Utusan: Advocating vigilantism?

Yet again, Utusan has caused the ire of opposition MPs. This time, a short story penned by Malaysia Press Institute CEO, Chamil Wariya, and published by Utusan Malaysia, is said to be fashioned around DAP parliamentarian Teresa Kok.

The story relates how a female Chinese parliamentarian is killed by a youth for promoting a new brand of non-race-based politics which he felt could disrupt the country’s harmony.

The last paragraph of the story reads:

YB Josephine adalah ancaman terhadap keharmonian. Lebih baik riwayatnya ditamatkan supaya masyarakat berbilang kaum boleh tinggal aman damai di negara bertuah ini. Saya berkorban untuk masa depan.

(YB Josephine is a threat to harmony. It is better her life is ended so that the people of various races can live in peace in this country. I have sacrificed for the future)

DAP Youth deputy chief, Chong Chieng Jen Chong, lodged a police report, an excerpt of which is:

The said short story contains a seditious message and is aimed at instigating and inciting its readers to commit political assassination against the Member of Parliament for Seputeh Teresa Kok Suh Sim.

According to Chong, the story is ‘worse’ than the Internal Security Act. He also said the story entitled, ‘Politik baru YB J’, encouraged people to take matters into their own hands. The apparent fictionalised story, according to Chong, has a “political message – a propaganda disguised as a fiction”.

Perhaps the Asian Institute for Development Communication (Aidcom), in its 2-day colloquium on media policy, will discuss this?

Aidcom was reported to have stated that the colloquium sets to identify the needs and the formulation for a democratic and open media policy (my emphasis) which respects fundamental human rights (my emphasis again).

Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Syed Albar, who recently banned Hindraf, is expected to open the event.