Ka Siong slams Ku Nan for chiding Chinese media but doesn't dare name Utusan!

I regret the statement made by Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan in accusing the Chinese media of turning the Bumiputra Economic Empowerment Agenda into a racial issue.

Such accusations are definitely unfair to them, and for Tengku Adnan to make such accusations shows that he obviously does not understand the role played by them.

The Chinese media has always been the mouthpiece of the Chinese community, and they accurately report and analyze their sentiments and aspirations. They have a responsibility to report the truth in order to keep their readers up to date of current affairs, and they have no intentions of stirring up racial issue.

'Certain vernacular media'

When reports of the government’s Bumiputra Economic Empowerment Agenda came to light, it naturally caused the non-Malay community to fear that they were being marginalized. Thus, the Chinese media as the mouthpiece of the Chinese community had reflected their views objectively and truthfully. So it is not fair to say that the Chinese media are inciting racial hatred when they were only performing their responsibility.

Besides that, a study by the University of Nottingham and the Centre of Independent Journalism also found that during the previous General Election, the Chinese media had a more balanced reporting when compared to the English and Malay media. This strengthens the fact that the Chinese media are professionals who are objective in their reports.

However, there are indeed certain vernacular media which publishes inflammatory and racist reports. These types of the media are the real culprits behind racial hatred. Living in a multiracial country like Malaysia, we should practise mutual respect to allow everyone to develop and progress, and this is the role played by the Chinese media in relaying the voice of the Chinese community.

Datuk Dr Ir Wee Ka Siong
MCA Youth National Chairman
MCA Education Bureau Chairman
Member of Parliament for Ayer Hitam