The mainstream media, for as long as they pander to the government, enjoy immunity from public prosecution. But Utusan Malaysia has earned a special place within this untouchable clique simply by the virtue of being owned by UMNO. This privilege has spawned relentless attacks on the opposition and increasingly frequent inflammatory reports on race and religion. But while most urbanites can see right through Utusan Malaysia’s thinly-veiled propaganda, its rural readership remains staunch believers.

The blog quoted Hata Wahiri as saying that the country should worry about the “slander” his former employer is producing, “because it is taking root in the rural areas. Kuala Lumpur and Selangor are multi-cultural and able to discuss Utusan’s reports among themselves to seek clarification. But the rural community is predominantly Malay-Muslim. Who are they going to cross-check their facts with? Neither is there another Malay-language paper to counter Utusan’s reports. The only media they are exposed to is government-owned media.”

Hata warned that the newspaper is stoking racial flames and that “one day it will explode. I’m very afraid of that. If anything were to happen, it will begin in the rural areas.” If it continues, he said, “another May 13” – the day in 1969 when the country exploded into race riots that took hundreds of lives – is likely.

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