Caught buying positive publicity, Najib and Taib now pariahs to the global media

As the world reels over the Murdoch phone-hacking scandal that saw the demise of The News of The World tabloid, another media scandal is starting to rock. CNN, BBC and CNBC are all rushing to contain the fallout and hoping that their industry regulators do not call for a similar public inquiry.

But if they do, it would not only jolt the networks into greater alertness but also suck Prime Minister Najib Razak and Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud into another tailspin of global contempt, which will surely have devastating repercussions for Malaysia's already-battered image.

Both men were caught red-handed buying glowing, gushing and good reports of themselves through a corrupt UK firm FBC Media. It is not unusual at all for top leaders to try to project a positive image, but surely none have gone to the depths of desperation or spent as much money as Najib has just to get a shot at world fame.

Cheating the people of the world

Perhaps, Najib and Taib are used to curtailing the local media, which is forced to report only favourable news and produce biased versions of the facts. They seem to believe that money can buy everything and have taken this pitch to the international media. In doing so, they have tainted the craft of journalism.

The global networks should now play their part and those who succuumbed to temptation should roll out the stiffest punishment. It is the only way to regain credibility.

The world media should also not allow such operations by both Najib and Taib to go unpunished. Instead, it should bring to the world’s attention these two leaders and their attempts to paint a false image to the international community and global investors.

The investments that the duo had hoped to pull into Malaysia with these 'interviews' are targeted to boost their own pet projects, many of which have complex and questionable offshore shareholdings.

"Certainly, we view this very seriously as once international investors get the perception that Malaysia cannot be trusted because their leaders buy 'good' image, who would want to consider Malaysia. Granted investors do their own due diligence, but with competition so hot for FDI, this is another reason why they may put Malaysia last. They may even increase due diligence requirements for anything Malaysia," Tian Chua, an opposition Member of Parliament, told Malaysia Chronicle.

Slap in the face for Malaysia

Indeed, it seems that in the two years Najib Razak has been prime minister, Malaysia has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The nation has become the laughing stock of the international community. It seems Malaysians not only have leaders who are not camera-shy but also have no qualms about using tax-payers money for their own dubious purposes, which include vanity and corruption.

The decision by CNBC to axe its flagship business show World Business over allegations of payouts by the Malaysian government to FBC Media, the producer of World Business, is a slap in the face for Malaysia. The whole world now sees Najib and Taib as two stereotypical banana-republic despots with such rotten records that they have to buy flattering image-makeovers for themselves.

According to Sarawak Report, FBC Media had close ties with APCO, the public relations consultancy with links to several top Israeli military leaders, to whom the Barisan Nasional government paid over RM70 million in annual fees to help promote his '1Malaysia' campaign after assuming office in 2009.

“Official disclosure documents to the United States Government show that FBC Media has paid a total of US$70,000 to APCO over the past two years to conduct a lobbying campaign in the United States on behalf of the Malaysian government," said Sarawak Report, adding that as a result, the Malaysian government had been frequently featured in positive light across all its programmes.

Not long ago, PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution had also questioned the role of FBC Media in Parliament, and as usual was met with stony silence. Official statistics have shown that the Prime Minister’s Department paid a total of RM57.68 million to FBC Media between 2008 and 2009. But that may not be the final bill and until the BN government sees fit to give a reply, Malaysians would never know.

As for Taib, Sarawak Report accused him of having paid US$5million or RM15million to FBC Media.

Simply sick

Meanwhile, hot on the heels of CNBC axing its business show, CNN has denied being paid to interview Najib Razak although questions remain about the role played by its anchor John Defterios, who was seen as being too “soft” on Najib, when he interviewed him over the July 9th Bersih rally.

The industry regulator's spotlight is now on the relationship between FBC Media — the British publicity firm led by Alan Friedman with Defterios still listed as its group president — and broadcasters like CNBC, CNN and the BBC.

CNN, BBC and CNBC have been quick to distance themselves from the media scandal wrought by both Najib and Taib. News institutions worldwide are putting in efforts to gain back credibility in the wake of the Murdoch scandal, and another as steeped in corruption as the Malaysian one does not help at this juncture. To say they are not happy with the Malaysian duo is understating it.

The depths to which both Najib and Taib have gone in order to give a skewed version of themselves, their actions and aspirations is deplorable. In the wake of allegation upon allegation of abuse of power and corruption during their terms of office, paying for 'good' coverage on international news to hide the truth is simply sick.

But a media-conscious Najib will find this hard to accept. To him, a good public image is everything - even above good governance and leadership skills.

Taib will fare better, having been in power longer than any other politician UMNO can raise. UMNO is Najib's ruling party, Taib belongs to the Sarawak-based PBB. He knows that the fear of UMNO entering Sarawak will keep him in power. The media can scream insults at Taib and he will simply brush it aside, but not Najib. The PM is in a much weaker state.

Najib’s image is purely built around the perception that he is doing his job as prime minister, when in reality, most if not all of his grandiose initiatives to improve the nation and its economy have come to naught. A global media-corruption storm will accelerate Najib's free-fall into obscurity as his local propaganda would never be able to face up to the scrutiny from an impartial inquiry.

- Malaysia Chronicle