As part of its media onslaught on its Malay readership and aimed at provoking an extremist and emotional Malay response to the outcome of the recent elections, Utusan Malaysia has now found its academic champion.
Kedua-dua pihak, sama ada ia parti pemerintah ataupun parti pembangkang, berhak untuk mendapat liputan yang setara daripada media nasional. Justeru itu, tidak wajar bagi Pakatan Rakyat bersikap acuh tak acuh apabila diperlekehkan oleh RTM yang hanya menawarkan masa singkat 10 minit untuk mempersembahkan manifesto pilihanraya mereka di kaca TV.
Hindraf has fallen foul not only of the official and BN propaganda machine but it has also now been demonized in the alternative internet media by cynics who feel that Hindraf’s call to the political parties to support its blueprint...
Should the Barisan Nasional win the election – as is likely to happen if the unfair media access and biased coverage issue is not redressed – it will be too late for Pakatan Rakyat to complain. Equal media access and balanced coverage is the No.1 game changer and PR must necessarily draw a line in the sand on this demand.
The lack of dialogue and/or refusal of the government to enter into a dialogue with disaffected citizens and people – whether from Malaysia, Sulu or elsewhere – will sooner or later force them into any number of precipitate actions viz. demonstrations of public prayer, fasting and candlelight vigils; massive civil disobedience, occupy movements, taking to the streets, urban and rural guerrilla warfare and revolution.