Sack Utusan editors for Christian PM claim
By Shannon Teoh
The DAP demanded today that Datuk Seri Najib Razak replace the Utusan Malaysia editors and reporters responsible for the “false report” of a plot by the DAP and pastors to install a Christian prime minister to usurp Islam’s position in the constitution.
Party Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said that this was the only way for the prime minister to convince Malaysians that Umno disagrees with the “dangerous lies” printed by the newspaper that his party owns.
The Bagan MP said that Najib must “direct Utusan Malaysia to withdraw and apologise for the false report and replace the editors and reporters involved in such dangerous lies that can burn 1 Malaysia.”
Utusan Malaysia carried a front-page article on Saturday headlined “Kristian agama rasmi?” (Christianity the official religion?), claiming the DAP was conspiring with Christian leaders to take over Putrajaya and abolish Islam as the religion of the federation.
The report, based entirely on unsubstantiated blog postings by several pro-Umno bloggers, has sparked angry protests especially from Christian groups in the country.
Najib was forced to meet a select group of church leaders today to clear the air after the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government took flak over reports of the presumed plot by Christians to usurp Islam as Malaysia’s main creed.
With the Umno president drawing flak, pro-Umno bloggers and even Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin have criticised Utusan Malaysia and blogger Big Dog (Zakhir Mohamad) for making the unsubstantiated allegation.
Lim demanded Najib act against the Malay daily to prove that the newspaper does not enjoy full legal immunity.
“Utusan appears to enjoy legal immunity from printing such evil and malicious lies because Utusan is both owned and working fully under the direction of Umno,” he said.
He cited a report where National Union of Journalists president Hata Wahari, who was recently sacked by Utusan Malaysia for criticising the company, said the daily’s editorial directives were set by Najib and other top Umno leaders.
“For that reason, any failure by Najib to act against Utusan will only confirm that Utusan’s lies of a Christian conspiracy... were sanctioned by Umno to entrench Umno’s rural Malay support,” the Penang chief minister said.
The DAP demanded today that Datuk Seri Najib Razak replace the Utusan Malaysia editors and reporters responsible for the “false report” of a plot by the DAP and pastors to install a Christian prime minister to usurp Islam’s position in the constitution.
Party Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said that this was the only way for the prime minister to convince Malaysians that Umno disagrees with the “dangerous lies” printed by the newspaper that his party owns.
The Bagan MP said that Najib must “direct Utusan Malaysia to withdraw and apologise for the false report and replace the editors and reporters involved in such dangerous lies that can burn 1 Malaysia.”
Utusan Malaysia carried a front-page article on Saturday headlined “Kristian agama rasmi?” (Christianity the official religion?), claiming the DAP was conspiring with Christian leaders to take over Putrajaya and abolish Islam as the religion of the federation.
The report, based entirely on unsubstantiated blog postings by several pro-Umno bloggers, has sparked angry protests especially from Christian groups in the country.
Najib was forced to meet a select group of church leaders today to clear the air after the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government took flak over reports of the presumed plot by Christians to usurp Islam as Malaysia’s main creed.
With the Umno president drawing flak, pro-Umno bloggers and even Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin have criticised Utusan Malaysia and blogger Big Dog (Zakhir Mohamad) for making the unsubstantiated allegation.
Lim demanded Najib act against the Malay daily to prove that the newspaper does not enjoy full legal immunity.
“Utusan appears to enjoy legal immunity from printing such evil and malicious lies because Utusan is both owned and working fully under the direction of Umno,” he said.
He cited a report where National Union of Journalists president Hata Wahari, who was recently sacked by Utusan Malaysia for criticising the company, said the daily’s editorial directives were set by Najib and other top Umno leaders.
“For that reason, any failure by Najib to act against Utusan will only confirm that Utusan’s lies of a Christian conspiracy... were sanctioned by Umno to entrench Umno’s rural Malay support,” the Penang chief minister said.
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