Letter to the editor in Malaysiakini headlined ‘Time for our blogosphere to mature’ (Jan 28) singled out CPI and referenced our centre as priding ourselves on “providing accurate information??? and being an “uncompromising watchdog???.
‘Jo Lint’ also claimed that “in an article just prior to article pleading for [MACC] neutrality, [Lim Teck Ghee’s] piece entitled Lawyers’ submission on Perak MB case (2) lacks that very neutrality he champions.
If Jo Lint feels that the CPI and I lack neutrality, I can only say we try our best to live up to our ideals.
However, the function of a watchdog does not mean that our small staffed website needs to provide equal coverage to the Government side.
After all, the BN by virtue of its incumbency dominates media output in an almost virtual monopoly, and lately even in virtual space, as seen in the Umno-linked Facebook activity against non-Muslims using the word ‘Allah’.
This follows on from the BN control of the airwaves, saturation penetration of black propaganda through print media, Information Ministry, Biro Tata Negara, and other government and quasi-government agencies since the early days.
And not to forget the RM20 million reportedly paid out to a topnotch international public relations agency by Prime Minister Najib Razak shortly after assuming office.
The Perak MB vs MB case
On the specific allegation by Jo Lint that “only submissions by Nizar’s lawyers were presented [and] submissions by Zambry’s lawyers were left out???, we had sent an e-mail to Zambry Abdul Kadir’s lead counsel Cecil Abraham on Dec 1, 2009 requesting the same. In our e-mail, we said, “The Centre for Policy Initiatives website would appreciate publishing the text of your arguments in full to give a sense of balance …???
We did not receive any response from Datuk Cecil or his office. Jo Lint may be able to have better access than us and I am sure his/her submission on their behalf will be widely welcomed by the Government media.
Rather than pick on bloggers who are contributing independent analyses on their own limited resources in trying to get the other side of the story across (when pitted against the juggernaut of the BN behemoth – often using taxpayers’ money!), Jo Lint would do better to ponder on how unlevel the information playing field presently is and the importance of rectifying it.
Over the last five decades, official propaganda peddled by the ruling party and pushed by its operatives in the mass media has portrayed the Umno and BN point of view as the middle ground based on their own projection of ‘objective’ fact.
This half century of political spinning and consequential mental conditioning appears to have achieved a measure of success as Jo Lint and others of similar ilk seem convinced by the BN media claim of accuracy, ethics and upholding the people’s interests when the reality is quite the opposite.
No wonder the struggle for a better Malaysia is such an uphill struggle.
_________________________________________________________
The Malaysiakini letter can be read here.
Related articles:Lawyers’ submissions on Perak MB case
Lawyer’s submission on Perak MB case (2)
