An opposition MP wants the Home Ministry to revoke Utusan Malaysia's publishing permit because of "false reporting"and for playing up a claim that Christian pastors had conspired to make Penang a Christian state.
At a press conference in Parliament House, DAP's Jelutong parliamentarian Jeff Ooi demanded action by the Home Minister.
“I want Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to use his powers and revoke Utusan’s publication licence for causing tension and trying to pit the religions against each other. You cannot protect the liars,” urged the MP.
Ooi said that the Umno-owned Malay daily had reported information from pro-Umno blogger Big Dog Dot Com without attempting to verify the truth of the claim, Ooi said.
“They took mentah-mentah (at face value) the entry from Big Dog.”
The ministry’s recent written parliamentary reply to Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin stated that after an investigation under the Section 41(a) of the Sedition Act, "there is no firm evidence" of any such conspiracy, and that the Attorney-General’s Chambers had filed the investigation papers as requiring 'no further action'.
The controversy broke after Utusan in a May 7 report claimed thatseveral pastors and Ooi (left) were plotting to make Christianity the country's official religion.
This was based on a dinner held in conjunction with a conference organised by the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship on May 5 and 6.
Ooi, the Christian clergy and the Penang state government have vehemently denied the accusation.
Former DAP member Mohamed Razali Abdul Rahman however stillinsists that the Christian-state plot exists, warning “certain quarters” against confusing the public by denying the alleged ‘Christian conspiracy’ he had had exposed.
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