Umno website attacks malaysiakini for promoting Malay disunity
K KabilanPublished: Jan 10, 2001 10:46 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Malaysiakini has broken several basic rules of journalism such as objectivity and accuracy, according to an anonymous posting in Umno's official website yesterday.
The article at [#1]umno-online.com[/#] headlined "Agenda anti perpaduan Melayu dan Islam sedang menyusup" claimed that malaysiakini is a tool of the West out to destroy Malay unity as well as national unity.
The article questioned malaysiakini's phobia and fear of Malay unity and the setting aside of seven sub-points of the Chinese lobby group Suqiu's election memorandum.
The article claimed that almost 90 percent of articles and letters which appeared in the website rejected the Umno's proposed talks on Malay unity.
The article further said that malaysiakini is staffed by Islam, Malay and Umno-haters.
It also labelled editor Steven Gan as a Western tool, stating he was involved in the "setting up" of the Second Asia Pacific Conference on East Timor (Apcet II) in Kuala Lumpur few years ago and that he is "closely connected" to Amnesty International (AI).
It claimed that AI has an agenda to reject Malay rights and special privileges.
"It could not be established the extent of Gan being the tool of AI but he had the support of the organisation when he was arrested (following the Apcet fiasco), and also when he prepared a false report on the deaths of 59 inmates (in illegal detention camps) allegedly poisoned by the Malaysian government, and thus exposed the hidden agenda of AI," noted the article.
In November 1996, Gan was arrested along with other participants of Apcet II, when a mob of Barisan Nasional youth led by Umno violently disrupted the closed-door conference in Asia Hotel. While he was detained by the police, Amnesty named Gan, and a dozen others, "prisoners of conscience".
Earlier, Gan and two colleagues had written a report in the The Sun exposing the deaths of 59 inmates in the Semenyih immigration detention camp near Kajang, Selangor, due to malnutrition and easily preventable diseases such as beri-beri.
Soon after, the government conceded in Parliament that some 70 detainees had died in Semenyih.
"The Umno-online article is peppered with numerous inaccuracies. Yet it has the cheek to accuse malaysiakini for practising bad journalism," said Gan.
Western agent
The article added that Gan is a follower of Western-style democracy who refuses to accept the leadership of the Malaysian government.
"People like this will see the Malay unity as a threat to their agenda, AI's agenda and the future of his newspaper."
The article also targeted malaysiakini columnist MGG Pillai, stating that he was the "voice of America" in Malaysia.
It claimed that Pillai discredited the country and its economy through his Sang Kancil discussion group in the Internet.
"What is his right to get involved in the discussions of Malay unity?" asked the article.
It also said that Pillai was disappointed at calls made by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to cancel the proposed debate between the Umno and PAS Youth chiefs.
"Through his disappointment, we could see that he had wanted the debate to go on so that our weaknesses will be revealed and people like him can take advantage."
The contents of the article repeatedly referred to the so-called hidden agenda of malaysiakini to see the Malays divided.
It said that in this agenda, malaysiakini was assisted by some Malay writers "who are drowned in the waves of Western socialism".
It added that malaysiakini started off by giving publicity to the opposition and when it has attracted enough Malays to its site, it is now implementing its agenda to poison the thoughts of the Malay readers.
"Writers who previously supported PAS are now questioning the party and its concept of Islam," it added.
Uncomfortable with the leadership
The article concluded by stating that malaysiakini has departed from its practice of good journalism and has become the voice of the Western powers which are not comfortable with the Malaysian leadership.
According to Gan, the least Umno-online could have done was to have the name of the writer of the article disclosed.
"One practice of good and responsible journalism is to disclose the writer's name to ensure accountability and credibility," he said.
The original edition of the Umno-online's article named a number of malaysiakini journalists and columnists working together with Gan allegedly "to wreck Malay unity".
"In the past week, the newspaper under Steven Tan (sic) and journalists K Kabilan, Susan Loone, Ng Boon Hooi, Ajinder Kaur, R Navanitham, columnist MGG Pillai working with 'socialist' and pro-Western/Islam writers such as Fathi Aris Omar, Hishamuddin Rais, Aman Rais and Hassan Karim who endlessly attack the efforts to unite the Malays," it said.
