Press Statement
by DAP Secretary General and MP for Kota Melaka, Kerk Kim Hock
in Petaling Jaya
on Friday, October 11, 2002

Seditious article on UMNO online: Umno President Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad should direct its immediate removal


Accompanied by DAP MPs comprising Chong Eng (Bukit Mertajam), Fong Kui Lun (Bukit Bintang), Tan Kok Wai (Cheras) and Chow Kon Yeow (Tanjung), I have yesterday lodged a police report at the Kuala Lumpur Tun HS Lee Police Station against Datuk Ibrahim Ali, the UMNO Pasir Mas Divison Chairman, for making statements which have a tendency to promote ill feelings or hostility among the different races in the country.

In an article titled " Cina DAP Hasut Cina MCA Jangan Setuju Guna Bahasa Inggeris " that has appeared in the UMNO on line -official website of UMNO-- Ibrahim Ali has not only made baseless allegations against the DAP, he has also made statements which are calculated to promote ill feelings or hostility among the different races.

Though a police report has been lodged, I hereby call on the Prime Minister who is also the UMNO President Dr Mahathir Mohamad to direct the immediate removal of this article from the UMNO website based on the following three reasons:

1. the article contains baseless allegations which have gravely hurt the feelings of the Chinese Community and it also contains statements which are clearly seditious

2. the statements are clear attempts to politicise and racialise the issue of teaching Mathematics and Science in English, in violation of the advise by the Prime Minister that the issue should not be politicized

3. as the UMNO online is the official website of UMNO, the publishing of an article that breaches the 1948 Sedition Act will mean that UMNO can be accused of infringing the Act

Having observed the political styles of Ibrahim, I am not surprised that he has made such baseless statements to the point of accusing the Chinese teachers of passing Chinese students who have actually failed their examinations. Neither was I totally shocked that he has made the ridiculous allegation that the Chinese community worry about the usage of English in all examinations because they fear that when their examination papers are marked by the Malay, Chinese and Indian teachers, the truth that their students are not smart will be exposed.

What has saddened, angered and shocked me is that the UMNO official website has chosen to carry such a highly seditious, offensive and unacceptable article.

While I will leave it to the Police to carry out the necessary investigations, I urge the Prime Minister to ensure the immediate removal of this article from the UMNO on line website.