Archive for category Media
There’s No Excuse For Not Reporting The Truth
Posted by Kit in Kee Thuan Chye, Media on Thursday, 3 January 2013
By Kee Thuan Chye
Malaysian Digest
01 January 2013
What Utusan Malaysia’s lawyer reportedly told the High Court on Dec 27 is shocking.
According to The Malaysian Insider, Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin said newspapers do not have the “luxury of time” to verify the truth of news reports before publishing them.
In defending Utusan Malaysia’s report that allegedly accused Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim of being a proponent of gay rights, Firoz also said, “If newspapers have to go through the full process of ascertaining the truth, the details, they wouldn’t be able to report the next day.”
If he thinks this would justify the publication of untruths by the media, he is grossly wrong. No media organization should ever publish untruths or lies. On top of that, no media organization can, after doing it, claim justification by saying it had no time to check its facts.
Not checking facts before publication is a cardinal sin in journalism. And no self-respecting journalist or media could absolve themselves by saying they did not have the “luxury of time”. Read the rest of this entry »
Foreign interference in Malaysian politics?
Posted by Kit in Elections, Media, Pakatan Rakyat on Sunday, 30 December 2012
— Clive Kessler
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 30, 2012
DEC 30 — The New Straits Times (Sunday December 30) contains a long analysis and commentary entitled “Dubious Backers of Regime Change”.
Its author, Nile Bowie, warns of the menace of foreign interference and covert involvement and influence in Malaysian politics.
As well he might.
This lengthy article, now recycled in the BN government’s leading newspaper here, made its first appearance in RT.
RT? What is that? Read the rest of this entry »
Senator DAP buat laporan polis terhadap Muhyiddin, portal berita
Posted by Kit in DAP, Media, Muhyiddin Yassin on Friday, 21 December 2012
Jamilah Kamarudin | December 20, 2012
Free Malaysia Today
Ariffin membuat laporan tersebut di Balai Polis Tun H S Lee di Jalan Stadium dekat sini tengahari tadi.
PETALING JAYA: Naib Pengerusi DAP, Senator Dr Ariffin SM Omar hari ini membuat laporan polis terhadap Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dan laman portal, Antarapos kerana menuduhnya mengamalkan perkauman sempit.
Ariffin yang ditemani peguam iaitu ahli parlimen Segambut Lim Lip Eng membuat laporan tersebut di Balai Polis Tun H S Lee di Jalan Stadium dekat sini tengahari tadi.
Laporannya terhadap Muhyiddin itu berdasarkan petikan berita “Kenyataan Ariffin Melayu Punca Rasuah Diselar” pada 18 Disember lalu apabila menyifatkan ia sebagai satu perbuatan bodoh dan sangat tidak bertanggungjawab.
Respon itu dibuat Muhyiddin selepas Antarapos dalam laporannya 15 Disember lalu memetik Ariffin sebagai berkata rasuah boleh dibanteras dengan lebih berkesan jika perkhidmatan awam dan polis tidak dimonopoli oleh kaum Melayu sahaja. Read the rest of this entry »
Spamming Malaysia
— The Malaysian Insider
Dec 13, 2012
DEC 13 — In the past 24 hours, some of you and definitely The Malaysian Insider have been inundated with emails from a number of names like Imran Sulaiman, Ranesa Jegatheesa and Malaysian Indian over the PKR protest for Indians who are purportedly stateless in Malaysia.
These emails are spam.
They are a waste of time and definitely a waste of money if someone is being paid to churn them out and send them to all and sundry.
It shows how much political parties and even governments go to great lengths to get their views across to each and every one of us Malaysians ahead of the general election.
But it is a pain. Read the rest of this entry »
Dirty tricks of the BN media
— Fikry Osman
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 09, 2012
DEC 9 — There is a good reason not to buy newspapers owned by Barisan Nasional (BN) parties. They lie, twist and misinterpret news against opposition parties.
Look what The Star has done with Kelantan this week, reporting that four non-Muslims were caught for khalwat by local council officers. The officers had also apparently asked for bribes.
