(Petaling Jaya, Sunday): The MCA Extraordinary General Meeting summoned by the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik should amend its agenda to direct the Huaren Holdings Sdn. Bhd trustees and directors to dispose the entire MCA stake in Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd which owns the two Chinese newspapers, Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press, to a consortium of the Chinese community at the same price it bought, i.e. RM5.50 per share.
The 2,500 MCA delegates should realise that the controversy over the MCA takeover of Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press had precipitated an unprecedented outrage and opposition from the Chinese community, because it poses a triple catastrophe - firstly, to the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese community and in particular the cause of Chinese education; secondly, to press freedom, human rights and democracy; and thirdly, to the livelihood of over 2,000 workers dependent directly or indirectly on healthy business operations of the two Chinese newspapers.
Reports have already come in of the sharp drop in the sale and circulation of the two Chinese newspapers, in particular Nanyang Siang Pau, throughout the country, in some places as high as 20 per cent and above, because of the strong objection of the readers to the obstinate refusal of Ling to respect the wishes of the Chinese community and insistence to gobble up Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press.
If the 2,500 MCA delegates at the MCA EGM flouts the strong and uncompromising stand of the Chinese community that the MCA must relinquish every single share in Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd, then a new phase to force Ling and the MCA leadership to ˇ°vomitˇ± out the Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press which they had swallowed will have to begin.
Let the 2,500 MCA delegates demonstrate at the EGM on Saturday that they can subordinate party and factional interests to the higher interests of the Chinese community and Malaysian press freedom and democracy by taking a clear stand that MCA relinquish every single share in Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd to the Chinese community consortium.
(17/6/2001)