FT minister accuses Malaysiakini of 'spinning'

Federal Territories Minister Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin accusedMalaysiakini of spinning Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar's statement to portray BN as having tampered with the electoral process.

He was referring to an article quoting Nurul Izzah recounting an encounter with her former returning officer (RO), who said she would not win if he were to serve as the RO in Lembah Pantai again.

"I was told that there is a Malaysiakini reporter here. I was shocked to read Malaysiakini yesterday that the Lembah Pantai RO said something disheartening to her (Nurul Izzah) as an MP," he said in his closing speech at the ‘Social media: Managing the issues, addressing perceptions and emotions of the rakyat' forum yesterday.

He added that he did not know the unnamed RO because he only became the Lembah Pantai Umno chief in 2008.

"So I asked the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) who is the RO. Then I found out that he was recently appointed as a deputy director," he said.

Nong Chik said the officer could have been sincerely offering his opinion that it would be difficult for Nurul Izzah (left) to retain her seat.

"But when it was ‘spun' online, it was as if his statement showed that BN is trying to tamper with the electoral machinery, when I don't even know whether he (the RO) was involved.

"Now, maybe he is not involved (with the Elections Commission), I don't know," he said at the end of today's convention.

After his speech, the convention's secretariat director Mohammad Rafi Awang Kechik went up the stage to bar Malaysiakini continuing to cover the event.

"Where is the Malaysiakini reporter? (You) are rude and shameless, people have let you in and offered you food... get out of here!" he shouted.

This is believed to be related to Malaysiakini's coverage of Utusan Malaysia deputy chief editor Mohd Zaini Hassan's speech at the same forum this morning.

He was quoted urging social media practitioners to twist facts in their writing.