Pakatan: Umno is responsible for Utusan, don't blame others

Malaysia Chronicle

Pakatan Rakyat leaders warned Umno not to try and shift the blame for the string of racist and inflammatory articles published by its newspaper Utusan Malaysia, saying that it was ridiculous for the “right hand not to know what the left hand was doing”.

“Utusan’s failure to respond to public criticism, and worse still, Umno’s reluctance to get Utusan to stop publishing the string of highly horrendous stories is even worse,” DAP MP for Taiping Nga Kor Ming toldMalaysia Chronicle.

“It shows Umno and Prime Minister Najib Razak in particular is using the Utusan stories as a trial balloon for much Malay support they can ratchet up. Not only is their behavior ruthless, selfish, contemptible and dangerous, it shows they are not fit to lead a multi-racial country and that they have been left far behind, trapped in the communal politics of the colonial days.”

Excuses

Indeed, industry people too have found it hard to believe the recent comments from Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan that Umno could not control the Utusan editors. In any company, staff who did not toe the line could be sacked - especially on matters that tore at the heart of national unity.

Kor Ming - right and left hands

Commentaries and op-eds by columnists such as Awang Selamat and Ridhuan Tee Abdullah have been pushed out week after week despite stirring widespread public outcry especially from the non-Malay communities.

Yet Tengku Adnan could only offer what were widely perceived to be excuses.

“You can say that it is owned by Umno, but we don't control the newspaper. It's not fair to blame Umno. It is controlled by certain editors. We have also raised our concerns. It is not right what Utusan has done, but these are just individuals, you know. I don't know what they want to achieve,” Malaysiakini had reported Tengku Adnan as saying.

Dog eat dog culture

One of first things that Najib had done after he took over from former premier Abdullah Badawi in April 2009 was to appoint his own hand-picked editor to lead the Utusan stable of newspapers and magazines.

Recently, there have even been attempts by those close to him to blame another former premier, Mahathir Mohamad, for his lingering influence on Utusan. Certain high-profile Utusan journalists have also pinned the blame on senior editors.

Dr Lee Boon Chye

“That is quite hypocritical of Najib. He is the incumbent PM, the power is in his hand. If he does not have the courage to stop such blatant racism, he is no better than any other race-champion and that includes Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Perkasa,” PKR vice president Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

“It is also most despicable that as a leader Najib should try to put the blame on Utusan employees. That goes against all principles of fair play and further confirms the toxic culture that Umno has become synonymous with."