When will Utusan Malaysia stop being a racist newspaper of untruths and falsehoods and honour the journalistic maxim “Comment is free but facts are sacred”?


When will Utusan Malaysia, which had such a illustrious place in the history of Malaysian journalism, end its descent into the gutter and stop being a racist newspaper of untruths and falsehoods, and honour the journalistic maxim “Comment is free but facts are sacred”?

Utusan Malaysia today carried in its “Sorotan Parlimen” an article entitled “Kit Siang terus ‘panaskan’ Dewan Rakyat”, which among other slants and prejudices, wrote:

Pada minggu terakhir pula iaitu Selasa lalu, sekali lagi Kit Siang menunjukkan kehebatannya dengan menyerang peribadi Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein semasa sesi penggulungan Rang Undang-Undang Suruhanjaya Integriti Agensi Penguatkuasaan (SIAP) 2009 yang disampaikan oleh Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Sesi itu menjadi kecoh apabila Kit Siang bangun mencelah sambil menyifatkan Hishammuddin sebagai ‘menteri pondan’ kerana tidak hadir ketika sesi penggulungan rang undang-undang itu yang banyak menyentuh mengenai polis.

Mohamed Nazri yang berang dengan dakwaan Kit Siang itu menegaskan bahawa Hishammuddin tidak perlu hadir kerana SIAP akan diletakkan di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan bukan Kementerian Dalam Negeri.

“Bagi saya, Ipoh Timur yang pondan kerana bertanyakan soalan mengenai polis waktu menteri tidak ada. Depan saya ini semua (pembangkang) pondan-pondan belaka. Kalau betul jantan, tunggu menteri datanglah,” katanya.

That I started the war of words by attacking Hishammuddin as a “pondan Minister” is a downright lie.

This Utusan Malaysia article is based on the Utusan Malaysia’s parliamentary report of Tuesday’s parliamentary exchange, which appeared in Utusan Malaysia on Wednesday in its parliamentary report “Badan bebas siasat salah penjawat awam” which among other things, read:

Dalam pada itu, sesi penggulungan itu kecoh apabila Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) bangun mencelah sambil menyifatkan Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein sebagai ‘menteri pondan’ kerana tidak hadir ketika sesi penggulungan rang undang-undang itu yang banyak menyentuh mengenai polis.

Mohamed Nazri yang berang dengan dakwaan Kit Siang itu menegaskan bahawa Hishammuddin tidak perlu hadir kerana SIAP akan diletakkan di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan bukan Kementerian Dalam Negeri.

”Bagi saya, Ipoh Timur yang pondan kerana bertanyakan soalan mengenai polis waktu menteri tidak ada. Depan saya ini semua (pembangkang) pondan-pondan belaka. Kalau betul jantan, tunggu menteri datanglah,” katanya.

Again, the message of the Utusan Malaysia report was that I started the war of words by using the offensive and unparliamentary term “pondan”, which I have said is a downright lie.

The position is not helped by having a most unfair Deputy Speaker, Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaffar, who was in the Chair at the time, subsequently talking to Utusan implying that I had started the exchange on “pondans”, as reported in the Utusan report on Wednesday, entitled “Kit Siang paling tidak beretika – Wan Junaidi”, which read:

Beliau (Wan Junaidi) berkata demikian sebagai mengulas perkataan “pondan dan gemuk” yang digunakan dalam perbahasan pada sidang Dewan Rakyat hari ini.

Sebelum itu, Kit Siang terlibat dalam ‘perang mulut’ dengan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz sehingga mengeluarkan perkataan ‘menteri pondan’.

Wan Junaidi berkata, perkataan seperti itu tidak sepatutnya dikeluarkan ekoran mereka yang dipilih merupakan mereka yang dihormati oleh rakyat.

That all these three Utusan reports alleging that I had started the war of words during the Ministerial reply on the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission Bill in Parliament on Tuesday are lies could be verified by the 30th June 2009 Hansard report up on Parliament website, which showed very clearly that Nazri was the first to use the unparliamentary term of “pondan” against another MP and provoke the ruckus in Parliament.

Nazri had resorted to the unparliamentary term “pondon” in response to a very legitimate question I raised as to why the new Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was not in the House to answer questions about police failure to perform the three core functions recommended by the Police Royal Commission – to reduce crime, eradicate corruption and uphold human rights.

