Utusan calls off Hata Wahari inquiry

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Utusan Malaysia has called off a domestic inquiry on its journalist and union chief Hata Wahari for his critical comments against the Umno-owned newspaper.

National Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretary-general V. Anbalagan said theUtusan management called off the inquiry when talks broke down over representation for Hata (picture) and whether the proceedings could be recorded on video.

“Utusan said only they can record the proceedings and denied Hata’s request to do the same. Hata said it was unfair,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Anbalagan also said Utusan did not allow him to represent Hata, who was elected the union chief last year.

The newspaper had suspended Hata last week pending the inquiry.

“After taking into consideration the seriousness of misconduct allegations against you, the company has decided to suspend your service effective January 17, 2011 until the domestic inquiry on your actions has been completed,” said Utusan’s suspension letter addressed to Hata.

The letter, which was sent to Hata on January 11, stated that the senior reporter would be denied entry into any Utusan office throughout the course of the inquiry, and needed to seek permission from the company management if he wanted to enter the office.

“During the period of your suspension, you are required to be in a place where the company management can contact you, and you are not allowed to leave your neighbourhood,” said the letter.

Hata has been attacked by his own company for issuing statements to news portals The Malaysian Insider, Malaysiakini, Merdeka Review, and The Sun newspaper between September 21 and October 14 last year.

NUJ and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) had previously asked Utusan to call off the inquiry.

“Despite appeals from international organisations such as the International Federation of Journalists and local NGOs, Utusan Malaysia was adamant in having a domestic inquiry... so we will see how it goes,” Anbalagan said last week.

The IFJ has joined a growing chorus here demanding Utusan call off its inquiry on Hata. The NUJ president had recently caused a stir when he urged the authorities to act againstUtusan’s editors for stoking racial sentiments in its reports.

Hata also blamed the drop in the national daily’s sales on the editors for pushing what he called racial rhetoric.

IFJ director Jacqueline Park told Utusan last week that Hata was bound to uphold the global reporting body’s code of ethics as union chief.

“No journalist can be disciplined in any way for asserting his or her rights to act according to their conscience,” she had said. - Malaysian Insider