Pas slams Utusan again for ‘intentional mistake’ (Kuala Terengganu Election)

The Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia is embroiled in another controversy with the opposition as Pas today accused Mingguan Malaysia, Utusan’s weekend edition, of manipulating Abdul Wahid Endut’s words on BN’s Datuk Razali Ismail.

In an interview with the Pas’s candidate in the crucial Kuala Terengganu by-election published today, the weekly quoted Abdul Wahid as saying: “I know Allahyarham (the late) Razali. Allahyarham was a professional and practised corruption.”

The Islamist party election director Datuk Mustafa Ali claimed that Abdul Wahid had said Razali did not practise corruption.

“The word tidak was deliberately omitted. This was a deliberate mistake, I hope Utusan will apologise and retract the report before we take further action because this is not right,” said the Terengganu Pas chief.

“We know that the media has been siding with the government and the decision was made by the powers that be,” he said, “but this was intentional.”

In the by-election where Abdul Wahid is running against BN’s Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Salleh and an independent Azharudin Adam, Pas has refrained from criticising Razali, whose death forced the by-election to be called, as the former state education director was an influential figure in the constituency and BN’s victory in 2004 and the last general election in Kuala Terengganu was attributed to Razali’s popularity.

When asked what action would be taken against Utusan, Mustafa said the party would discuss the matter with its legal advisers, but hoped that the daily would apologise before polling day.

He also brushed aside a suggestion to boycott the Malay daily, saying that it would not solve the problem.

“What we demand is accurate reporting. Do not mislead. If they disagree, just don’t report,” said Mustafa.

The Pakatan Rakyat coalition has frequently accused Utusan of misreporting and misleading the public. In August last year, the daily published a report accusing DAP’s Teresa Kok of demanding that a mosque stop making the call for prayers, which subsequently led to the arrest of the Selangor state executive councillor under the Internal Security Act.

On the campaigning by BN, Mustafa alleged that the ruling party has been abusing government machinery to promote hatred and racism.

He claimed that a government agency had recently organised a seminar for religious teachers to discuss Malay supremacy and other sensitive matters.

- Malaysian Insider
www.themalaysianinsider.com