The role of the media

Actually, many things are happening in Malaysia (plus all over the world) that are not always in favour of the government, Umno, Barisan Nasional, the Royal Family, and whatnot. The only thing is a lot of this news goes unreported and sometimes are purposely ‘blacked out’ while unfavourable news about the opposition is widely reported.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

This week, High Court judge Datuk V. T. Singham ruled in favour of A. Kugan, the detainee who was killed while under police detention.

This week, Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Md Raus Shariff, struck off Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s application to set aside a civil suit brought against him by the person he beat up.

This week, Tunku Nick Tazuddin Izwan Syah Tunku Qadir, a member of the Johor Royal Family, was sentenced to four years’ jail for assaulting a national boxer in a brawl last year.

This week, a former three-term MIC state assemblyman, M. Kuppusamy, was given a 10-year jail term after he lost his appeal to set aside his conviction and sentence for committing criminal breach of trust.

This week, my old school friend, Mohd Yahya Mat Sahri was sentenced to two years jail plus given two strokes of the whip for cheating.

On top of that, this week, two American anti-Islam activists were banned from entering Britain because they were planning to speak at an anti-Islam rally this weekend.

Actually, many things are happening in Malaysia (plus all over the world) that are not always in favour of the government, Umno, Barisan Nasional, the Royal Family, and whatnot. The only thing is a lot of this news goes unreported and sometimes are purposely ‘blacked out’ while unfavourable news about the opposition is widely reported.

This is the work of someone up on the ‘fourth floor’ or those within the Prime Minister’s office. And this stupid move does more harm than good to the government.

Maybe their intention is to not allow too much bad publicity regarding the government and to play up bad publicity regarding the opposition. Hence it appears like those in the corridors of power (royalty included) can get away with murder (sometimes literally) whereas even a small mistake by the opposition is pursued ‘sampai ke lubang cacing’.

Putrajaya, in particular the Prime Minister’s office, needs to review its media ‘policy’. They should allow any and all ‘bad’ reports regarding the government, especially when these perpetrators are brought to book. Then the public can see that although there may be a lot of transgressions and wrongdoings by those who walk in the corridors of power, there are also many who walk in the corridors of power who are made to pay for their crimes.

No doubt, initially, it may appear like an epidemic of crime is sweeping the country. However, eventually, Malaysians will be able to see that many who commit these crimes eventually face the music and do not escape just because they walk in the corridors of power.

Malaysia needs more good news. And this ‘good news’ would be the ‘bad news’ regarding the government. More bad news about the government means more good news for Malaysians. And this bad news would actually have the reverse affect that the government thinks it will have. Bad news about the government makes the people happy and is it not the intention of the government to make the people happy?

Oh, and that report about the UK banning two Americans from entering the country. This just goes to show that ‘hate’ campaigns are not allowed in the UK even if the government needs to ban people from ‘friendly’ countries.

In Malaysia, we hide behind freedom of opinion when we call Malays ‘lembu’ or Chinese ‘babi’ or Indians ‘ular’. That is not freedom of opinion, as many of you try to justify. Those are racial slurs and are a crime in the UK. Even calling a Pakistani ‘Paki’ can get you into trouble.

Anyway, if there is anyone out there who would like to step onto a stage to debate the subject of racism with me I shall be very happy to accommodate you. The only criteria is one of your parents must be Chinese and the other Malay while your spouse must be Indian (or however the ‘mix’ may be). If not then you do not qualify to debate racism with me.

A Malaysian from a same-race marriage who also married someone from his/her same race can go to hell. I have no time to debate with you because I regard you as a racist.