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Saturday, December 25, 2010

TV chief entry to PMO fuels polls talk


December 25, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 — Umno-linked Media Prima Bhd’s television chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan has been seconded to the Prime Minister’s Department effective January 1, fuelling speculation of snap polls next year.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Farid is taking along five television executives with him for the secondment which is related to Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia concept.

“The full-time secondment is temporary and upon completion of the assignment, he is expected to return to assume his role in the company,” said Media Prima group managing director Datuk Amrin Awaluddin in a statement yesterday.

Amrin said that Ahmad Izham Omar, the current executive director of 8TV, CEO of Alt Media and head of Media Prima Radio Networks (MPRN), will replace Farid (picture) effective January 1.

“He will also assume the role of chief executive officer of Primeworks Studios Sdn Bhd, reporting to the group managing director,” said Amrin, adding that Izham would relinquish his position as heads of MPRN and executive director of 8TV.

In an internal memo, Media Prima named the five executives following Farid as Noor Amy Ismail, Noor Syazwani Abdul Rahman, Nurul Asyikin Ab Aziz, Nasir Taff and Eddy Sulaiman.

“Farid is an experienced advertising and media executive and that will count in working on the 1 Malaysia concept,” a Media Prima editor told The Malaysian Insider.

The prime minister’s 1 Malaysia concept has come under fire from political foes Pakatan Rakyat (PR), who accuse Najib (picture)of using public strategist APCO Worldwide’s previous campaign for former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak called One Israel.

Najib has denied the claims, saying he thought of the concept which is also the name of his blog before he became prime minister in April 2009.

Parliament suspended opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for six months last week over his claims that 1 Malaysia is a carbon-copy of One Israel. Anwar changed his tack yesterday by saying his taunt was about accountability in giving the public relations contract to APCO which he claimed was linked to undemocratic regimes.

In what was seen as a response to Anwar’s suspension, The PR government in Selangor banned the 1 Malaysia logo in all billboards in the state this week, raising an outrage among Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers.

Despite the furore, it is learnt that Farid and his team will work on the concept that includes the tagline “People First. Performance Now.” which former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said remains confusing to the people at large.

Farid is the second professional roped into the Najib administration in the last few months. Former Reuters Malaysia correspondent Abdul Jalil Abdul Hamid was seconded from the Securities Commission (SC) to join the prime minister’s national communication team.

The team works on messaging and communication for the entire government and has been active in ensuring positive reports in the local and international media, a role once outsourced to APCO Worldwide.

The slew of appointments and postponement of elections within the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) parties have ramped up talk of snap polls next year.

The Malaysian Insider reported earlier today that Najib met his counterparts from other BN parties last week to discuss preparations for the polls. The BN has a mandate until May 2013

The Umno president remains popular among the people, scoring a 69 per cent approval rating in a recent Merdeka Center survey, just down from 72 per cent in a previous survey. The dip was attributed to recent price hikes after the government cut subsidies for fuel and sugar.

Umno has toned down its race rhetoric while a BN convention was held recently to chart the ruling coalition’s strategies ahead of elections.

BN lost its traditional two-thirds parliamentary majority in Election 2008, and Najib, who became prime minister after Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was pressured to resign, is understood to be keen on winning his own mandate.

The ruling federal coalition has won only five out of 13 by-elections held since the March 2008 general elections but is expected to retain the Tenang seat against PAS, which will represent Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the January 30 vote.

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