Media Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday, 11^th August 2009: 

As Najib and Muhyiddin are siding with Utusan Malaysia in its recent spate of racist and incendiary articles, dare Tee Keat and Tsu Koon uphold “1Malaysia” by taking a firm stand in Cabinet tomorrow to demonstrate that Utusan Malaysia does not enjoy immunity for sedition and incitement of racial hatred?

In just four months of the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak unveiling his new and gleaming “1Malaysia” motto, the UMNO-owned Utusan Malaysia is already assuming the mantle of the “Undertaker” to bury Najib’s “1Malaysia” slogan with its recent series of unabashedly divisive and remorselessly seditious incitement of racial hatred and disharmony in plural Malaysia.

When Najib could fail the first test to stand up by his “1Malaysia” concept in just 130 days as Prime Minister, not from challenges from outside but threats from within, what credibility can the Prime Minister command to continue to advocate the concept of “1Malaysia”?

Is Najib going to order a halt to the millions or even tens of millions of ringgit which had been spent or budgeted for a massive nation-wide promotion of the “1Malaysia” concept when it is so publicly repudiated, almost on a daily basis, by Umno leaders and Umno institutions like Utusan Malaysia?

Yesterday, Najib called on the police to take action against those who incite racial and religious tensions.

Najib’s warning was given front-page banner headline by Utusan Malaysia today - “Siasat pihak hina Islam – PM mahu mereka terlibat didakwa membangkitkan keteganan kaum”.

Utusan Malaysia is the biggest culprit in trying to incite racial and religious tensions with its recent spate of incendiary incitements of communal and religious sentiments and yet it is so cynical with the audacity to put Najib’s warning on the front-page, as if it is a totally innocent party!

It is the latest mutation of “thief shout thief” or “arsonist shout arson” where the thief or arsonist are guaranteed full immunity for their thievery or arson.

DAPSY chief and MP for Rasah Loke Siew Fook had been blasted in the Barisan Nasional mainstream media for insulting Islam and the Perak royalty because of articles in the blog sjsandteam.wordpress.com, which has nothing to do with Loke whatsoever.

Are Umno leaders, including Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Mentris Besar like Datuk Seri Zambry Kadir as well as Utusan Malaysia going to apologise to Loke for making such baseless attacks or have truth and facts ceased to matter at all in the grand conspiracy to defame DAP leaders to break up the Pakatan Rakyat?

After being so badly savaged, can Najib’s “1Malaysia” motto and concept still be salvaged?

This seems to be impossible especially as Najib and Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin have publicly sided with Utusan Malaysia in its recent spate of racist and incendiary articles, making a total mockery of Najib’s “1Malaysia” concept.

Unless a political miracle happens tomorrow, with the MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and the Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon taking a firm stand in the Cabinet tomorrow to uphold and salvage the “1Malaysia” concept by taking a firm stand to demonstrate that Utusan Malaysia does not enjoy immunity for sedition and incitement of racial hatred!

What can Malaysians expect from the Cabinet meeting tomorrow?

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor