— The Malaysian Insider
Jan 13, 2013
JAN 13 — Going by Malaysia’s mainstream media coverage of the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally yesterday, a television viewer or newspaper reader can assume the organisers failed to get its targeted crowd, overfilled a stadium and participants broke the law by bringing their children.
And, oh, for some media, it was actually the Himpunan Shamsidar.
In both the Malay and English-language Sunday papers, there was no coverage of the issues of the day that drew thousands to Stadium Merdeka for three hours, or for the speakers who wanted to highlight burning issues that will be part of the election campaign this year.
None.
How can the media be mainstream if it stops covering a major event in the capital city or even cover it honestly? Is it a wonder that the circulation and readership of some newspapers have dropped?
Have the editors of these newspapers ever wondered if they are doing a good job for their owners and the government of the day by focussing on side issues rather than the reasons why nearly 100,000 gathered at Stadium Merdeka?
Malaysia doesn’t even see such numbers for a football game. Isn’t it counter-productive to bury one’s head in the sand like an ostrich and focus on other reports rather than the one big event thus far in 2013?
Such reportage hurts the government more than it helps. The dropping numbers of newspaper readers will mean such propaganda is hitting a smaller market, while internet news portals that carry news instantly with pictures of the crowd will get more popular.
How does one influence people if you ignore the news of the day? Is it by spamming email inboxes with emails warning against going for the rally or spewing some contrived government spokesman message about the rally?
Would an email from suara.rakyat2013 purporting to carry news from an unnamed government spokesman even work?
News must come from credible sources but Malaysia’s mainstream media, both newspapers and television stations, failed to do so today with their scant and misleading reports about the rally in the capital city yesterday.
These organisations are sidelining themselves from the marketplace of information and ideas, becoming the fringe news sources that internet news portals started out years ago.
What a pity. To roll over and become the purveyor of news that doesn’t matter rather than remaining the top news sources of the day. In internet parlance, that’s called an epic fail.
#1 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 13 January 2013 - 8:23 pm
Admist all these talk of PR chances of getting to Putrajaya, the main point of the intellectual debate is lost – Mahathirism and Mahathirist has lost the national debate. It does not matter in the larger debate even if UMNO/BN wins the election. They have lost the national argument.
Firstly, even if UMNO/BN wins it will be by a very small margin and its understood its by cheating so the win means nothing intellectually…Second, after 55 years in power, after Badawi first swept in with huge popularity more than 8 years ago, the debate is settled now given Anwar’s revival – the people reject Mahathir and Mahathirism..
The only question remain is whether Mahathir and Mahathirist has lost their debate with the Malays. But after 3 decades of influence, the fact that Mahathir and Mahathirist is not winning their argument easier says that the Malays demand really better than Mahathir and Mahathirism and if they were true patriot they accepted it. So even the debate with the Malays is pointless – the Malays demand better, Mahathirism and Mahathirist are not good enough..
The real tragedy is that from the old man insist on continuing his pointless debate and be a drag to this nation and his people who already knows they want to walk away from it. Its the civic and patriotic duty whoever leads this nation, including UMNO/BN to DECISIVELY do it, not debate it..
#2 by yhsiew on Sunday, 13 January 2013 - 8:43 pm
The pro-BN mainstream media were not interested in reporting the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally, presumably they were afraid that Pakatan Rakyat will steal the limelight come GE13.
#3 by cintanegara on Sunday, 13 January 2013 - 9:17 pm
#KL112..The crowds were largely dominated by the majority ethic. The finding indicated -less than 10% of “DAP supporters” were there yesterday. Where were “len chai & len loi”? Thank you for the invite. Of course.. I wasn’t there. I do not want to waste my precious time for the detrimental activity.
#4 by cseng on Sunday, 13 January 2013 - 10:12 pm
BN and its medias are justifying the reason to be changed.
In case Muhidyin doesn’t understand the need for change, this is one of the many reasons.
#5 by cseng on Sunday, 13 January 2013 - 10:17 pm
Keep their heads under the sand, that is best to them.
Don’t publish the mammoth rally, nobody would know.
Stop the tap water to Selangor, pu the blame squarely PR, you are such honorable person, ppl trust you very much.
Yet, you don’t see the reason for change, but everyone else did.
You can explain most of thing, but can anyone explain why these morons so sttuppidd one huh?
#6 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 13 January 2013 - 11:49 pm
According the msm, some people turned up at the Merdeka Stadium for what, they do not know.
They came from all over the country and they were just there to look at each other, make some noise, have some drinks and food, wore some coloured T-shirts and headbands and that was about it.
Then at 5pm they all just went home not knowing what it was all about or why they were there or whether they had a good time or what they have to do.
#7 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 13 January 2013 - 11:59 pm
Meantime at Dataran Merdeka, 400 police and City Hall personnel were idling by with nothing to do but smoke cigarettes and fooling around with one another till makan time. Easy time. Buta gaji with overtime. No sweat.
#8 by boh-liao on Monday, 14 January 2013 - 12:57 am
FORGET abt msm – their papers not even worth 2 b used in jamban
#9 by chengho on Monday, 14 January 2013 - 5:22 am
mostly kampung folks from the east Kelantan and Trengganu , most of them so excited coming to KL ,not for the demo n not sure also if they are registered voters
just like in Penang the biggest ethnic not the biggest voters eh
#10 by Winston on Monday, 14 January 2013 - 8:05 am
If the majority who turned up belongs to the major ethnic group of this country, then it’s far, far more worrisome for UMNO/BN!!!
For the simple reason that this ethnic group IS the bread and butter of the ruling party, especially when it comes to any GE!!!
No wonder they are shitting in their pants!
Their biggest bastion of support has been knocked from under their feet!
Mark my words, PR WILL get a landslide majority in GE13!!!!!!!
#11 by john on Monday, 14 January 2013 - 8:49 pm
SOURGRAPES !
For even half the crowd, the still unelected ‘PM’ would not able to hold/attract even with freebies.