For those who are still not aware of this, the government ‘has never meddled’ in the management of news in the mainstream media including Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).
Well, at least that’s what Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek tried to assure us. According to a Bernama report:
Govt Never Meddle In News Selection – Shabery
Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the government has never meddled in the selection of news items by the media including those by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).
He said the media was free to decide on the priority and never directed for certain news to be carried or which should be dropped.
“We want the media to think what is news value. I have never directed on what news to be given priority or not and leave it to RTM and the other media to find decide on the priority,” he said after presenting prizes at the international Mandarin debating competition here tonight.
Ahmad Shabery was commenting on the statement by PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik that the media had given excessive coverage to the sodomy case of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim causing disgrace although he has yet to be proven guilty.
The Kelantan Menteri Besar was disappointed that Anwar’s arrest was given wide coverage while his release was only given brief mention.
This ministerial statement, however, raises a few questions. For instance, does this ‘non-intervention assurance’ also imply that the Home Ministry has never intervened in the affairs of the press although it has the power, under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), to do so?
And so, to follow through this ‘non-intervention’ contention, all this while RTM and the other media have been free to decide on their own what to write and report? Perhaps the lack of investigative reporting in the past was due to some quarters in the journalistic fraternity who were not too excited about it (i.e. investigative reporting)?
I was a member of the senior management team of one of the newspaper cos in Malaysia. It is a lot of nonsense to say that the government ‘has never meddled’.
If they are not controlled, we would not have patronised and pay for sites like Malaysiakini and respect RPK for his stance.
As for the so-called Minister, same as his debates with Anwar, you still have a lot to learn about economic management .As for the PM, he still has a lot to learn about staying awake.
Mainstream media- nowadays I never bothered to read any articles about BN and its cronies. Websites are more reliable.
Yes, it’s like tying invisible chains all over RTM and telling the whole world that RTM is free to report whatever they want. Huh! freedom my foot. The truth is they can’t even telecast your debate with Anwar. You are denying the rights of kampung folks to know the current affairs of the country. Keeping the truth away from them is in itself a passive intervention.
Malaysia has never been a place where they pratise freedom of speech (for Govt). Habisla then, we will be behind bars like RPK and others if they post our comments in MSMs (lol…Sg Buloh and other detention camps will be over-flowing with people like us!!!)
Who are they trying to hoodwink? The MSMs in Malaysia are so full of crap and i have stopped buying papers like many moons ago!
They are the Govt’s tools….
MALAYSIAN media – are not given freedom to write/broadcast THE TRUE COLOR MALAYSIAN Governments / BN / UMNO – by the Government, they FEAR THE TRUTH will be revealed
If MALAYSIAN media did write / broadcast THE TRUE COLOR of MALAYSIAN Governement / BN / UMNO – A warning will be given and their licence will be taken away (eg. The Star Newspaper in 1990s)
Malaysia is a Democratic country which does not have freedom to speak
- If you speak any TRUTH about MALAYSIA Governments / BN / UMNO – You will be behind bars under ISA
I’m a Singaporean – when I read Singapore newspapers about MALAYSIAN Government / BN / UMNO it reveals the TRUTH but when I come to Johor Bahru, all the media will cover up and change the whole story.
My advice – Stop wasting time buying local newspapers in MALAYSIA and watching/listening to cover up news from MALAYSIAN media.
Without RPK and Anuar – All TRUTH will be buried.
Save both of them – Before they are buried by Government’s Conspiracy.
Never? Never ever? Try the other leg lah, bro Shabby!
I used to teach my kids to not use ‘never’ unless they really understood its meaning! I wonder, do you think he does? Know the meaning of the word, I mean
Unless I’m an idiot, then I can’t see what’s happening in mainstream reporting. I’ve stop subscribing already and the person I pity a bit is the newsvendor. So carry on with what’s going on and I’m sure there’s gonna be more who will also STOP subscribing.
Stop fooling Malaysians lah, It is like fooling yourself. When have the mainstream media decided independently. It is all under the control of the government. Why do you think the Debate between Anwar and Sabery was not televised live on National TV even though the Info Minister took part? It was all part of censorship.
Does the honourable minister of information take all Malaysians as fools. look at the lop-sided reporting of all MSM nothing worth reading except propaganda and covering the a***** of the establishment.