Hainanese group slams daily

over report on Ong

By SARBAN SINGH

SEREMBAN: The Hainanese community took to task a Chinese daily for publishing a news article which claimed its leader Datuk Foo Sae Heng had said the association was considering withdrawing an exemplary service award given to MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

Foo, the Federation of Hainan Association Malaysia president, said the manner his remarks were misrepresented by Sin Chew Daily showed the newspaper had a personal agenda against Ong.

Misrepresented: Foo (centre) flanked by Beh (left) and state MCA legal affairs adviser Tan Foong Luen responding to questions at the Negri Sembilan Hainan Association office in Seremban yesterday.

“It is strange that only Sin Chew got it (his remarks made during the dinner) wrong while all the other Chinese dailies got it right,” Foo said at a press conference at the Negri Sembilan Hainan Association here.

Foo said he had attended a dinner organised by the association here on Tuesday and was merely responding to questions by members if the federation was prepared to withdraw the Hainanese Exemplary Service Award given to its recipients.

Foo said that he had replied that the move could be considered but the final decision rested with the federation’s central committee.

“At no point was Ong’s name mentioned. But the newspaper named him in the heading in the story they carried the next day,” he said.

Apart from Ong, the other previous recipients of the award include MCA Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, Deputy Higher Education Minister Dr Hou Kok Chung, Tebrau MP Teng Boon Soon, MCA central committee member Wong Nai Chee and Selangor speaker Teng Chang Kim.

Foo, who became association president in June, said he had spoken with Sin Chew editors and hoped they would rectify the error.

“I don’t know how this happened but I want them to correct the situation.

“This is not good because I never uttered Ong’s name or implicated the MCA president in this.

“The Hainanese community and I respect Ong and hold him in high esteem,” he said.

Foo, a businessman, said he received many calls from angry members over the story as they assumed he had mentioned Ong’s name in his answer given that night.

Also present at the media conference were state Hainan association head Beh Nyap Sung and his committee members.

Can someone please tell me did he really said that or did he Not ... can't trust these people anymore , always blame the press when people are angry with them , that they are quoted out of context . But it always Sinchew ....that damned fcuking paper .