KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 — Perak’s Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah today defended Utusan Malaysia against allegations of racism, saying the Umno-owned Malay language daily merely upholds the Malay agenda, which forms the core of its establishment 78 years ago.

He cited as proof the column written by Zaini Hassan, in which the paper’s senior writer defended a Chinese woman detained for insulting the King in a Facebook posting. Sultan Nazrin said the article convinced him that the majority of Malaysians are not racists, but are rational and sane.

“Melissa Gooi is a Malaysian of Chinese descent while Zaini Hassan, a senior writer, is not only a Malay, has a Malay face, has Malay blood but also works with Utusan Malaysia, which has been accused of fanning racial fire.

“Zaini Hassan showed magnanimity and the spirit of a Malaysian, and showed a principled stance critically although I believe Zaini surely does not know Melissa Gooi personally,” the Perak ruler said in his speech at the Utusan Business Award here.

“Whatever the negative name given to Utusan Malaysia, the paper did not discriminate against publishing a column that was clearly aimed at defending the Chinese woman,” he added.

Sultan Nazrin said allegations calling Utusan Malaysia racist were created by those “with a hidden agenda” and who feel threatened by the paper.

“The Utusan Group and its main paper Utusan Malaysia are more and more deemed to be racist today; it is intentionally sensationalised to be such by those who feel threatened and by those with a hidden agenda, who want to see the social contract formulated by our forefathers destroyed,” he said.

The Perak ruler claimed these parties have also dared to question the constitutionality of Bumiputera privileges, and said that there are subversive activities aimed at abolishing Bumiputera rights.

He called the idea seditious and akin to inciting racial hatred.

“They are poking the hornet's nest. The are ‘seditiously’ baiting the people to play with fire,” he said.

Gooi was detained and investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for posting contents deemed insulting to the King on her Facebook page early 2013.

Criticising the monarch is an offence under Malaysian laws.

In a column titled “Salahkah Melissa Gooi? Ajarlah Asas Perlembagaan di Sekolah”, Zaini said Gooi should not be entirely blamed for her postings as she would have likely written them out of ignorance.

Zaini further argued that Gooi's case proved that many non-Malays were ignorant about the Constitution and the functions of key institutions like the monarchy, which prompted him to call for the country's supreme laws to be taught in schools.

Sultan Nazrin today echoed the call, and urged Putrajaya to consider the proposal.