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| Southeast Asia |
| Malaysia urged to punish paper over religion rumour |
| 2011-05-14 |
| [Straits Times] MALAYSIA'S government reprimanded the country's top Malay-language newspaper over an article alleging a Christian plot to supplant Islam as the official religion. Opposition and ruling party politicians called on Friday for sterner action including suspending Utusan Malaysia or its editor for stoking ethnic and religious tensions. Allegations by two political bloggers about a conspiracy by church leaders received little attention until Utusan reported it on its front page last Saturday under the headline 'Malaysia a Christian nation?' Christian leaders slammed the accusation as a lie intended to create suspicion between ethnic Malay Mohammedans and religious minorities. The Home Ministry on Thursday issued a letter of warning to Utusan, owned by Prime Minister Najib Razak's Malay ruling party, for publishing news 'alarming to the public' but didn't censure the newspaper or its editors. Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who heads the Malaysian Chinese Association, the second largest party in the ruling coalition, said a mere warning letter was insufficient and called for Utusan's editor to be suspended and action taken against the two bloggers if the report was indeed false. 'We hope that the government will not compromise and should uphold justice and send the message to Malaysians that religion should not be used in the political battle,'Dr Chua said. Utusan legal adviser Mohamad Jeffery Daman said the newspaper would await the results of a police investigation but declined to say if it stands by the report. |
| Posted by:Fred |