In fact, I had earlier said the main subject of the parliamentary debate should be on the police and the key recommendation of the Police Royal Commission to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) had been deflected, as this was the genesis as to why the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission Bill was before the House.

Instead of a rational answer, Nazri went into a fit with his “pondon allegation” which led to a pandemonium in the House, as recorded by the Hansard of June 30, 2009 (pp 40-41) as follows:

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Kalau SUHAKAM, human rights di bawah sayalah tetapi kalau spesifik tentang kementerian ataupun pegawai yang ada kaitan dengan kementerian lain. Jangan jadi pondan, tanya soalan waktu Yang Berhormat Menteri tidak ada, jadilah jantan.

Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: Kalau Yang Berhormat Menteri pondan macam mana?… [Ketawa]

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Yang Berhormat Menteri bukan pondan.

Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: Kalau Yang Berhormat Menteri pondan tak dating macam mana?… [Ketawa]

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: …Yang nampak pada hari ini di khalayak orang ramai, yang pondan itu ialah kepada Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur ……

Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: [Bercakap tanpa menggunakan pembesar suara]

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: …Ialah kerana waktu Yang Berhormat Menteri tidak ada, dia tanya soalan. Dia sudah tahu bahawa Yang Berhormat Menteri tidak boleh jawab… [Dewan riuh]

Tuan M. Kula Segaran [Ipoh Barat]: Suruh Yang Berhormat Menteri datang.

Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: [Bercakap tanpa menggunakan pembesar suara]

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Kepondanan ialah…, kepondanan, itu pondannya Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur dan pada hari ini …

Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: [Bercakap tanpa menggunakan pembesar suara]

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: …Ini semua pondan belaka depan saya, diketuai oleh Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur sahaja. Selalu kemukakan soalan sewaktu Yang Berhormat Menteri tidak ada.

Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: Semua Yang Berhormat Menteri pondan, Yang Berhormat Menteri… [Bercakap tanpa menggunakan pembesar suara]

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Kalau betul jantan, tunggu dia datang dan tanya. Ini bukan waktu mereka menjawab, ini saya punya kementerian, saya jawab, saya anak jantan, saya jawab. Akan tetapi kalau perkara ini ada kaitan dengan kementerian mereka, merekalah jawab… [Dewan riuh]

Dr. Haji Mohd. Puad bin Zarkashi: Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur pondan rupanya.

Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: [Bercakap tanpa menggunakan pembesar suara]

Seorang Ahli: Yang Berhormat Batu Pahat, jangan campur.

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Ini sudah lebih daripada pondan, gila ini, ini pondan gila, wayar sudah putus… [Dewan riuh]

Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Dr. Haji Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar]: Saya ingat kita berhentilah cerita pondan Yang Berhormat, kita berhentilah cerita pondan.

Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: [Bercakap tanpa menggunakan pembesar suara]

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Ini bukan sahaja pondan, pondan tua yang gila, wayar putus. Waktu saya… [Ketawa]

Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: Tarik balik, tarik balik.

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Apa nak tarik balik?… [Ketawa] Yang Berhormat Menteri sama-sama tuduh.

Dato’ Haji Mahfuz bin Omar [Pokok Sena]: [Bangun]

Tuan Tan Kok Wai [Cheras]: [Bangun] [Menyampuk]

Beberapa Ahli: [Bercakap tanpa menggunakan pembesar suara]

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Hei, Yang Berhormat Cheras gemuk, duduklah gemuk, jangan berdiri, gemuk duduklah gemuk. Gemuk pun nak jadi pondan macam ketua ni, ini pondan gemuk, pondan gemuk… [Dewan riuh]

Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Dr. Haji Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar]: Baiklah, baiklah Yang Berhormat Menteri, minta tolong. Banyak sangat pondan sudah keluar, dari kiri dan kanan sudah keluar semua. Saya minta Yang Berhormat Menteri tak payah cakap tentang pondan lagi, saya tak mahu lagi cerita pondan. Bagi Yang Berhormat Pokok Sena sahajalah.

When Nazri used the unparliamentary term “pondan”, the normal parliamentary response is to stand up to draw the attention of the Chair and to demand he retract it as it is against parliamentary standing orders.

There could be two outcomes: firstly, he would refuse but keep repeating it and if one is persistent enough, with support from the Chair, he would reluctantly withdraw it but after using the unparliamentary term several times. Secondly, the demand for him to retract the term “pondan” would lead to pandemonium in the House and the Chair ending the ruckus, without any satisfactory solution to the use of the unparliamentary term.

