BN edits Jeck Seng's 'oppose Jawi' FB post, then cries 'spin'

TG PIAI POLLS | A Malaysiakini report on a Facebook post by BN's Tanjung Piai by-election candidate Wee Jeck Seng, in which he wrote about MCA's opposition towards Jawi, appears to have hit a raw nerve for the coalition.

At the Pontian MCA office yesterday evening, party president Wee Ka Siong convened a press conference and singled out Malaysiakini, which translated the Chinese-only Facebook post into Bahasa Malaysia, and accused the news portal of taking Jeck Seng's post "out of context".

The same night, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak told a BN-PAS ceramah in Kuala Sawah, Tanjung Piai, with a predominantly Malay audience present, that Jeck Seng's opposition to Jawi was not true and accused Malaysiakini of being a "spin expert".

But both rebuttals were not before Jeck Seng edited out the words "opposing Jawi" on his Facebook post just hours earlier.

Neither Ka Siong nor Najib acknowledged that Jeck Seng's post had been edited but the old and amended version can still be viewed as Facebook keeps a record of all edits.

In the original post, Jeck Seng had said: "MCA unites to oppose Jawi and defend Kolej Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, is that playing racial issues?"

The post was made at 7.48pm on Wednesday.

However, at 4.41pm yesterday, that particular line was amended to read: "MCA unites to oppose the addition of Jawi khat (calligraphy) in the Bahasa Malaysia curriculum in Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools and to defend Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman. Is that playing racial issues?"

While it could have been an innocent case of Jeck Seng (photo) failing to properly articulate his position, instead of clarifying, his campaign decided to quietly proceed with the amendment and subsequently blame the media.

 Jeck Seng was visibly absent at the press conference yesterday and Ka Siong spoke on his behalf.

"This, 100 percent the party president can speak on behalf of the candidate. Why not? And he is following the party's line. What's wrong with that?

"So I appeal to Malaysiakini to report in the context where what I said represents the party and our position has been consistent since day one.

"We are not like them (the government), where they say one thing to the Chinese community but say another thing to the Malay community," Ka Siong said.

Then, at a ceramah attended by some 5,000 people on Wednesday night, many of whom also came from the neighbouring Pontian parliamentary constituency, Najib lashed out at Malaysiakini.

"Don't listen to the reports by the spin expert Malaysiakini. They spun what Jeck Seng said yesterday that supposedly Jeck Seng opposed Jawi.

"That is untrue. I have checked with Jeck Seng and he had never opposed Jawi," Najib said.

Jeck Seng will be facing Pakatan Harapan's Karmaine Sardini in the Tanjung Piai by-election.

The other candidates are Berjasa's Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz, Gerakan's Wendy Subramaniam and independent candidates Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar.

Campaigning began on Nov 2 and Tanjung Piai voters will go to the polls tomorrow.

The by-election was called after Farid passed away from a heart attack in September, just three weeks before his 43rd birthday. - Mkini