That paragraph no longer appeared in its latest edition.
The article at [#1]umno-online.com[/#] headlined "Agenda anti perpaduan Melayu dan Islam sedang menyusup" claimed that malaysiakini is a tool of the West out to destroy Malay unity as well as national unity.
The article questioned malaysiakini's phobia and fear of Malay unity and the setting aside of seven sub-points of the Chinese lobby group Suqiu's election memorandum.
The article claimed that almost 90 percent of articles and letters which appeared in the website rejected the Umno's proposed talks on Malay unity.
The article further said that malaysiakini is staffed by Islam, Malay and Umno-haters.
It also labelled editor Steven Gan as a Western tool, stating he was involved in the "setting up" of the Second Asia Pacific Conference on East Timor (Apcet II) in Kuala Lumpur few years ago and that he is "closely connected" to Amnesty International (AI).
It claimed that AI has an agenda to reject Malay rights and special privileges.
"It could not be established the extent of Gan being the tool of AI but he had the support of the organisation when he was arrested (following the Apcet fiasco), and also when he prepared a false report on the deaths of 59 inmates (in illegal detention camps) allegedly poisoned by the Malaysian government, and thus exposed the hidden agenda of AI," noted the article.
In November 1996, Gan was arrested along with other participants of Apcet II, when a mob of Barisan Nasional youth led by Umno violently disrupted the closed-door conference in Asia Hotel. While he was detained by the police, Amnesty named Gan, and a dozen others, "prisoners of conscience".
Earlier, Gan and two colleagues had written a report in the The Sun exposing the deaths of 59 inmates in the Semenyih immigration detention camp near Kajang, Selangor, due to malnutrition and easily preventable diseases such as beri-beri.
Soon after, the government conceded in Parliament that some 70 detainees had died in Semenyih.
"The Umno-online article is peppered with numerous inaccuracies. Yet it has the cheek to accuse malaysiakini for practising bad journalism," said Gan.
Western agent
The article added that Gan is a follower of Western-style democracy who refuses to accept the leadership of the Malaysian government.
"People like this will see the Malay unity as a threat to their agenda, AI's agenda and the future of his newspaper."
The article also targeted malaysiakini columnist MGG Pillai, stating that he was the "voice of America" in Malaysia.
It claimed that Pillai discredited the country and its economy through his Sang Kancil discussion group in the Internet.
"What is his right to get involved in the discussions of Malay unity?" asked the article.
It also said that Pillai was disappointed at calls made by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to cancel the proposed debate between the Umno and PAS Youth chiefs.
"Through his disappointment, we could see that he had wanted the debate to go on so that our weaknesses will be revealed and people like him can take advantage."
The contents of the article repeatedly referred to the so-called hidden agenda of malaysiakini to see the Malays divided.
It said that in this agenda, malaysiakini was assisted by some Malay writers "who are drowned in the waves of Western socialism".
It added that malaysiakini started off by giving publicity to the opposition and when it has attracted enough Malays to its site, it is now implementing its agenda to poison the thoughts of the Malay readers.
"Writers who previously supported PAS are now questioning the party and its concept of Islam," it added.
Uncomfortable with the leadership
The article concluded by stating that malaysiakini has departed from its practice of good journalism and has become the voice of the Western powers which are not comfortable with the Malaysian leadership.
According to Gan, the least Umno-online could have done was to have the name of the writer of the article disclosed.
"One practice of good and responsible journalism is to disclose the writer's name to ensure accountability and credibility," he said.
The original edition of the Umno-online's article named a number of malaysiakini journalists and columnists working together with Gan allegedly "to wreck Malay unity".
"In the past week, the newspaper under Steven Tan (sic) and journalists K Kabilan, Susan Loone, Ng Boon Hooi, Ajinder Kaur, R Navanitham, columnist MGG Pillai working with 'socialist' and pro-Western/Islam writers such as Fathi Aris Omar, Hishamuddin Rais, Aman Rais and Hassan Karim who endlessly attack the efforts to unite the Malays," it said.
That paragraph no longer appeared in its latest edition.
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