Both outcomes were unsatisfactory. I instinctively decided to resort to “a tooth for a tooth”response and reciprocate the term “pondan” for the Ministerial front-benches, although it is a term I would never have used, and had never used since entering Parliament in 1969!

The point of the statement today however is to point out the lies and falsehoods of Utusan Malaysia in reporting on Wednesday that I had started the ruckus by calling Hishammuddin a “pondan Minister” followed by an article in Utusan Malaysia attacking me for something I had not done!

Is Utusan Malaysia prepared to admit its mistake and publicly apologise for its parliamentary report on Wednesday and the parliamentary commentary today?

When will Utusan Malaysia return to the tenets of responsible and truthful journalism, as pioneered by the founders and early editors of Utusan Malaysia.

  1. #1 by ekompute on Saturday, 4 July 2009 - 3:57 pm

    “When will Utusan Malaysia stop being a racist newspaper of untruths and falsehoods and honour the journalistic maxim “Comment is free but facts are sacred”?”

    Why need to stop? They have immunity under the law, unlike Sin Chew Jit Poh.

  2. #2 by lee wee tak_ on Saturday, 4 July 2009 - 4:44 pm

    it is apparent that after the bias Speaker specifically asked for the word Pondan to be withdrawn, Nazri continued to use it and he added on the word gemuk

    the real objective is when cornered and unable to account properly to the opposition and tax payers, BN MPs and Ministers will create a ruckus and let other irrelevant and money wasting episode to boil over hence escape their responsibility

    as a result, Malaysia is steaming towards a failure state, something the Speaker and Utusan Malaysia are doing their best in supporting this effort.

    and why Nazri is not send out from the Parliament when PR MPs been sending out? the Speaker is afraid of having to manage and subdue so many opposition MPs

    The Speaker is a hindrance to democracy in Malaysia and doing more harm than good to the public

  3. #3 by ekompute on Saturday, 4 July 2009 - 5:03 pm

    Hi Lee Wee Tak, is there a Youtube video for that? I wonder whether you are referring to an old incident, Nazri’s tirade: Opposition are ‘pondans’, uploaded in Youtube on 12 November 2007. If it is a new one, can you give me the Youtube link so that I can put it in my collection at http://malaysian-politics.aseanpedia.com/Video:Dewan_Rakyat

  4. #4 by artemisios on Saturday, 4 July 2009 - 6:15 pm

    Is utusan a newspaper or BN’s personal blog in print?

    Anyway, whatever it is, lets talk about newspapers:
    -Newspapers carry a value
    -People respect & believe what is said in newspapers
    -When you say someone is corrupt in a newspaper, it carries much more weight than when you say someone is corrupt in say, a blog/flyer/word of mouth or even a magazine
    -if newspapers don’t print the truth, who will? Shall i trust rumors?

    That’s how a newspaper should be, in a truly democratic, uncorrupted system that is

    So, if utusan is a newspaper, then that’s just very embarrassing. EMBARRASSING.
    Dear Utusan, you might as well let BN boys write your lies, and best, call those lies ‘news’… or have you already?

  5. #5 by billgold23 on Saturday, 4 July 2009 - 7:26 pm

    i think u should also highlight this matter

    why when non-chinese wishes to get a house somewhere in a strategic area especially within PENANG we often being indirectly blocked by the salesman by giving a reason that the unit has been taken up..would u be dare enough to speak up this matter in parliament to highlight the matter..when it comes to possessing hard-asset non-chinese are easilyn being marginalised

    also why when non-chinese wishes to purchase an asset often enough they will be turn and twisted with other sorts of sub-standard quality of property

    if you are truly voicing for the all people would u do something to balanced-up the population of malay-chinese-indian in penang state and slowly closed the gap??
    .if u could make it we really salute u

    do u function as a proxy of someone..

    thanks

    i hope my comment will not be blocked..

  6. #6 by lee wee tak_ on Saturday, 4 July 2009 - 9:39 pm

    ekompute,

    sorry I did not quote from a YouTube, read what YB Lim written above

    Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Dr. Haji Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar]: Saya ingat kita berhentilah cerita pondan Yang Berhormat, kita berhentilah cerita pondan.

    Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: [Bercakap tanpa menggunakan pembesar suara]

    Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Ini bukan sahaja pondan, pondan tua yang gila, wayar putus. Waktu saya… [Ketawa]

    Tuan Lim Kit Siang [Ipoh Timur]: Tarik balik, tarik balik.

    Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Apa nak tarik balik?… [Ketawa] Yang Berhormat Menteri sama-sama tuduh.

    Dato’ Haji Mahfuz bin Omar [Pokok Sena]: [Bangun]

    Tuan Tan Kok Wai [Cheras]: [Bangun] [Menyampuk]

    Beberapa Ahli: [Bercakap tanpa menggunakan pembesar suara]

    Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: Hei, Yang Berhormat Cheras gemuk, duduklah gemuk, jangan berdiri, gemuk duduklah gemuk. Gemuk pun nak jadi pondan macam ketua ni, ini pondan gemuk, pondan gemuk… [Dewan riuh]

  7. #7 by lee wee tak_ on Saturday, 4 July 2009 - 9:44 pm

    I heard from my relative who is a news agent that they have stopped selling Utusan long time ago…Pakatan State Governments also stopped buying them so who else read UM? Those kampungs where BN voters’ bank are situated in.

    I wonder if the BN administration pump money in to keep UM afloat

    Sinar is a superior Malay newspaper in content, fairness and relevance

    Utusan Malaysia and Awang Selamat represents the worst of Malaysia’s journalism; in fact, associating these with journalism is an insult to those who gave journalism such a good reputation around the world such as Mr. Woodward & his partner in the Water Gate Scandal; our own Nadeswaran and Terence Fernandez; Sebastian who hosted Hard Talk; Tim Page at Vietnam War etc…..

  8. #8 by monsterball on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 4:10 am

    Our newspapers are not free at all.
    Just read other news and ignore politics comments or print out…even big headlines..ignore them.
    I buy newspapers to read so many other subjects and enjoy the fun pages….cartoons and puzzles..sports..advertisments.
    I read Malaysiakini…politic and NGO blogs…and sometimes the newspaper ..to see how..UMNO comment on this or that…to compare and think.
    Even if they are right….I will not listen to corrupted crooks.
    How can crooks be truthful?
    It’s all play acting to win votes..by the greatest hypocrites in the world.

  9. #9 by ekompute on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 5:21 am

    Hi Lee Wee Tak, thanks for your reply. If I am not mistaken, I think they have stopped allowing any more video-taking in Parliament because some of the MPs are behaving like monkeys, making a mockery out of the esteemed House. It boggles the imagination to see how some of those elected MPs behave… worst than gangsters. Just look at the Youtube video entitled: Nazri Aziz The Racist at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WduM1FdqzRQ

    And to hear the Speaker repeating… Yang Berhormat, Yang Berhormat… does make me laugh. With that unruly behavior and you can still call him Yang Berhormat, means that Berhormat must have acquired the opposite meaning.

  10. #10 by monsterball on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 5:45 am

    ekompute said Utusan Malaysia have immunity under the law.
    He did not say clearly what law..whose laws is that?
    Yes…what can we do.
    I say….we can do nothing.
    But ekompute should wake up and know…People’s Power is mightier than UMNO’s law.
    His message.is somewhat challenging Malaysians..what can we all do….and that I say again to him…..WAKE UP and don’t carry UMNO balls.

  11. #11 by ekompute on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 7:53 am

    Just as an aside, the Star Online reports at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/3/parliament/4247268&sec=parliament

    “SUHAKAM chairman Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman was chided for apparently not being neutral in the Perak constitutional crisis. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abd Aziz questioned Abu Talib’s neutrality when he said the people of Perak should be given a choice whether to exercise their right to choose the state government.”

    What is democracy then if the people of Perak cannot be given a choice whether to exercise their right to choose the state government? Who is not being neutral then? I wonder how come monkeys were not packed out together with Syed Hamid Omar when the Cabinet was reshuffled. Look at this video:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WduM1FdqzRQ

    Why is Nazri talking derisively at Perkauman when BN is practising it? Hypocrites, after all, are hypocrites.

  12. #12 by ekompute on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 7:56 am

    Monsterball does not understand the hidden meaning behind my message. Do not take the message at face value. Is there anyone, much less a newspaper, that can be immuned under the law in any democracy?

