Star shows middle finger to Chuas

The Star cocks a snook at MCA yet again.

Most recently to be cocked the Star snook is Chua Tee Yong — Soi Lek’s son.

Chua Junior was to have officiated at the 1Malaysia Mooncake and Lantern Festival two days ago on Sept 30 at SJK (C) Yuk Chai in Petaling Jaya.

Did he turn up? Nobody reading The Star would know. Just as nobody would remember the Wanita MCA chief – can you name her? – because she appears in the paper as often as a meteorite crashes in Tunguska.

Let’s take the two scenarios.

One, Chua Tee Yong did indeed participate in the mid-autumn festival as billed.

If so, why did The Star fail to give him, who’s also a deputy federal minister, any coverage?

Or two, perhaps the Labis Johor MP failed to show in Petaling Jaya.

Even if this was so and the VIP guest-of-honour absent, the celebration itself nonetheless deserves to be reported. But no, The Star doesn’t seem to think so.

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Subang Jaya lantern festivals publicized

The red box (right) demarcation indicates just how much space The Star devoted to Hannah Yeoh – the Christian evangelist who printed a Bible verse on her CNY anypow packet – in its coverage of a Chinese cultural outing.

And here’s another separate Star story also covering Hannah Yeoh and reporting that she distributed a celebration pack consisting of a mooncake, lantern, candles and drinks to (the first) 1,000 guests.

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The Star covered Hannah’s red carpet walk at the Subang Jaya lantern festivals on Friday and Saturday but has no word at all on the 1Malaysia Mooncake and Lantern Festival featuring Chua Tee Yong on Sunday.

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In any case, Chua Jr ought not have expected that he would merit the paper’s attention.

After all, The Star hardly gave two hoots even about Chua Sr who complained that the paper did not cover his roadshow in Sepang earlier this year.

Soi Lek’s roadshow ignored

The tweet below referring to CSL (Chua Soi Lek) was made by the reporter holding the post of Star-National Union of Journalists president at the time.

Teh Eng Hock appears to have deleted the said tweet but below is a screenshot of it taken some months back. Plus there is always the digital footprint which has not been erased and can be found through Google web cache — see Sepang RSS screenshot below.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:mAMBetB_CO0J:regional.gourt.com/Asia/Malaysia/States-and-Federal-Territories/Selangor/Districts/Sepang.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=my

The bad press against MCA is so bad now as to prompt Chua Soi Lek to lament:

“Because the Opposition is so successful in inciting hatred against Barisan Nasional leaders, many of those who attend political functions do not want to even shake our hands.”

And through which media is the opposition so successful in influencing the public, Dr Chua might want to ask? Has he heard of the catchphrase “Buy Star, read Rocket?”

Needless to say, we’re aware of the opinion of The Star editors regarding MCA, i.e. the party is “intellectually flabby” and contains “too many old dinosaurs”.

In this respect, the paper is in agreement with the opinion of DAP election strategist Ong Kian Ming, whom it enthusiastically asks its readers to endorse in the upcoming polls.

Chua Tee Yong however is not an old dinosaur but the MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief.

While this pro-DAP approach will boost paper sales and consequently earn fat bonuses for the Star staff, the rest of the BN parties would best prepare themselves not only for unfavourable or scant coverage but must needs be mindful to watch their back too.

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