Asia Sentinel
Already subscribed? Login here
| Free Press Comments Put Malaysian Reporter in Hot Water |
|
|
| Written by Our Correspondent | |
| Friday, 07 January 2011 | |
 UMNO-owned mouthpiece seeks to muzzle truth-teller
Utusan Malaysia, the flagship Malay-language newspaper of the United Malays National Organisation is seeking to fire Hata Wahari, one of its leading journalists, for defending the independence of the press and calling for moderation in reporting on Malaysia's tense race relations. Hata, a 16-year veteran reporter with Utusan who was elected president of the country's National Union of Journalists in September, is expected to face a disciplinary hearing on Jan. 17 into charges that he tarnished the newspaper's image with statements he made calling for press freedom that he issued to independent media between Sept. 21 and Oct. 14 of last year. The country's political parties own all of Malaysia's major dailies and television stations, in Malay, English, Chinese or Tamil*. Opposition parties also own their own publications. The Internet largely supplies the country's only independent journalism, a fact that appears to account for fast-growing online readership. "I just issued a press statement asking the editors to please go back to our real function, to submit unbiased information to the public," Hata said in a telephone interview. “At the moment, Utusan is doing propaganda for the government. They have raised up racial issues, so that is why they are losing the trust of most of the community in Malaysia. Everybody, even the common public, feels the same way. "We have to go back to our original mission, not act as a propaganda tool for the government," he told Asia Sentinel. “That is why I issued that statement. I feel I have the support of all of my friends, from the political parties and from other NGOs." He said he would defend himself vigorously in the disciplinary hearing, partly because if he were to lose he would also lose his right to be the National Union of Journalists president. He is also president of the Confederation of Asean Journalists. “We will fight to the end," he added. V. Anbalagan, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, called Utusan's claim that Hata had tarnished the organization's image with his public statements "ludicrous". "Hata, in his capacity as NUJ president, issued the statements in defense of press freedom and the welfare of members," Anbalagan said in a prepared statement. Under Malaysia's complicated labor laws, employers must first submit evidence to a disciplinary hearing. Any employee who feels he has been dismissed without cause can take it up with the Director General for Industrial Relations within 60 days, then a reconciliation proceeding must be held to see if a settlement can be arrived at. If not, the labor minister then must decide if the case should be referred to the Industrial Court for adjudication. Once Malaysia's biggest-selling Malay-language daily, with a circulation of 250,000, Utusan has slumped to 170,000 per day and it is now the No. 6 paper in the country. The continuing loss of circulation, Hata said, stems from the paper's determination to act as a mouthpiece for UMNO and its inflammatory reporting on race and politics. Certainly, the controversy over Hata hasn't slowed down Utusan's strident racial rhetoric. On Jan. 5, the paper raised the possibility that the state of Selangor, which is controlled by the opposition Democratic Action Party, which is predominantly Chinese, could possibly join Singapore as another "country belonging to China outside mainland China." According to a translation by the website Malaysian Chronicle, assistant editor in chief Zaini Hassan asked in his column: "Do we Malays [already so few in the world] want to allow another country belonging to China or India outside their own lands? It should be enough with Singapore [a country belonging to China outside mainland China]. Do we also want to give away this homeland?" In an interview shortly after he was elected NUJ president, Hata told the online publication Malaysiakini that Utusan had lost its way: "People no longer read it, because it is not relevant. If they want to be relevant, they must return to their origins," he said, adding that ultimately the public would give up reading the mainstream papers altogether. In the interview, he cited what he called Utusan's irresponsible behaviour by daily headlining the news of a Christian preacher who allegedly delivered a speech insulting Islam in a church in Kuching in East Malaysia. Although other papers, including the UMNO-owned Berita Harian also carried the news, it was not given the prominence that the Utusan gave it, he said. "They focus on stories of Malays disparaging other races, then they run stories of other races making insulting remarks of Malays," he told the website. *Corrected Comments (8)
  written by Jeremiah Liang, January 08, 2011
A great country like America evolved and healed from a wounded conscience of colonising the indigenous red IndIans. Later, after a civil war fought between the racist and the non-racists, America became the home of immigrants from Europe and Asia.
Malaysians should not allow politicians to dominate the debte about race but instead move on like the Utusan journalist (in any case he must have known what he bargained for when he joined as a Utusan report) and be ready to stand up to the racist spirit that has tried to destroy Malaysia just as it tried to destory America and South Africa.
written by Isa Rahim, January 09, 2011
This article misses out on the most important issue. Yes it's true that all printed media in Malaysia today is owned by the political parties. HOWEVER, only UMNO controlled media is allowed to be sold to the general public. Pakatan Rakyat papers are only allowed to be distributed to members.
The new mainstream media in Malaysia: Malaysian Chronicle, Malaysia Insider, Malaysia Mirror, Free Malaysia Today, Malaysiakini etc are currently only online media, not printed.
written by dd, January 10, 2011
malay try to hide the historical fact that they are not the indigineous of this land.
written by Mamakthir, January 12, 2011
We are no difference from BBC, CNN, Fox news etc. Don't point a finger at us unless you can finger yourselves.
written by Media Watcher, January 12, 2011
It is well known that this is the very newspaper used by the establishment to glorify and spread racial bigotry. It is even used to incite genocide. It does this with impunity, protected by its political master behind this ridiculous agenda. This a telling sign that the country is on the road to another Pakistan if the black hand behind this paper succeeds in their machinations. But there are indications that people are seeing them in their true colours. Kudos to Hata Wahari.
written by May87, February 09, 2011
We definitely need more people like Hata Wahari in Malaysia. Malaysians should not be afraid to call out for their right and freedom to REAL information and the distribution of it!
written by MBT Trainers, February 19, 2011
All these so-called Muslim "Malay" jackasses in the 21st century are still crying out racist slogans day in day out.
What more do they want?
Write comment
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed
LATEST BLOGS
The Start-up Scene in Hong Kong
2013-03-26
When you're hot, you're hot. And when you're not, you're definitely not
2013-06-17
Malaysian Airlines - Singapore to Malaysia Airfare Ruse and the Fuel Surcharge Sham
2013-06-14
INFOGRAPHIC: Taiwan's Adultery LawOur Correspondent
•
Full Story |
| Other Articles |
Mockingindian
Donate to Asia Sentinel
What more do they want?
The Orang Asli (Red Indians) of Malaya have already been mothballed.
Malaysia will be a more peaceful place if the Indonesians (Javanese, Baweans, Boyans, Bugis, etc.), the Indians (Mamaks & Hindus) and Chinese go back to their ancestral lands.
Let the poor indigineous aborigines, the Orang Asli, with UN help run their own country.