Isn’t this just another trick by the MCA-owned newspaper to make PAS look bad? To make people fear PAS and raise the spectre of an intolerant and punitive Islamic state?
On the other side, the NST does the same, except it is against DAP where it says our way of life is in danger because DAP is secular, communist or Christian in outlook.
These newspapers should make up their mind. It is one or the other and not all. It just shows how they will lie for their political masters. Read the rest of this entry »
Rais: Deferment of Tanda Putera decided by cabinet
Posted by Kit in Media, nation building, Rais Yatim on Thursday, 8 November 2012
by Zulaikha Zulkifli
Malaysiakini
Nov 8, 2012
The decision to postpone the airing of the film Tanda Putera to next year was made by the cabinet, said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim.
Rais said the decision was made after the cabinet ministers found that there were elements that are “inappropriate” to be screened.
“The cabinet has decided for the benefit of the people, that the official premiere of the film is postponed as it contains scenes that may cause conflicts.
“This is because it shows the tragedy of May 13 which is disputed by various parties,” he added.
He said this in reply to reporters after launching the state Himpunan Kasih Sayang at Kampung Puah Lembah this evening. Read the rest of this entry »
What would Tunku do today?
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Education, Media, nation building, Parliament, Politics on Tuesday, 6 November 2012
— Ooi Kok Hin
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 06, 2012
NOV 6 — When students look at portraits of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj (1903-1990), the first Prime Minister of Malaysia is perceived as a distant figure from an era gone-by. He’s the Father of Independence, the legend, and the unknown. We are told how great he was; yet we know so little of him. He is a myth. This shouldn’t be happening, because Tunku was a prolific writer. After his retirement, Tunku actively wrote two columns for The Star newspaper: Looking Back and As I See It. Several articles from the first column were compiled into a book with the identical title. From that book, I draw several of Tunku’s views which are applicable in our country today.
1. Abolish AUKU
Tunku had a long and dreadful conflict with Communists. But when the government conjured a Communist conspiracy theory behind the student unrests of the early 1970s, Tunku was quick to reject that theory. “Student [ego] movement is widespread in the world. They like to be known, they like to be seen and they like to be heard like grown-ups,” Tunku wrote in 1974. He refused to blame the students and understood that suppression of the young minds will not help Malaysia to be vibrant and dynamic country. In order to be ahead of our regional peers, we need to develop intellect and critical thinking. Tunku expressed desire to include students in our country’s politics and decision-making process. He suggested, “Perhaps one or two seats be given to Universities so that their members can participate in Parliament and play their parts in the country’s politics”. Read the rest of this entry »
Controversial ‘Tanda Putera’ film release shelved indefinitely, say sources
Posted by Kit in DAP, Elections, Media, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 31 October 2012
By Jahabar Sadiq
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 31, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 ― The public release of the “Tanda Putera” film that deals with the May 13 race riots has been put off indefinitely and now may hit the silver screen after the next general election, say sources.
The Malaysian Insider understands that senior government officials and the Najib administration did not want any distractions and potential flashpoints in the run up to the polls, which is likely to be held in the first quarter of 2013 after the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysian 2.0 (BR1M) is paid out.
The RM4.8 million film, financed with public funds, was first due to be released last September 13 but it was later pushed to November 17.
“There is too much controversy about the film and the authorities have decided on a later release date,” a government source told The Malaysian Insider. Read the rest of this entry »
A punch-drunk party?
Rom Nain
Malaysiakini
Oct 25, 2012
If the reports are to believed, after a weekend of coming up with absolutely nothing in terms of policy strategies and directions for the country and incessantly bashing PAS, DAP and hudud instead, the MCA annual general meeting, clearly in need of sustenance, resorted to Malaysia’s favourite pastime, sex.
Or, rather, talking about sex.
Or, even more accurately, talking about other people having sex.
Indeed, leading up to the two-day, weekend meeting, the MCA’s mouthpiece, The Star, chose to relegate whatever build-up there might have been to the inside pages, and stormed ahead with its expose of these two naughty Malaysian souls, Alvin and Vivian.
