'Show the original Bernama photo, please'

YOURSAY 'A picture, goes an adage, is worth a thousand words. Not any more. Technology ensures its worth far more and we have learnt to make the camera lie into a fine art of deception.'

No 'doctoring' of photo, says Bernama editor-in-chief

Wira: If Bernama is referring to the photograph shown in this page, I certainly think it is poorly doctored. See the giant in white shirt in the centre of the photo, just beside the flag? He is at least two feet taller than themakcik (auntie) beside him.

If the auntie is five feet tall, we have the giant at seven feet. Even my 15-year-old nephew can do a better job. Post the raw digital shot on the Internet, if you dare.

Odin: I have blown up the above photograph to 200 percent. (When blown up to 250 percent, the pixelation was too bad.) I don't know, but there seems something not quite right with it.

The scales of certain figures don't seem to be right when compared to those close to them. I have been taking photos myself with a wide range of lenses - from fisheye to telephoto to super-wide angle, from various positions (angles) - using the top-range Canon SLR.

Some of the photos I have taken were enlarged to ‘wall -size' and used in exhibitions. Meaning, I am not that ignorant of photography.

If I could study the original photo (the above must have been reduced), and if it has come in hi-resolution, perhaps I may be able to tell for sure if it has been doctored.

Karma: If PM Najib Razak is a crowd puller, then why need for the lucky draws, letters of mandatory attendance, free bus and LRT rides and pocket money to attend the recent Merdeka bash?

Qr..!: Yes, no doubt he is a crowd puller. The issue here is we don't mind if he pulls the money out from his pocket instead of the taxpayers'. He is gaining popularity using all our money.

Wira: If I go around distributing money like Santa Claus, I also can be a crowd-puller. Libya's Muammar Gaddafi was once a crowd-puller too, and so was Egypt's Hosni Mubarak.

Blind Freddo: This is a fascinating news article... no doubt written by a spin doctor. It says an awful lot of nothing. It never actually lies, it just distorts the truth.

It uses a whole lot of irrelevant details to substantiate a fact that only needed to be clearly stated. The word for today will be 'obfuscate' to confuse, bewilder and stupefy.

Mirror on the Wall: A picture, goes an adage, is worth a thousand words. Not anymore. Technology ensures its worth far more and we have learnt to make the camera lie into a fine art of deception.

LittleGiant: Open house events held by VVIPs and VIPs from the government and political parties to celebrate the many national festivals in our country are, in general, crowd pullers. These are just 'make me feel happy' events for both the host and the guests.

There is nothing serious about it. Photos of these events, whether genuine or not, do not really matter much. The photos do not necessarily have to reflect the popularity of the VVIP or the VIP concerned or the public support he or she claims to enjoy.

What matters most is how many of the people at these open house events are registered voters and how many of them would actually translate their votes to support these politicians at the elections.

True support for politicians do not depend on what kind of crowd they could pull at their open house events. True support should come from the hearts of the people in their demand for good governance.

Odin: I think whoever the opposition senator was who had issued the statement would have done better by picking on something else, something more serious. The crowds at the PM's official residence during the Hari Raya open house have always been large. It's nothing extraordinary.

The crowd size is not necessarily reflective of the popularity of the particular PM, as most of those who visit are really there for the novelty of it. I have been to the former Sri Perdana - but that was because I did not have to queue up.

Onyourtoes: Nothing surprise me anymore - fake tweets, fake statistics, fake electoral rolls, fake ICs, fake citizenship, so what is there to adding another fake? I hope those in the photo would come forward to confirm or deny the story.

Balakrishnan Nair: The fact is, this photo was from Bernama and so it is difficult to accept that it was not doctored. That's the price you pay for your reputation.

Teh Kee-Keat: Since Najib is so popular, why has he been postponing polls to seek fresh mandate for his premiership from the people till almost the end of his tenure?

I think Bernama - again - has the answer for the PM: "We do not have the time to indulge in irrational endeavours" since elections are to date irrational, are they not?

Phantoms and foreigners can vote, a 12-year-old can give consent to statutory rape while a 20-year-old can't vote.

We The Rakyat: When it is difficult to explain why Malaysians flock in large number to the PM's open house, the next best thing for the ‘spin doctors' is to accuse that the photos were doctored.

It's okay to fool yourselves, it's a kind of false security.

Telestai!: Bernama is BN's spin doctor-cum-apologist par excellence. I'd be surprised if the picture in question is not doctored. Be that as it may, I'd preferred that they use the services of a professional graphic artist.

2zzzxxx: Well, Utusan Malaysia editor-in-chief has proudly agreed in court that the newspaper did not give balanced reporting so it won't be surprising for Bernama to admit to doctoring pictures to show the crowd that was never there.

Bernama is not a news agency but is part of Umno's propaganda arm.

Armageddon: Ya-lah, we love the PM, we love BN. Call for election now, please. - Malaysiakini