Saturday, September 20, 2008

Whatever Utusan Malaysia says is absolutely true!


According to the police, at least.


DAP Seputeh MP Teresa Kok (image) was released at 1pm today, after being held under the Internal Security Act for a week, revealed her lawyer Sankara Nair. [Malaysiakini, 19/9/08]

Police investigation on Teresa Kok was said to be based on an article published by
Utusan Malaysia. The writing covered the issues of the Muslim prayer call, Jawi writing, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and pigs. [Malaysiakini, 19/9/08]


DAP MP Teresa Kok was arrested on September 12 under the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly leading a petition to the Selangor State Assembly for the ban of the Muslim azan prayer call in Puchong and Kota Damansara. The arrest came after a Malay language daily, Utusan Malaysia and former Selangor Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Khir Toyo accused the Seputeh MP in the article, "Azan, jawi, JAIS, UiTM dan ba-alif-ba-ya".

Teresa was defended by Kota Raja MP Dr. Siti Mariah Mahmud of PAS. She lodged a police report against Khir Toyo (image) for making false accusations and seditious remarks about the Seputeh MP. However, the police have yet to take any action. Utusan Malaysia columnist, Zaini Hassan on the other hand reported that a female politician had gone to a mosque early in the morning to ask the congregation not to use loudspeakers.

Both Khir Toyo and Utusan Malaysia columnist Zaini Hassan could not provide any solid evidence against Teresa to support their claims. However, Khir Toyo had mentioned that he had seen the petition with "his own eyes". The existence of the petition was fervently denied by Teresa and Dr. Siti Mariah. Even the mosque mentioned in Zaini's report refuted his claims; saying they had no knowledge of any female politician setting foot in their compound.

Interestingly enough, Utusan Malaysia is owned by UMNO.

The DAP MP from Seputeh was investigated by the police on the claims of:

  1. her participation in a movement by Bandar Kinrara residents to hand in a petition to ban the Muslim azan prayer call;
  2. her suggestion to allocate 30% of the Selangor Islamic Department's (JAIS) budget to non-Muslim organisations;
  3. her opposition to the replacement of existing signboards in Kuala Lumpur with the Jawi writings.
Teresa Kok denied the first two claims but she did explained her reason for opposing the replacement of signboards in the city early this year as she felt it would be waste of public funds to do so. The existing signboards in Kuala Lumpur are currently written in romanized Malay.



Upon her release from detention, Teresa told reporters that the police did not present any evidence against her during interrogations but only harped on the three accusations raised by Utusan Malaysia. It was clear that the police had acted in response of an article without prior rational judgement.

"I was shocked as no other questions were asked of me apart from those issues (the list above). How could the police take the article by Utusan Malaysia word for word without any thorough investigation on the columnist (Zaini Hassan) who wrote it?" she told reporters. [Malaysiakini, 19/8/08]
Which part of the saying "innocent till proven guilty" did the police not understand?

On the other hand, it was also reported that columnist Zaini Hassan challenged Teresa Kok to take a lie-detector test to proof her innocence. Shouldn't Zaini be out there trying to prove her crime with solid evidences first? The lack of logic and critical thinking from a journalist like Zaini was indeed disturbing; yet amusing at the same time.

Questions have been raised on why Khir Toyo and Zaini Hassan have been spared from the jaws of the ISA. On September 12, Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng (image) was arrested for apparently over-reporting Ahmad Ismail's alleged racist remarks against the Chinese community. Ironically, Ahmad Ismail was not held responsible by the police but Tan, who was blamed for ballooning the matter into a "racial issue". She was subsequently arrested under the ISA.

The difference between Tan Hoon Cheng and Zaini Hassan was the truth and substance in their reports. What then does the police make of the Utusan Malaysia columnist who unlike Tan, was obviously guilty for false reporting?

"Therefore, I urge the police to launch an investigation on the editors of Utusan Malaysia, Zaini Hassan and Dr. Mohamad Khir Toyo under the Sedition Act," Teresa called on the authorities to be fair in their pursuit for justice. [Malaysiakini, 19/9/08]
It was reported that Teresa had decided to sue Utusan Malaysia for RM30 million for defamation. She also demanded that the Malay language daily not to repeat their seditious accusations and comments in any of their future articles.

On a side note, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh have also filed a RM10 million suit against Utusan Malaysia for misquoting him on a matter relating to Islam in their article, "DAP diingat jangan bakar perasaan Melayu (DAP reminded not to inflame sentiments of Malays)" dated August 25.

