter to continue.
 
 Amaran
 
 saya (my warning) is to stop making (such) statements," said Hishammuddin Hussien according to
 
 Berita Harian
 
 today.


 Hishammuddin was referring to a statement issued by MCA secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan who said on Thursday that documents which formed the basis of the country's independence clearly stated that Malaysia was a secular state.


 He added that even a decision by the Supreme Court in 1988, delivered by then Lord President Salleh Abas, has declared Malaysia a secular state.


 Ong was responding to a statement on Tuesday by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who
 
 
 <a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/70086" target="_blank">
 said
 </a>
 
 
 that Malaysia was an Islamic state.


 A flurry of detractors then took Najib to task over the remarks but public debate on the matter came to a grinding halt on Thursday when the Internal Security Ministry
 
 
 <a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/70148" target="_blank">
 ordered
 </a>
 
 
 all media outlets to stop reporting on the matter.


 The ministry's publications control and Al-Quran texts unit director Che Din Yusof told
 
 malaysiakini
 
 that the ban was in place because such discussions would cause "tensions' and that "Islam is a sensitive issue".


 Che Din however clarified that media outlets were free to report the views of the prime minister and his deputy on the matter.


 
 
 Ministers gagged as well?
 
 


 In view of this, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has questioned the authority of the unit, which he claimed had usurped the powers of all other ministers.


 <img align="right" height="167" hspace="5" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/43/36bf4be142a568ed17fabaccee974f05.jpg" width="147"/>
 "Is the Deputy Internal Security Minister Foo Ah Kiow (who is a MCA politician), supervising the unit or is he himself being supervised by the unit?" asked Lim in a statement today.


 MCA, the second largest BN coalition member, owns English-daily
 
 Star
 
 and radio stations
 
 98.8 FM
 
 and
 
 Red FM.
 
 It also has an interest in two Chinese dailies -
 
 Nanyang Siang Pau
 
 and
 
 China Press.
 


 Lim criticised the move as a "grave blow to media freedom and freedom of speech" to the point where even non-Umno Cabinet members are gagged.


 "This must be the first time in the nation's 50-year history where it had issued a directive which amounted to a de facto ban on statements by Cabinet ministers and deputy ministers excepting for those from the prime minister and his deputy," added Lim.

<img align="left" height="64" hspace="5" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/46/645e71203120b771b671a87741893321.jpg" width="64"/>
Be warned. Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussien tells key ruling coalition partner MCA to stop issuing statements claiming Malaysia to be a secular state.

Hisham's warning: Hey MCA! Shut up!

~RM12

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