I will consider whether to lodge official report against NST Miri reporter for concocting news report to NST management as well as Suhakam


Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang

(Petaling Jaya, Monday): Yesterday, I issued a categorical  denial of a New Straits Times online report from Miri on Saturday attributing to me various adverse comments about PAS which I had never made.

I said the NST online report was  completely baseless and most irresponsible as well as mischievous  and I called on the NST to institute an inquiry as to how such a fictitious report could be written up and published as news.

Malaysiakini yesterday reported that the NST Miri correspondent Johanness Ridu who wrote the news said he stood by his story.

The Malaysiakini report continued:
 

"'He did not say it in front of me alone,' he said.

"Ridu explained that Lim had spoken at the function in Mandarin and a fellow reporter from the Chinese daily, the Sin Chew Jit Poh, had translated Lim's speech for Ridu."


I have checked by phone with the Sin Chew Jit Poh reporter who covered the Miri DAP dinner function on Friday night, and she confirmed four  things, that :
 


In fact, in my speech at the Miri DAP dinner, I  did not touch on the DAP-PAS relationship. The unethical, dishonest and unprofessional conduct of Ridu in concocting the NST online report on Saturday is most disturbing, and I am considering whether to lodge an official report against the NST Miri reporter to the New Straits Times management as well as to Suhakam for  a gross violation of the principles of  free, responsible and ethical  press.

(21/1/2002)



*Lim Kit Siang - DAP National Chairman