Media Conference Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang at the Perak DAP State hqrs in Ipoh on Tuesday, 19th February 2008 at 1 pm

There are four days left to Nomination Day on Sunday. It is most unfortunate that in the past few days, particularly in the past 72 hours, the DAP had shifted from pace-and-agenda setting for the 12th general election, which is the “Battle of the Century”, to one of complete disarray because of party problems particularly over Fong Po Kuan’s shock announcement that she will not contest in Batu Gajah parliamentary seat and other general election and candidature questions.

DAP leaders have been trying to reach Po Kuan since Sunday but have not been successful as she is incommunicado. From the public responses to her and my blogs, she should know that she is held in very high regard as the voice of the oppressed and beacon of hope of the marginalized.

We all hope that Po Kuan can reconsider to return to the frontline of the Battle of the Century in the 12th general election for the third contest in the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat.

I fully respect the right and responsibility of the media to report and chase news and undoubtedly, Po Kuan and the DAP’s general election problems are newsworthy.

However, the media should be fair and balanced in the coverage of all newsworthy party developments, not just of the DAP but also of Umno, MCA, Gerakan,, MIC and all other Barisan Nasional component parties.

The media should not play up Opposition problems while playing down even more serious BN problems in the run-up to the 12 general election.

All political parties, including those in the Barisan Nasional, have general election problems but there has not been a balanced coverage of BN problems.

One of the biggest political news not only in recent times but probably in Malaysia’s political history is the transformation of MIC President and sole Indian Cabinet Minister for over 28 years, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu into the most unpopular and most disliked politician in the country – being booed, jeered, car blocked, thrown stones, rotten eggs and even slippers almost every day in public places.

If this had happened to a DAP leader, this will be reported on the front page, back page and the inside pages.

In a majority of cases, the problems faced by the DAP are minuscule as compared to the gargantuan problems of the Barisan Nasional but it is the DAP problems which are played up in the media while the gargantuan problems of BN are played down or even “blacked out”.

I am not asking the media to side with the DAP but to be fair, balanced and responsible in their reporting in their general election coverage.

The Po Kuan issue has been fully exploited by Barisan Nasional parties and leaders, with one Minister after another jumping into the fray.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that Po Kuan is “a calibre MP” and criticized the DAP as not being able to keep its house in order and therefore lost the right to deal with governance issues.

Najib is right that Po Kuan is a “caliber MP” and this is why she had been fielded and elected twice as DAP MP for Batu Gajah. Why has Najib taken eight years to realize that Po Kuan is a “calibre MP”?

Najib should not forget that Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other Barisan Nasional parties have even more problems than the DAP about keeping their houses in order – and if Najib is right then all of them would have to get out of government themselves!

For instance, in the run-up to the 2004 general election, Pak Lah had wanted to drop four Mentri Besar/Chief Minister from the Barisan Nasional slate of candidates to project an image of integrity but he was blocked by the Umno warlords and could only move one Mentri Besar – and by pushing him to Parliament and Cabinet!

In MCA, a National Vice President and Cabinet Minister was brought down by a high-level party conspiracy exposing a sex video tape scandal – showing the MCA “house” in complete disorder. By Najib’s logic, should MCA be part of government at all?