July 18, 2012
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 18 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today it was “public
knowledge” Utusan Malaysia was Umno-owned and that it took orders from
the party’s president.
Anwar was testifying today in his defamation suit against Utusan
Malaysia, which had in January accused the opposition leader of being a
proponent of gay rights, claiming he had said as such during a BBC
interview early this year.
The opposition leader made this statement despite agreeing with
defence lawyer Datuk Firoz Hussein that the local newspaper was managed
by public-listed Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd.
“I know for a fact that Utusan Malaysia receives instructions from
Umno. I was deputy prime minister. I used to sit in their meetings and
therefore, I have evidence,” he said.
“When there is a decision to appoint or to remove the editor-in-chief, the president will give orders,” he added.
Asked if he had any current evidence of Utusan receiving orders from
Umno since leaving the government in 1998, Anwar answered: “Yes, if I
can get hold of it in the next sitting.”
The PKR de facto leader then added, “I don’t remember the name of the
person who sits on the board (selected by Umno president Datuk Seri
Najib Razak), but I will give later”.
Anwar agreed that in other countries, local newspapers may choose to
support political parties of their choice, but pointed out Utusan had
slandered him for the past 14 years.
“They have every right to do so, but do not slander. By all means support, but don’t slander,” he said.
Utusan had previously quoted Anwar as saying during the BBC interview
that laws on gay rights in Malaysia were considered “archaic” and “not
relevant” when asked whether he was prepared to push for the idea of
anti-discrimination as far as gay rights were concerned.
Anwar agreed today in court that homosexuals should be discriminated
against to protect the sanctity of marriage, but pointed out that
archaic laws should be reviewed to prevent innocent people from being
punished.
Earlier this year, Anwar was acquitted of a charge of sodomising
former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, with the High Court ruling
that the prosecution had not done enough to prove Anwar had committed
sodomy against Saiful.
The hearing adjourns on August 13.
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