Star admits error over Guan Eng quote but too arrogant to say sorry...

Lim Guan Eng has decried what he claims are attempts by the mainstream media to “whitewash” MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s personal attacks against him during Saturday’s debate. 

Lim during the debate telecasted live on February 12 2012, from TMI filepics.

The DAP secretary-general pointed out that while he had stuck to the topic of debate, Dr Chua had not only launched personal attacks against him but also MCA’s immediate past president, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

“If personal attacks are the criteria for success, then there is no doubt that Chua is the victor,” he said in a statement today. “However, I had refused to engage in personal attacks as a debate should be a healthy contest of ideas, ideals and principles.”

Lim cited as an example of mainstream “whitewashing” the erroneous report by MCA-owned, The Star, in which he was quoted as saying: “We do not agree the prime minister must always be Malay because we want the people to decide.”
 
He said that while he respected the right of the English-language daily to present a partisan slant of the event, The Star’s “lies” were patently false and untrue. The Star today published a correction on page six and apologised for attributing the quote to the Penang chief minister.

Such tactics will not work as the debate was shown live, Lim said, adding that this was the reason why his second debate with Dr Chua next month must also be telecast live to prevent any distortion of facts.

He also slammed The Star’s columnist, Baradan Kuppusamy, for claiming Lim had requested the second debate to repair the damage from his first outing. Lim also asked that The Star withdraw Baradan’s column and apologise for allowing the latter to repeat the made-up quote in his analysis today despite printing an errata in the same paper.

He added that his second debate with Dr Chua in Malay and English should not be a repeat of the one held at the weekend, in which nearly all of the questions from the floor had been from MCA supporters.

“How can I answer 12 out of 13 questions in 3 minutes especially when most of them were lies?” Lim said.

“For this reason, I chose not to answer these lies as the debate should be about truth and the policies that PR (Pakatan Rakyat) wants to implement to change Malaysia.”

Saturday’s debate between Dr Chua and Lim was organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) and MCA’s Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (INSAP).

The highly anticipated Mandarin debate was broadcast live on Astro, with Malay translation. Political analysts have criticised the Mandarin debate for veering off-topic and descending into political posturing.- malaysian insider

Star today published a brief admission of its error in reporting a statement attributed to DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng supposedly made during the ‘Malaysian Chinese At Political Crossroads’ conference last Saturday.

“It has been pointed out to us that in the debate with MCA president Chua Soi Lek on ‘Is the two party system becoming a two race system’, DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng did not make the following statement: ‘We do not agree the prime minister must always be a Malay because we want the people to decide’.”

“The error in translation is regretted,” read the terse two paragraph erratum on Page 6 of the English daily.

Titled ‘Error in translation’, the article did not carry any apology or the correct version of the quote.

Lim yesterday demanded an apology from the BN-linked daily, for their Sunday report on the highly watched debate between the two political giants.

“This quote attributed to me is false and untrue because no reference whatsoever was ever made by me on this issue during the debate,” Lim was reported saying.

Saturday's great debate was jointly organised by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (Asli) and MCA think tank Institute of Strategic Analysis & Policy Research (Insap),

Some critics have called the debate a let down as neither party had stayed on topic.-malaysiakini

Star akui kesilapan berhubung petikan Guan Eng

Akhbar harian Inggeris, the Star hari ini menerbitkan kenyataan ringkas berhubung kesilapan dalam laporannya dalam artikel semasa perdebatan Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng yang dibuat semasa persidangan 'Kaum Cina di persimpangan’, Sabtu lalu.

"Kami dimaklumkan bahawa semasa perdebatan dengan Presiden MCA, Chua Soi Lek yang bertajuk ‘Apakah sistem dua parti menjadi sistem dua bangsa? setiausaha agung DAP Lim Guan Eng tidak ada membuat kenyataan berikut: ‘Kami tidak bersetuju Perdana Menteri mesti sentiasa terdiri daripada orang Melayu kerana kami mahu rakyat yang membuat keputusan’.

"Kesilapan dalam terjemahan itu amat dikesali," petik kenyataan dua perenggan pengakuan kesilapan itu yang dicetak pada halaman enam akhbar berkenaan.

Bertajuk 'Ralat dalam terjemahan', artikel itu tidak membawa sebarang permohonan maaf atau menyiarkan petikan yang betul.

Lim, semalam menuntut permohonan maaf daripada harian milik MCA itu berhubung laporannnya mengenai perdebatan dua gergasi politik itu.

"Petikan yang dikatakan dikeluarkan oleh saya adalah palsu dan tidak benar kerana tiada rujukan sekalipun pernah dibuat oleh saya mengenai isu ini yang tidak ditimbulkan semasa perbahasan,” kata Lim dalam kenyataannya itu.- malaysiakini

Lim: The Star is out to get me

Debate lacked fresh ideas, says Tee Keat

cheers.