YOURSAY 'You talk about ‘fisabilillah' (the way of Allah), yet you forget that lying is one of the three characteristics of a ‘munafiq' (hypocrite).'

Utusan editor: Spinning to attack opposition is okay

LittleGiant: Utusan Malaysia's deputy chief editor Mohd Zaini Hassan said has finally given credence to the suspicion people had all along - that this Umno mouthpiece has only been living on 'spinning facts'.

And for Mohd Zaini to have had the audacity to make such a statement at a forum organised by BTN (Biro Tatanegara) is proof enough of what most non-Malays have always asked - is BTN, a government agency under the PM's Department, speaking facts or 'spinning facts'?

A fact is a fact. It must be told straight. That is what journalism is all about, i.e. just stick to the facts and speak the truth. It is apparent now that Mohd Zaini and his team at Utusan have no qualms to 'spin facts', which actually means to twist and turn facts into fiction and vice versa.

And to say that deception is okay in journalism - Utusan could probably be the only newspaper in the world that believes in deceptive journalism and wants to thrive on it. It is such a shame for the entire lot of Malaysian journalists.

Orang Jauh: Utusan , if you have not lied, I repeat, lied, how come you have been losing one civil suit after another? You talk with a forked tongue.

You talk about ‘fisabilillah' (the way of Allah), yet you forget that lying is one of the three characteristics of a ‘munafiq' (hypocrite).

Are you ready to face your creator? Are you aware of the place that your creator reserves for people like you?

IloveBN: A true practising Muslim will never buy Utusan again, not after the editor himself has confessed spinning news against the opposition.

He even went on to say that the opposition works with their heart and that Umno-BN won't work without money.

This remark complements Minister for Housing and Local Government Chor Chee Heung's admission during Lim Guan Eng's debate with Chua Soi Lek that RM26 billion has been wasted through corruption.

Chuath: Prophet Muhammad had used deception to fight his enemy, said Umno young ulama secretariat member Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya. So now the ‘enemy' is our own people?

Loyal citizens should speak up when something is wrong and they should be watchful of any wrongdoing, abuse of funds, lack of integrity amongst those elected, and the opposition should play that role for power corrupts.

Does that make these citizens and the opposition the ‘enemy'? Does that mean we should be told half-truths and distorted facts?

Whatsup: I second Chuath's comments. We are rakyat of Malaysia, and so is the opposition, and so are you, Fathul, and Umno-BN too.

We are not your enemy, we are your fellow rakyat. We have the right to choose a better government. It's not up to the incumbents to insist on staying in power to continue their crimes against the rakyat.

Fathul, how can you give legitimacy to Utusan for their lies? If you are truly pious, you would have condemned the liars, fabricators, abusers and hate mongers, instead of collaborating with them. What a shame you are!

Anonymous_5fb: These fellows are actually trying to tell us lying and spinning are okay, so long as they get the money for doing so. It seems that they are not God-fearing people.

For the young ulama at this forum, I doubt he knows Islam well. Even then, I couldn't be bothered whether he learned Islam correctly. What I am pissed about is that he dragged in religions other than Islam to put through his points about deception.

If he still insists Islam is like what he believes, then I am sorry, Islam is not for decent people. How can these fellows say lies, cheating and deception are all okay according to Islam? I couldn't believe my eyes when reading this report.

Kairos: If what Zaini says is true of Islam - that it is okay to lie and scandalise another in order to gain the upper hand - then I believe that it is a wrong portrayal of a great religion.

What kind of a moral high ground does such a religion stand on? Not only will it not attract potential followers, it will in fact disappoint the current ones.

Either Zaini is wrong or that he is a very poor representation of his belief system. No wonder Utusan has such poor credibility among the more educated public. To a large segment of middle Malaysia of all races, Utusan is despised.

My-Cat-is-BB: I am so angry and frustrated. How dare they used the Prophet to justify this? This is about who is the best to govern Malaysia, and whose policy will bring our nation to a new chapter, etc.

This is not about enemy of Islam. They are even spinning the story of the Prophet to suit their needs. My hands are shaking... how could they?

Anonymous #41809171: Mohd Zaini should have gone further to confirm that Utusan is not a newspaper but Umno's propaganda organ.

This will immediately lower everyone's expectations (as if it could get any lower) and it will no longer be criticised for its lack of integrity.

Mercifully, this will take the stress off the poor Utusan editorial staff who have been trying so hard to pretend they are bona fide journalists.

To spin a fact is to lie, Utusan

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