An article criticising the response of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and a number of international organisations to Israel’s deadly invasion of the Gaza Strip has triggered a police report against Malaysiakini.

The Association of Religious Scholars (PUM) claims that its interpretation of the article has led to believe that it contained “seditious elements that played up the sentiments that Israel had the right to kill innocent Palestinians”.

“It is very rude on Malaysiakini’s part to publish the article as they have played on the sentiments of the Muslims, the government, the people, NGOs and the opposition, who have all put in a lot of effort to defend the Palestinians.

“This is something on which we cannot compromise. It is as if the portal has become a mouthpiece for the Zionists to provoke the Muslims,” PUM’s Federal Territory committee member Azmi Abdul Hamid told Malaysiakini today.

The Jan 6 article, entitled 'Abdullah’s anti-Israel posturing' , written by regular Malaysiakini contributor Manjit Bhatia, also, among others, ticked off local opposition party PAS, the Palestinian leadership of Hamas and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).

Yesterday, four PUM representatives lodged a police report at the Brickfields police station against the article which they claimed to have “hurt and angered Muslims” and also “ridiculed Muslim leaders and the people who have been fighting for the Palestinians”.

PUM’s Federal Territory deputy chairperson, Mohamad Hadi Ahmad Talhah, who led the group to the police station, had urged Malaysiakini to “retract the article and issue a public apology”.

“Otherwise, we will ask the government to take stern action by suspending or revoking the portal’s operating permit,” he was quoted as saying by Malay-daily Utusan Malaysia today.

Even though Malaysiakini is known as a fierce advocate of freedom of expression, Azmi said the news portal should not take liberties by publishing “sensitive material”.

Azmi also said police should ‘take immediate action’ on the police report lodged yesterday, “otherwise it would jeopardise public safety”.

Malaysiakini responds

In an immediate response, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan said that police should not be wasting their time to investigate such a “flippant report”.

“PUM should be reminded that it’s not a crime to criticise the prime minister or government policies,” said Gan.

“ Malaysiakini supports the Palestinian people in their struggle for human rights and their demand for a homeland. That said, it doesn’t mean we have to censor all articles which run contrary to that stand.”

Gan said that during the Gulf War in 2003, Malaysiakini was criticised for publishing a few opinion pieces backing the United States and which lambasted then Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein.

“Yet our editorial position was clearly against the Gulf War ,” he said.

Gan said the current article in question was written by a regular contributor to Malaysiakini .

“I disagree with his opinion on the matter. Yes, he did criticise the PM, DPM, Umno, PAS, United Nations, OIC, NAM, Hamas and PLO.

“But no where in the article was there any suggestion that Israel had the right to kill innocent Palestinians as alleged by PUM.”