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.