  13. #13 by monsterball on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 9:31 am

    hi ekompute….do not play with words.
    I ask you whose laws is that….and you give me a reply..I still do not understand.
    Your so call “hidden message” is not appreiated and got “intan” writer saying .. you are an MCA small fut.
    Can you confirm you are not an MCA member or supporter?
    If you are…no problem..we can debate.
    At least we know where we stand.
    There is no democracy in Malaysia…..period!

  14. #14 by frankyapp on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 1:20 pm

    Utusan Malaysia and the NewStraits Times are both Umno’s propaganda mouth piece.All their political reporters and editors are Umno’s tools.These tools though some of them are qualified journalists but their behaviours are most unethnical,most disputable ,thus making their news report ,the worst of its kind.Any good and ethical newpapers would have sacked them immediately and none will ever wanna employ them.For years I have stopped subsribing them.It’s without a shadow of doubt,the MOInfo practises double standard.If it’s Umno newspaper,is okay but if it’s opposition one,it’s not okay.That’s why Umno refused to repeal the “printing and publication Acts” Similarly Umno wanna retain the ISA,just to warn and arrest any people who opposes them.On one hand,I wish all those vicious Umno/Bn ministers be given the taste of its own bitter medicine ( ISAed them) and on the other hand,revenge is not a good thing or policy when PR forms the next federal government.What do you guys think ?.

  15. #15 by SpeakUp on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 4:37 pm

    Its a foregone conclusion what Utusan is up to and what Star/NST will play with to make things look bad for PR. Utusan is the racist publication that will incite matters for the die hards whilst NST and The Star will play with headlines to tackle the masses who are not so crazy.

    However, how good is LKS himself when he makes allegations that Najib is embroiled with C4 and a Mongolian woman WITHOUT showing any form of evidence. At the very least PRK did show some form of evidence. Also LKS seems to support an MP calling the PM a MURDERER in Parliament. I think the MP deserves to be kicked out because he did not bother to show a single shred of evidence to back his accusations.

    BN wants to do DSAI in with the sodomy charge but is there any truth in this instance? I think DSAI is untrustworthy and is full of cr@p BUT I still say this charge is stupid because the case looks very weak. What more when the MP makes an accusation WITHOUT any evidence before Parliament?

    We need to be fair if we want a fair government. We can hate BN all we want but without being fair, we are not better than them. Listen to what Gandhi says:

    However much I may sympathize with and admire worthy motives, I am an uncompromising opponent of violent methods even to serve the noblest of causes.

    It is with this principle that he would never justify the use of violence. He is a fair man … are we?

  16. #16 by tanjong8 on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 6:18 pm

    Utusan Malaysia is the frontline for Umnoputra. This is well known.

    They are very good at misleading the readers and sow hatred towards the PR leaders.

    We must continue to expose its editors and take legal action against it.

    By the way, what happens to the legal proceedings stardted by Teresa Kok on this demon newspaper ?

    At one time, Utusan maligned Lee Kuan Yew of S’pore and got a bloddy nose out of it. They had to apologise and paid compensation to the minister mentor of S’pore !!!

  17. #17 by SpeakUp on Sunday, 5 July 2009 - 6:41 pm

    Legal action takes time … maybe a year or so before can get a hearing date. No one cared to lodge a police report against them when they made some really racial remarks. Politicians made noise but did not care to lodge a report.

  18. #18 by johnnypok on Monday, 6 July 2009 - 1:15 am

    I only use the paper to wrap salted fish and wipe my backside.

  19. #19 by SpeakUp on Monday, 6 July 2009 - 1:05 pm

    johnny … may I please suggest that you use that paper for wrapping fish & vege and also so spread for the puppy BUT DO NOT wipe your backside, be kind to your backside la. :)

  20. #20 by Joshua Tan Kok Hauw on Monday, 6 July 2009 - 2:01 pm

    The very existence of Utusan Malaysia shows that BN takes the law into its own hand. Utusan Malaysia is allowed to make seditious report again and again. It seems that Utusan Malaysia is given legal immunity of speech which Hishammudin is trying to deprive from the MP and SLAseemblyperson(refer to the report of Berita Harian 6/7/2009).

    How can BN government expect Malaysians to abide by the law?

    If Hishamuddin were to become the PM of one day, he will definitely lead Malaysia to the road of perdition where the democracy of Malaysia will cease to exist because all he thinks of is to suppress the dissidents of Malaysia.

You must be logged in to post a comment.