‘Media should be free to express community’s view’
By Karen Arukesamy, The Sun
The media should be free to express the feelings of a community, as long as it is done responsibly. “That is the role of media that should not be controlled,” Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.
“What is important is that there must be accountability and responsibility and a sense of unity in reporting,” he said when commenting on the MCA’s call to boycott Utusan Malaysia, which recently published an article which mooted the idea of forming a
“1Melayu, 1Bumi” movement.
Muhyiddin said he did not think it was Utusan’s intention to create racial tension and destroy the country. “If that was so, there would have been chaos a long time ago. It is just the expression of a community’s feelings,” he added.
“It is the same with other media in the country, which report about the grouses of other races that are sensitive in nature, yet the government does not stop them as they
reflect the views of other races,” he said, adding that the government could not stop Utusan from reporting the views of Malays.
“Is it good for Malaysians to not take into consideration the feelings of Malays, who are bumiputras and the majority in the country? “ he asked.
“We cannot stop people from expressing their views although it does not make others happy … but some Chinese don’t know the feelings of Malays … the Malays know the feelings of Chinese,” he said after launching an International Book Festival at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).
“I am not saying that I like people saying this, but it is natural for people to feel this way. But is it good? It is not good. We have to find a better way to address this, not like this,” he said.
“As a government, PM (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak) understands this problem and calls all Malaysians to walk with him as one nation. But at the same time we must accept the reality of Malaysian politics that is still race-based,” said the Umno deputy president who urged MCA to be rational in its call to boycott Utusan.
“It will not be effective at all. The more you ask (people) not to read; the more they will read,” he said, pointing out just like other media there were pros and cons in Utusan’s reporting.
“But in today’s situation I see that there is also a tendency towards being race-based that cuts across Utusan,” said Muhyiddin, who warned the paper that it should know its limits in reporting in a multiracial country, and to abide by the law to prevent racial controversies from occurring.
Asked if he supports the “1Melayu, 1Bumi” idea, he said the question need not arise because the national spirit of each race still existed without mentioning 1Melayu.
“If this happens there would be 1Chinese, 1Indian, 1Punjabi, 1Mat Salleh, this is not good,” he said, adding that what was important was to cultivate unity and the feeling of oneness.
