The call by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for free and fair media coverage on the imminent polls strikes at the core of what have made Malaysian elections a mockery of democracy.

A shackled and unfair media is one of the fundamental flaws because electoral democracy is a game of perception. And perception is shaped by the media.

Hence, an electoral contest with one contestant monopolizing the media to the exclusion of his adversary is akin to a debating competition where one debater is using a microphone to speak to the audience while the other is without.

And the Malaysian media is notorious for its biased reporting, as Barisan Nasional (BN) has never been shy of exploiting it to the fullest. The ruling coalition’s iron-grip on the entire spectrum of the local mass media (save the Internet) is used to advance its political fortune.

Such complete control is made possible through a combination of repressive legislation and media ownership as the BN government possesses the arbitrary power to grant or terminate any media license (print or electronic) and all such media are owned either by the BN component parties or their allies.

Public TV and radio, which are legally bound to be politically neutral, have long been corrupted by BN to serve its parochial political interests – a practice that has emphatically breached our Constitution.

David vs Goliath media war 

With such unlimited media power at the sole disposal of a ruling power as ruthless as BN, one can imagine what the scenario to be seen at a Malaysian general election.

It will not be a democratic one for sure. More likely, it will look like giant Goliath fighting little David as far media war is concerned. And yet, it is the media that influence the mind, and the mind that influences the vote.

Granted that advancement in Internet has somewhat mitigated the unlevel playing field. Nonetheless current online usage in Malaysia is nowhere near a stage that would enable the opposition to be able to meaningfully counter BN’s vicious propaganda perpetrated through the mainstream media.

TV, radio and newspapers are still the regular information feeders that an overwhelming majority of Malaysians still depend on, particularly those in the rural areas.

And the opposition’s serious handicap in information dissemination is further compounded by the short 8 to 10-day campaign period (though the allowable period is 60 days). It is a practice perpetrated in recent decades by an obviously manipulated election commission (EC) to favour BN.

With such a ridiculously truncated campaign period, it is impossible for the opposition to carry its message – not to mention counter BN’s false propaganda – to far-flung territory that includes the hinterlands across the South China Sea.

More than any other factor, BN’s monopolistic abuse and exploitation of the mass media, coupled with the indecently brief campaign period, has accounted for BN’s unfailing victory in every general election thus far.

BN no match For Pakatan in fair contest

Surveying the current scenario ahead of the election, what we see is a fundamentally altered political landscape.

On one side of the battlefield is an aged and decadent coalition with antiquated policies, kept in power by dint of its grip on the state machinery. On the other, a newly emerged coalition brimming with ideas to rejuvenate the nation, with proven record of sound governance in the states they control.

Under such circumstances, it is fair to say that BN should be no match for Pakatan Rakyat in a free and fair contest, more so with the current trend of dissent against dictatorships that has swept across the world including our region.

But of course, we have never had a free and fair contest, and in fact, our tilted playing field has gone from bad to worse.

It is in the realization that we may once again be cheated of a fair choice of government that hitherto docile voters have risen to brave the brutal crackdown on the Bersih 2.0 rally demands for a fair election.

Given the extreme lopsidedness of Malaysian elections, any chance of fairplay in the coming poll hinges on the effectiveness of the current attempt at electoral reform and whether the flaws are rectified.

Stop the info monopoly

The recent focus by the parliamentary select committee and EC on introducing indelible ink and advance voting in lieu of postal voting is of course a welcome improvement.

But we must be cautious not to allow such concessions to blur our priorities, top among which is the mandatory practice of free and fair and non-discriminatory media coverage for all contestants. And of course, the current unconstitutional abuse of public media (TV, radio, national news agency, etc) to disseminate biased information in favour of BN has to cease forthwith.

This is something that BN can do right away without waiting for new legislation or alteration of election regulations.  All that is needed is the political will and commitment to honour the letter and spirit of our Constitution.

Knowing the critical importance of free media to democratic election, it should be made a non-negotiable issue.

I have no doubt that Bersih 2.0, political parties and all who cherish democracy will stand very firm in our demand that BN pledges solemnly to restore free and fair media coverage as a prerequisite to a return to democratic election.