Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, no stranger to legal suits over its 'misleading' reports, may face yet another legal suit from an opposition leader.

Taiping parliamentarian Nga Kor Ming is planning to file a suit against the dailyt for twisting a statement he made in relation to government allocations for places of worship.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament, he said the newspaper "twisted my statement to make it seem I had made seditious remarks and provoked racial sentiments".

scah uuca talk 141205 nga kor ming"I will discuss the matter with my lawyers and I reserve my right to take a legal action against the daily for its irresponsible and malicious report," said Nga, who was acccompanied by a number of PAS parliamentarians.

Utusan, in its report titled 'Kor Ming persolkan kerajaan Bina Masjid'. (Kor Ming questions government's move to build mosques), said that Nga had questioned the government's move to spend RM748.26 million on 611 mosques between 2000 and 2008 while failing to build other places of worship.

It also said while Nga welcomed the moves to dignify Islam, he argued that non-Muslims were made "step-child" although they too, are the taxpayers.

Support from three PAS MPs

Nga clarified today that he was merely referring to the written answer given by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

"He said that the government allocated RM748.26 million to build and maintain 611 mosques but only RM9 million was allocated for other places of worship," said Nga.

Thus, he added that he was asking for a "fairer" allocation for all Malaysians, regardless of their religious backgrounds.

"This is because our Rukunegara states that we should ‘Believe in God' and everyone has to respect that, even non-Muslims.

"As a just government, it is its responsibility to help nurture spiritual education among peoples of other religions," said Nga.

Nga was accompanied by three PAS leaders - Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, Kuala Krai MP Dr Hatta Ramli and Titiwangsa MP Dr Lo'lo' Ghazali - at the press conference in Parliament lobby.

All three expressed their support for their DAP colleague.

"Although we are from PAS, we defend Nga's statement. While we are being portrayed as fighting for different races and religions, this is a wrong impression. We all are fighting in defence of truth," said Hatta.

Lo'lo criticised Utusan Malaysia for playing up racial sentiments and said that the Umno-owned newspaper was falling out of step with its party leader who has mooted the 1Malaysia concept.

Khalid said that Nga was highlighting the fact that non-Muslims were not getting adequate funds to build their places of worship.

"If Nga did not make the comparison (with mosques), how would people know that non-Muslims are not getting enough funds."

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