Malaysiakini LETTERS Wednesday May 30

Ex-Star Journalist

3:54pm, Wed: I wish to draw the public's attention to the statement by MCA boss Dr Ling Liong Sik about the so-called non-interference in The Star and the so-called "free hand" Star journalists have. There's no bigger lie than this by a local political leader.

I was a journalist in The Star for more than 20 years and during the period I worked under various MCA-appointed editors-in-chief - H'ng Hung Yong (now the CEO of The Sun), Liew Peng Chuan or PC Liew (now CEO of Sin Chew), VK Chin (retired as Star editor-in-chief but given an armchair job with a big fat pay for his loyalty to Ling) and Ng Poh Tip (I worked just less than a year under her).

During the period, some of the instructions given to my immediate superiors (news editors) and told to me were:

1) All stories on Ling must be prominently used; also, using his picture is a must.

2) No stories about the opposition can be published without clearance from the editor-in-chief, especially any statements by DAP and Lim Kit Siang.

3) No picture of Lim Kit Siang or Karpal Singh is allowed on the paper. Also during VK Chin's time, Gerakan leaders like Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Kerk Choo Ting's pictures were banned.

4) During the Ling Liong Sik-Lee Kim Sai fight, all stories from Kim Sai's side were to be rewritten to make him look bad. One news editor called Koh, who seemed to be too friendly with Kim Sai, was sidelined and till now, I heard, he's still in cold storage.

The recent Ling Liong Sik-Lim Ah Lek civil war is no different. All Ah Lek stories are to be handled only by MCA chief news editor Chua and senior news editor Wong Chun Wai. These two, together with deputy news editor Wong Sai Wan, are known MCA-Ling cronies.

One senior reporter, Chan Tham Seng, who dared to ask a sensitive question during a press conference by Ling Liong Sik, was immediately removed from his regular beat. Even before he reached the office after the press conference, instructions had been received to bar him from writing. Chan left The Star soon after that, a victim of political interference. The list can go on. If you don't believe me, ask The Star journalists themselves.Let's not be conned by the so-called pledge of non-interference! The actual editor-in-chief of The Star is Dr Ling Liong Sik.