For three whole days, their photographs – individually or together – were prominently featured on the cover page of the paper. Fully clothed, fortunately.
Together with the voyeurism, there was so much predictable tut-tutting by all and sundry. These ranged from the paper’s ‘agonising’ aunty, to quickly-interviewed shocked and appalled Malaysians, including parents, to even ‘experts’, psychiatrists dispensing their wisdom from kilometres away without the need of their couches. Or the need to talk to these two ‘celebrities’.
And at the MCA weekend retreat, too, their frolicking did not go unnoticed. Both the MCA Youth and Wanita meetings were spiced up with condemnations of the couple’s very-public performances.
And the wholesome twosome simply basked in all that attention they received.
Then, almost abruptly, the coverage stopped. Read the rest of this entry »
TV3 akan menghadapi nasib yang sama seperti Utusan?
— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 16, 2012
16 OKT — TV3 sedang merudum “rating”nya. TV3 yang termasyhur sebagai lidah Umno dan BN kini sudah mula tidak mendapat sambutan ramai. Sebelum 2010, TV3 telah mendapat “rating” yang tertinggi sehingga mendapat 3.5 juta penonton sehari dan kini jumlah tontonan dari rakyat telah jatuh sehingga 1.2 juta sehari. Kejatuhan bilangan penonton lebih dari 60 peratus ini tentu bersebab dan sebabnya boleh diagak oleh kita semua. Kejatuhan ini akan akhirnya membawa padah kepada pendapatan syarikat dan menjejaskan prestasi kewangan syarikat televisyen itu.
Selalunya kejatuhan penonton sesebuah syarikat penyiaran seperti TV3 itu adalah kerana kejatuhan keyakinan penonton terhadap kredibiliti saluran itu. Dalam sejarah banyak syarikat penyiaran dan saluran TVnya telah jatuh kerana tidak mendapat sokongan ramai. Keadaan ini tidak mengecualikan TV3 yang kini sudah menampakkan keadaan seperti itu akan berlaku ke atas syarikat televisyen itu.
Kejatuhan penonton yang dialaminya sekarang sudah mula menampakkan apa yang dialami oleh banyak syarikat TV yang terpaksa ditutup di negara-negara yang lain itu akan berlaku ke atas TV3 jika saluran televisyen itu tidak menjaga kredibilitinya di mata penonton yang sedia ada sekarang.
Ramai di antara pengiklan-pengiklan barangan dan perkhidmatan telah mula memikirkan untuk mengiklankan barangan dan perkhidmatan mereka di saluran-saluran yang lain kerana TV3 tidak menjadi saluran sukaramai rakyat lagi. Kejatuhan jumlah penonton untuk saluran ini masih menurun dan dijangkakan yang ia akan melewati bawah dari 1 juta penonton setiap hari.
Keadaan ini berlaku bukan kerana apa….tetapi kerana TV3 sudah menjadi alat pembohongan BN dan Umno dan rakyat yang berfikiran “professional” tidak menganggap saluran TV3 ini sebagai saluran untuk rakyat. Sikap “tidak professional” TV3 ini menjadi persoalan ramai kerana orang ramai tidak gemar dengan sikap condong yang keterlaluan terhadap sesuatu pihak dalam politik ini adalah tindakan yang dianggap tidak jujur. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia’s elections: Should the international community care?
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Constitution, Corruption, Elections, Human Rights, Media on Tuesday, 16 October 2012
— Ambiga Sreenevasan
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 15, 2012
OCT 15 — Those in the international community may be forgiven for saying, “Is there a problem with the democratic process in Malaysia?”
In the international arena, our leaders portray Malaysia as a moderate Islamic nation that is built on the democratic principles that are enshrined in our Federal Constitution. The fundamental rights of freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, the right to life and a fair electoral process, are indeed guaranteed under our Federal Constitution.
