Malay daily Utusan Malaysia has attacked news portal Malaysiakini again over the latter's readers' comments.
"Despite many protests and warnings from the authorities, the pro-DAP portal Malaysiakini continues to play up dangerous sentiments.
"The portal selectively publishes many readers' comments that are wild, including those that challenge court decisions," wrote Awang Selamat, Utusan's pseudonym for what is believed to be its senior editors.
The scathing commentary in the daily's weekend edition Mingguan Malaysiatoday complained about the portal's audacity, asking if it was "immune" to action.
"It is clear Malaysiakini enjoys special treatment, and many see it as immune because action still hasn't been taken against them.
"Awang does not want to comment further, it's enough just to congratulate Malaysiakini for being able to tame our authorities," wrote the columnist in the brief commentary.
'Awang' added if Utusan and other mainstream papers were allowed to publish such "wild and slanderous" comments, "surely DAP would be among those who would rant (meroyan) and protest and hurl all sorts of accusations".
It said the portal's act of placing a disclaimer on the readers' comments was "tactic" to wash its hands of taking responsibility.
The article, however, did not specify which of the articles or comments had sparked its outrage.
The short commentary was accompanied by an article carrying the opinions of several academics, who similarly urged for action to be taken against the news portal over its readers' comments.
They included a UiTM senior director and UKM former professor, who concurred with Utusan on the matter.
It quoted Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) senior copyright and publication lecturer Nora Nordin as saying that the portal appears to be deliberately creating an uneasy atmosphere in society.
She claimed that the news portal does so by supposedly not filtering “rude” and “seditious” comments published on the website.
She reportedly said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) should take stern action against Malaysiakini and monitor blogs that allow its readers to leave comments.
Meanwhile, Utusan also quoted former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia professor Mohd Safar Hasim as saying that although Malaysiakini has posted disclaimers stating that its readers’ comments did not represent the portal’s views, this does not absolve the portal from legal action.
“We realise that the public has the freedom of speech and we don’t stop them from voicing their own opinions, but if the opinions are emotional, not grounded on solid facts, and merely casts perceptions and slanders, what is the meaning of (having the freedom of) speech?
“The MCMC and the police need to take this seriously,” he reportedly said.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had in 2014 sued Malaysiakini over the publication of readers' comments that he deemed defamatory.
The ongoing suit named Najib and Umno executive secretary Abdul Rauf Yusoh as plaintiffs, while defendants are Mkini Doctom Sdn Bhd, editor-in-chief Steven Gan, and the then chief editor Fathi Aris Omar.
On July 12, the Kuala High Court had suggested that the parties explore the possibility of settling the suit. - Mkini
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