Malaysiakini | May 13, 11

MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek said that it would be presumptuous to assume that Utusan Malaysia’s ‘Christian conspiracy’ report was wrong while investigations were still ongoing.

While stating that the party was of the opinion that the home ministry’s reprimand letter on Utusan Malaysia was insufficient, the proper way to address the issue was through a thorough police investigation.

Speaking during a press conference at the MCA headquarters today, Chua said that if the police probe concludes that the report was unfounded, then those who are responsible for the Utusan report should be suspended as a warning.

“I think police should investigate whether the report is true. If it is not true,whoever responsible for the article and the editor should be suspended.

“So, we don’t know yet, how are you so sure that what was carried (by Utusan) was not true? If is true, whoever responsible (for the conspiracy) should be investigated and exposed.

“We are being presumptuous that somebody is wrong, we don’t know yet,” he said.

Chua’s nuetral stance towards the veracity of the Utusan report comes at a time when some of his party colleagues are trying to call Utusan’s bluff outright.

Hisham, Rais might have ‘privileged information’

A flurry of police reports have been lodged over the Utusan article and it is understood that the police have recorded statements from some of the individuals involved.

On whether cabinet ministers Hishammuddin Hussein and Rais Yatim had jumped the gun in affirming the Utusan report soon after it was published, Chua said that this conclusion would be deemed presumptuous as well.

“They may have their source of information or are privileged to information that you and me don’t have. I would jumping to conclusion by casting judgement on what they said.

“One should not assume that whatever they said is all wrong, that is too presumptuous… They have information… and they made a conclusion and statements,” he said.

Critics have pointed out that Hishammuddin, who is home minister, and Rais, who is information, communications and culture minister, appeared to have taken the Utusan report at face value soon after it came out.

It was argued that the due was fanning the flames of an already volatile situation.

Will MCA boycott Utusan?

The Utusan report, citing two pro-Umno blogs, states that there was a conspiracy to turn Malaysia into a Christian country and install a Christian prime minister. Opposition DAP was allegedly part of the plot.

Until today, the newspaper had yet to furnish any evidence of its claims while one of two blogs used as sources has deleted the contentious posting.

To another question, Chua clarified that MCA did not formally discussed the possibility of boycotting Utusan, as earlier reported.

“Well that was the statement made by a leader, I won’t say it is not the stand of the party, it was never discuss in the party,” he said.

On April 23, MCA publicity chief Loh Seng Kok called on the public to boycott Utusan over an article which called for a ‘1Melayu, 1bumi’ movement.

The article said that all Malay and bumiputera groups should rally behind the movement because the Chinese community were now “united” behind DAP, as shown by the results of the April 16 Sarawak elections.