Revoke Utusan’s licence, Teresa tells Hisham
By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — The DAP’s Teresa Kok has urged Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to revoke Utusan Malaysia’s publication licence after the paper was issued a warning letter yesterday.
The Umno daily was reprimanded by the Home Ministry for publishing an unsubstantiated front-page article alleging a Christian plot to usurp Islam as the religion of the federation. The story sparked a furore among the country’s majority Muslims and minority Christians.
“The right thing for Hishammuddin to do is revoke Utusan Malaysia’s publication licence to send a strong message that such news reporting is contemptible, unacceptable and totally incongruent with the 1 Malaysia that the government claims to support,” said Kok (picture) in a statement today.
“Hishammuddin should then go one step further to have the editors of Utusan Malaysia sacked in his capacity as Umno vice-president,” the senior Selangor state executive councillor added.
Kok said as today marked the 42nd anniversary of the May 13 race riots, the home minister should crack down on Utusan Malaysia to show the government’s stand against racial and religious provocation.
“To ensure that this day does not repeat itself, the government must send a strong message that those guilty of spreading misinformation which divides multi-racial, multi-religious Malaysia must stop or be made to stop,” she said.
The Selangor DAP chairman called Hishammuddin’s letter of caution to the Malay daily a “pathetic excuse for censure”, saying it was not commensurate with Utusan’s “lies” to pit Muslims against Christians.
She also pointed out that the Home Ministry had taken more severe action against other publications that committed “lesser” wrongs.
Kok said the China Press was ordered to sack its two top editors in 2006 for wrongly identifying the woman in the infamous police “nude squat” incident as a Chinese national.
She added that the Sarawak Tribune was also suspended in 2006 for publishing a “disrespectful” image of Prophet Muhammad.
“Thus, Hishammuddin should not practise double standards in his handling of Utusan Malaysia whose repeated malicious reporting has gone far beyond the point of mere cautioning,” she said.
Kok’s call followed other DAP leaders who also said earlier today that a warning letter to Utusan Malaysia was not sufficient.