The reality is, however, far less idyllic. There are serious questions whether these rights are respected and upheld by those in power. Read the rest of this entry »
The good news… and the bad
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Human Rights, ISA, Media on Thursday, 11 October 2012
Rom Nain
Malaysiakini
Oct 8, 2012
After a couple of weeks or so of unrelenting inanity, enough to make me wax lyrical (well, almost) in this column, I thought of writing something nice, inoffensive, light-hearted even, this week.
After all, two Malaysian court decisions this past week certainly gave many of us reason to cheer.
The judgment for the five ex-ISA detainees in the illegal detention suit they brought against the regime, for one, must have been the perfect pick-me-up for many of us.
The KL High Court found that the five had been detained unlawfully and in bad faith in 2001 and reportedly awarded them ‘RM15,000 each, for every day of their detention under Section 73 of the Internal Security Act, as well as RM30,000 each as aggravated damages’.
Altogether, in the Oct 2 judgment, five former ISA detainess, then Reformasi activists, including the irrepressible Hishamuddin Rais (left), PAS’ Hulu Selangor assemblyperson Saari Sungib and PKR’s Batu MP Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, were awarded a total of RM4 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Years of living precariously in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in civil society/NGOs, Media on Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Mustafa K. Anuar
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 10, 2012
Oct 10 — Malaysians are living in the grip of fear, not necessarily because of the spike in crime. Perceived or otherwise. Nor is it necessarily because of the number of deaths on the road which has risen over the years.
And certainly not because of two jet engines — as well as large amounts of money — that have somehow flown out of the country.
No. It is because there are “devils” — in various manifestations and aberrations — lurking in modern-day and technology-savvy Malaysia.
Why, quite recently Malaysians were warned by the federal government — which is visibly concerned for the common good of ordinary Malaysians especially those who can be quite impressionable — of the cunning and naughty attempts by “foreign elements” to topple the present-day government through their funding of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Suaram, Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and online newspaper Malaysiakini.
Indeed, this is an issue of national import that would not and should not escape the rapt attention and deep concern of serious newspapers worth their salt. This explains why dailies such as the influential and socially responsible Utusan Malaysia had front-paged this plot in the hope that fellow Malaysians would be patriotic enough to be on high alert and to defend their beloved country when the occasion arises. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Utusan lied about church ticking off Penang CM’
By Lee Long Hui | 1:54PM Oct 8, 2012
Malaysiakini
Two Christian leaders quoted by Utusan Malaysia as having criticised the Penang chief minister, have slammed the report as a “complete lie”.
Lutheran Evangelical Church bishop Solomon Rajah and former Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) president Thomas Philips (right) said their words had been taken out of context in the report headlined ‘Church is not a place for politics’.
They have demanded a retraction of the report published in the Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia, and a public apology from the Umno-owned Utusan in its next edition.
Read the rest of this entry »
Nothing political in Penang dialogue, say pastors
Posted by Kit in Hishammuddin, Lim Guan Eng, Media, UMNO on Sunday, 7 October 2012
By Opalyn Mok
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 07, 2012
Penang church pastors have refuted allegations that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had engaged them in political talk recently. — File picture GEORGE TOWN, Oct 7 — Penang church pastors refuted today allegations in Utusan Malaysia that Lim Guan Eng had engaged them in political talk during a recent dialogue session, the latest black mark against the Umno daily in its reporting of the state chief minister.
The DAP secretary-general has been under fire by Umno leaders and Utusan Malaysia columnist Awang Selamat for allegedly telling Christians to stand up to injustice.
“There were no political speeches made during that luncheon dialogue session between the state government and us,” national co-ordinator of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship Pastor Sam Surendran told a press conference here this evening.
“I was present at the lunch dialogue session and all the pastors here also attended the session and we are refuting any claims that the chief minister had delivered any politicial speeches on that day,” he added.
The Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia had claimed Lim delivered a political speech at a church to garner votes for the upcoming elections. The news report had also quoted the Bishop of Lutheran Evangelical Church Rev Dr Solomon Rajah and National Church Council president Rev Dr Thomas Philips allegedly criticising Lim for using churches as a place to win votes. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib – more Brown than Blair?
