China Press today carried out a top-level reshuffle which saw its editor-in-chief, Puah You Lai, replaced by sister newspaper Nanyang Siang Pau editor-in-chief Hoong Soon Kean.

With this development, Hoong is effectively the helmsman of both the Chinese dailies. Puah has been promoted to editorial director of Nanyang Press Holdings  which owns the dailies.

The reshuffle also saw appointments to the posts of executive editor and news editor.

Sources told malaysiakini the reshuffle was executed within 24 hours after it was made known to the individuals concerned yesterday afternoon.

When contacted, Puah refused to comment on how he felt about the promotion. He also declined to reveal if he had requested for the promotion.

Observers believe the reorganisation was related to the forthcoming MCA elections which will commence at branch level at the end of this month.

Editor-in-chief of two papers

According to China Press former chief reporter Lee Kian Kiong, Puah had given all MCA leaders a balanced coverage based on newsworthiness and never as a personal favour for any faction.

The transfer, in the guise of a promotion, was to remove Puah from the dailys editorial process by putting him into a management job, said Lee.

It is unprecedented in the history of the Chinese media that one person becomes the editor-in-chief of two newspapers at the same time, he added.

Lee resigned from China Press shortly after MCA acquired Nanyang Press Holdings last May via its investment arm Huaren Holdings. The deal sparked a volley of protests from the Chinese community who feared the editorial independence of the dailies would be jeopardised.

Within 24 hours of the controversial takeover, several key editors of the dailies involved were sacked and replaced by a new editorial line-up from rivals Sin Chew Jit Poh and Guang Ming Daily, owned by Pemandangan Sinar Bhd.

Sin Chew Jit Poh is the countrys top-selling Chinese daily with a circulation of 298,921, followed by China Press with 202,066 and Nanyang Siang Pau, 187,458.

The controversial takeover also divided MCA leaders and members into two camps  Team A, led by MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik, which engineered the deal and Team B led by his deputy Lim Ah Lek.

Subsequently, the party called for an extraordinary general meeting in June to decide on the acquisition and saw a thin majority of the delegates voting in favour of it.

Indirect to direct control

When contacted, former columnist of Nanyang Siang Pau Wong Chin Huat described todays reshuffle as a move to strengthen the control of China Press which had put up resistance against external political pressure during Puahs time.

The indirect control has now shifted to direct control, he said.

Asked why the shift had taken place, Wong replied, The MCA elections will start soon and it is a known fact that Hoong was appointed by Huaren to represent the interests of certain MCA leaders in Nanyang Siang Pau.

Hoong, who was once deputy editor-in-chief of Sin Chew, could not be reached for comment.