– Sam Peh
The Malaysian Insider
May 12, 2012
MAY 12 – Even during the most dictatorial days of Mahathir Mohamad, the mainstream media has not been this inept, corrupt, dishonest and even clumsy.
But during the Najib reign, the New Straits Times, the Star and the Malay language papers have crawled to depths never before experienced. Take today’s NST.
Yesterday more than 1,200 lawyers voted at a Bar Council EGM to condemn police brutality at Bersih 3.0 but the Umno owned paper focussed on 16 little known lawyers who dissented. And to make matters worse, the report focussed on whether the quorum was reached (which it was) and whether all those who turned up were lawyers. What rubbish reporting.
I am making public this dishonest reporting because this is the stock in trade of the NST . Remember how the paper tried to stitch up Lim Guan Eng as unpatriotic and Senator Xenophon as anti-Islam.
In Malaysia, the health of newspaper follow that of who occupies Putrajaya and it is no coincidence that the NST and Star have stopped being newspapers and have become ragsheets for wrapping fish.
Najib Razak wants his papers supine. The Star will try and sound balanced but make no mistake, the editors and journalists at the MCA-owned paper are just as guilty of selling innuendo and vile stuff as news.
So my advice to the Bar Council is this. Start a boycott of the mainstream media. Team up with Bersih and other NGOs and get people to stop buying the paper. I have stopped buying papers and only read it online when someone draws attention to some ridiculous report.
The Bar Council has the moral standing to lead a campaign against the media. You have nothing to lose because you are already being demonised.
There is no downside because any newspaper which presents Perkasa, Zahrin as worthy of coverage does not deserve any support. Only contempt.
#1 by yhsiew on Saturday, 12 May 2012 - 10:46 pm
I only read the SUN these days.
#2 by cseng on Saturday, 12 May 2012 - 11:30 pm
When we see so many goodmen & women from the BAR, we see hope. These are men/women with courage.
Unfortunately, on media side, except online media, do we still have goodmen/women left in BN controlled media or MSM?
For evil to triump, it takes goodmen to do nothing.
#3 by yhsiew on Sunday, 13 May 2012 - 6:19 am
Self-censorship futile, says Marina Mahathir
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/self-censorship-futile-says-marina-mahathir/
#4 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 13 May 2012 - 7:54 am
Its not just the media, its clear that Najib & Co/UMNO-Perkasa-BN is lobbing every marginal idea including lies leading up to calling for GE.
What is strange is they are lobbing all these nonsense furiously, incoherently and Najib then go say he liked to call election now and yet still does not.
I cannot believe the smarter ones in the party including Mahathir does not notice – its really bad leadership. Its seriously infantile. You don’t drive your army to a frenzy, dangle the meat in front of them and then make them wait. Its just tell you don’t know how to lead.
#5 by boh-liao on Sunday, 13 May 2012 - 10:52 am
Aiyoh, dat’s how our msm EDITORS ensure they get big fat gaji, bonuses, n awards/titles
#6 by balance88 on Sunday, 13 May 2012 - 12:36 pm
Yes, our medias do selective and engineered news. Nothing new. They only write what the govt wants you to see and hear. But what is the opposition doing to counter this. Very little, I’m afraid, especially in opposition controlled states. The urban people access the internet for alternative news. But what about the rural areas where people can be less educated and more simple minded and where elections are won!
#7 by SENGLANG on Sunday, 13 May 2012 - 3:04 pm
The main stream media in Malaysia is one of the tightly control media in the world. Even the Astro news also have to follow the guideline and censored news to suite so call local laws.
If you have to follow the guidelines that is fine but they should either report in full (with no censor ) if they have to censored certain issues then they should not reported it all one, other wise this is mean as a tool for the power of the days.
#8 by SENGLANG on Sunday, 13 May 2012 - 3:08 pm
TV 1 carry live on the UMNO celebration. TV 1 is funded by tax papers money it did not owned by UMNO. The tax payers thus funded the UMNO celebration and this was not fair. IF TV 1 really think fix to carry live on a political party celebration then TV 1 should charge for fee. IF TV 1 can carry live for a political party then all political party can also given equal chance when ever they have celebration.
#9 by rockdaboat on Sunday, 13 May 2012 - 11:31 pm
“Even during the most dictatorial days of Mahathir Mohamad, the mainstream media has not been this inept, corrupt, dishonest and even clumsy.”
Correct correct correct, because there weren’t so many press prostitutes who were so willing to open their fronts and behinds to their political masters then!