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| Melayu riders |
On this lovely Saturday morning, rain or shine, I shall have the pleasure of riding with Utusan Malaysia's Newsmen on Wheels in a kembara to Queen Street in Singapore, where it all began for the newspaper company 75 years ago.
Today, as you all know but may or may not admit, Utusan is a paper most feared by politicians, which is why (coupled with a judiciary that's either partial to or fearful of these politicians) it is probably the most-sued newspaper in the world. Only last week, the paper was ordered to pay yet another RM250k for a reporting error the courts ruled as malicious and defamatory towards a politician known for great malice himself, so much for press freedom and justice!
In Singapore, the 50-plus participants (only three, including myself, are not members of the fiercely proud Utusan family) will be welcomed by their HOGs (Harley-Davidson Owners' Group) and are scheduled to visit the memorial of Yusuf Ishak, the republic's first President who was also a founding member of Utusan, have a chit-chat with Othman Wok, a former Cabinet minister and an Utusan alumni, and explore Queen Street, the newspaper's birthplace. The late Pak Samad, who founded PAP with Lee Kuan Yew, started his journalism career with Utusan Melayu, in 1940.