Had Utusan Malaysia been considered as holy scripture; so much so that the police were willing to act on their claims without any prior investigation? The force has been entrusted to protect the people but with the recent ISA travesties, it would take a lot for the Royal Malaysian Police to restore public confidence.

Perhaps Utusan Malaysia should report on the little green men living on the moon and we might just see a squad of policemen in the next space launch.

3 comments :

  1. Anonymous said...

    Anonymous said…

    This shows that UMNO is really desperate & running out of ideas but naively acted simply by blocking East Malaysian MPs from coming to Kuala Lumpur???

    Also, it is very easy to generate Police Reports against DSAI by using Penang Mamak Umno’s 25 Members headed by Wan Abidin Zain, who claimed to be non-partisan, using their uneasiness that most Penangites will now be boycotting Nasi Kandar one more round???

    It is very Sad that the legacy of Malaysian Independence is reduced by this Moronic Flip Flop Coward into great disrepute and a laughing stock of the whole world and knowing very well that the UMNO Government has technically collapsed and but he has decided to shamelessly still cling on to power via dubious means like hiding himself via using of the ISA and we cannot imagine that the Malaysia Moronic Flip Flop Coward has now stoop so low and using the Police Deputy IGP as his willing tools especially the Deputy IGP’s clearly taking side as the Police must be neutral and should be not politiking for him.

    The Coward Moronic Flip Flop Chicken dare not meet DSAI face to face to settle matters but chose hiding under the use of ISA and that is what you have as a disgraceful cowardice leader for UMNO.

    After 51 years MALAYSIA IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE but backwards because of the Oppression from the UMNO goons’ divide and rule fear tactics the Rakyats have matured & you must see all this coming because All The Rakyats of Malaysia are all fed-up & can no longer with-stand the hypocrisies, bullshits, lies and deceits of these UMNO Clowns now in Power ok???

    We urge all BN Components MPs with a conscience to do the necessary to make possible a New Malaysia for all Rakyats of Malaysia so that all our children and their children & their children’s children’s future will be safe and secured in the Country we all love and not be intimidated by those UMNO Clowns now in power with their oppressive & fear tactics and in the verge of making Malaysia a Police State if left unchecked otherwise. Save RPK as he is the midst of a conspiracy of the real murderers of Altantuya to silence him for good, instead of being C4ed he could be poisoned and worse off if he is on hunger strike by himself. The Acting IGP is defending the Police position after being made the tools of UMNO’s fear tactics & so he is now making lame excuses for being the Stringed Puppet to be easily manipulated by the Puppeteer, power that be. The Deputy IGP must be held personally responsible for the safety of RPK who has been heard to be tortured otherwise he must be made to eat his own medicine come the New Dawn of Malaysia.
    Failed Fear Tactics' Ploys:-
    Moronic PeeM and Botak Home Minister last minutes’ attempts to cling on power by using the fear tactics of using the ISA at their whims and fancies selectively against dissent & tried to deny their own actions as they now have no balls to face the wrath of the all the Rakyats of Malaysia. ONE DAY THE MORONIC BOTAK AND FLIP FLOP AND C4 MUST BE MADE TO TASTE THEIR OWN MEDICINE OK?

    All Rakyats of Malaysia will see to that these Clowns will be thrown out soon come the New Dawn of Malaysia & that all Rakyats of Malaysia will welcome the New Malaysia on Malaysia Day 916, 2008 for a Malaysia for All Malaysians.

    Justice MUST BE DONE for Altantuya and for all those detained under ISA without the trial nor the rights of appeal. Light-up a Candle in the Lantern of the Mid-Autumn Festival for them all to usher in the NEW DAWN OF MALAYSIA COME 916, 2008

    COME THE NEW DAWN OF MALAYSIA & THE FIRST THING IS TO ALLOW APPEALS & THEN RELEASE ALL ISA DETAINEES, ABOLISH ISA, OSA, SEDITION OR WHATEVER ACTS THAT COULD BE SIMPLY EXPLOITED AND MADE PREJUDICIAL AND OPPRESSIVE TO THE VOICE OF DISSENT FROM ALL THE RAKYATS.

  2. Bangsa Cina Malaysia said...

    Should the ISA be abolished?

    Yes, get rid of it

  3. Anonymous said...

    Only true believers of UMNO will stay faithful to Utusan Malaysia. Others have brains, they can read in between the lines and draw their own conclusions.
    We live in the new era, 21st. century readers will not be easily deceived.
    Hope Karpal and Teresa are successful, suing this immoral press, until they go out of business.