UPDATED 6.52PM KUALA LUMPUR: DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang today claimed that China Press has been threatened with suspension should its top editor refuse to quit over the article regarding Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan's resignation.
However, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein denied this, saying that the Chinese daily has only been slapped with a show-cause letter.
He also lambasted the opposition for “politicising and sensationalising” every single issue.
Hishammuddin said the claims by the opposition were baseless as he had yet to receive the reply to a show-cause letter issued to the newspaper.
"This is a wild allegation and an attempt to take advantage to sensationalise what essentially is a normal matter.
“What we have done in asking China Press to show cause is no different from what we have done to The Star and Al-Islam," he said at the parliament lobby.
Hishammuddin said the claims that the China Press chief editor had been punished was irresponsible just like when opposition MPs decided to walk out of the Dewan Rakyat today.
On the leadership transition in the Royal Malaysian Police, Hishammuddin said the matter had nothing to do with the purported resignation of Musa.
He said the main issue involving the China Press now was how far the newspaper was able to give satisfactory explanation in line with the freedom given to the media.
"We can accept it if the explanation is reasonable," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Speaking to reporters at the same venue earlier, Lim said that China Press could face a suspension of up to six months.
"What's the big a deal about the China Press report?” he asked, adding that it was a simple mistake where the daily stated that Musa would step down in March instead of September.
He said that there is no reason for Hishammuddin to “breathe down the neck” of the daily for such an error.
No comment from editor
Contacted this afternoon, a China Press staff told FMT that its top editors were having a meeting.
The disputed China Press report claimed that Musa would step down before police day on March 25.
The report, quoting sources, also claimed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Hishammuddin had received Musa's resignation letter, which was denied by both Musa and Hishammuddin.
Yesterday, Hishammuddin confirmed that a transition process is taking place in the police force, and the next top cop has been identified.
China Press editor-in-chief Teoh Yang Khoon declined to comment on the matter.
In an email communique to FMT, he said: "Please be informed that (in order) to not complicate the matter, I will not be commenting on the issue for the time being. I apologise for any inconvenience."