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Elections, Media, Najib Razak on Saturday, 6 October 2012
No time like tomorrow
Malaysian politics
The Economist
Another budget, more cash handouts and more dithering over an election date
Oct 6th 2012 | SINGAPORE | from the print edition
THE prime minister, Najib Razak, fancies himself as the Tony Blair of Malaysian politics. Like the former British prime minister, Mr Najib purports to be a progressive reformer, on a mission to “modernise” his country. The British-educated Mr Najib also likes to pay as much attention to the spin on his policies as to their substance. He even hires former Blair advisers to make sure he gets it right.
For all that, Mr Najib increasingly resembles the hapless Gordon Brown, Mr Blair’s nemesis and successor. For years Mr Brown agitated to push his rival aside. When at last he succeeded, Mr Brown blew it by missing the chance to call an early election while he was still relatively popular. Rather than winning his own mandate, Mr Brown, unelected and indecisive, watched his authority drain away until he was boxed into calling an election right at the end of his term—which he then lost. Read the rest of this entry »
Defaming Penang CM akin to Nazi Germany tactics
Posted by Kit in Education, Lim Guan Eng, Media, Zairil Khir Johari on Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Zairil Khir Johari
Malaysiakini
Sep 29, 2012
Outrageous defamation of Guan Eng in the STPM trial examinations is nothing more than a malicious personal attack based on fabricated lies and a shameless attempt at brainwashing students.
According to press reports, state-wide STPM trial examinations in Johor contain an inflammatory question-and-answer scheme that asserts the implication that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s “warning” to schools in Penang not to subscribe to Malay mainstream newspapers is “racist and impeding integration among races”.
The essay question requires students to discuss the hypothesis that “integration among races can be achieved through national education system, but various challenges have to be overcome to realise this objective.”
According to the alleged answer scheme, one of the answers to this question was:
“The warning of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to 84 Chinese primary schools in the state to stop subscribing to Malay language mainstream newspapers is a racist action that impedes integration among races”. Read the rest of this entry »
A call for a more constructive media
― Bridget Welsh
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 24, 2012
SEPT 24 ― Too much of the reporting on political events within Malaysia is based on fabrications, rather than analysis anchored in research and responsible journalism. There has been noticeable decay in the professionalism of journalists, either from selling out their principles to engage in partisanship, or through the lack of proper mentorship or training.
Some of this is a product of the growing competitive political environment, where formerly more reliable mainstream papers have compromised their integrity for their political masters, while in other cases, the drive to publish the story first and make it the most sensational has comprised the due diligence of proper reporting.
Simple things, such as checking facts and quotes, have gone by the wayside. Worse yet, it has become acceptable for some to publish shoddy work, and rather than be chided for this practice, it is openly encouraged and financially rewarded.
Readers sometimes take what is published at face value, rather than adopting a more discerning approach to what they are reading. Too much of the discussion of politics is tied to misrepresentation and misunderstanding.
It is a time of political transition in Malaysia. The incumbent party that has held onto power since 1957 ― 55 years ― is facing the most competitive polls in history. At a public forum on Monday September 17th in Kuala Lumpur, I explained why based on polling trajectories and fieldwork, the Barisan Nasional (BN) has not regained significant ground since March 2008. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Smear campaign’, NGOs say of foreign plot claim
By Leannza Chia and Md Izwan
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 21, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 ― Activists said today they are now the target of a smear campaign after a number of newspapers aligned with Barisan Nasional (BN) published stories alleging organisations like SUARAM and Bersih took foreign funds as part of a plot to destabilise the country.
It is understood the stories appearing in mainstream newspapers and television news programmes are based on a skeleton plan produced by Putrajaya.
Today, the activists acknowledged to The Malaysian Insider that many of their organisations had received funds from foreign and local sources, but said the money was meant to help finance their respective causes such as to promote democratic practices and campaign for human rights.
They said the funds and their sources were not part of any plot, as suggested by a headline today on the front page of the Umno-controlled New Straits Times. Read the rest of this entry »
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