Today is a day of infamy for Malaysian journalism – with the UMNO publication Utusan Malaysia defending the indefensible instead of apologizing for being the foremost “Lies-paper” in Malaysia in the past three years under the premiership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
At a forum on social media organized by Biro Tata Negara (BTN) of the Prime Minister’s Department and the 1Malaysia Social Media Convention secretariat, Utusan Malaysia’s deputy chief editor Mohd Zaini Hassan claimed that media practitioners are allowed to spin the facts to paint a “desired picture” to the reader and to launch a “gentlemanly attack” against the Opposition.
Claiming that there are three categories of “fact, spin and blatant lies”, Zaini purports to distance himself from “lies” but gives his approval to “spin”, saying: “Spin we can; no matter how we spin a certain fact to be biased in our favour, that’s okay.”
Zaini is insulting the intelligence of Malaysians in trying a “spin of all spins” attempting to pass off lies and blatant lies as mere “spin”!
Spin must clearly be delineated from lies and blatant lies. Spin occurs when facts are linked in a deceptive way that attempts to portray an individual or organization in the best or worst possible light.
But what Utusan had been most guilty off in the past three years is not just deception through “spinning” certain facts while omitting other facts, but the retailing of downright lies and falsehoods.
A good case in point are the “blatant lies” in the Utusan Malaysia front-page story on Monday, July 9, 2012 that the DAP would contest 90 of the 222 parliamentary seats to dominate Pakatan Rakyat and appoint the Prime Minister in the 13th general election.
This was part of an irresponsible, unprincipled, malicious and anti-national campaign by UMNO propagandists to stoke baseless racial suspicion, distrust and fear that the Malays will lose political power if UMNO is defeated and the Barisan Nasional replaced by Pakatan Rakyat in the 13th general election as there is simply no kernel of truth in such a claim.
What is even more disgusting and totally against all tenets of ethical and responsible journalism is that Utusan completely ignored the denials issued by DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders debunking the Utusan front-page lies the very same day of their publication, including my media statement that although final seat allocations between Pakatan Rakyat parties have still to be fully completed, “DAP is not contemplating contesting more than 60 parliamentary seats or less than 28 per cent of the total 222 parliamentary seats.
Utusan Malaysia completely ignored these denials and through planted reports and articles in the past four days tried to keep alive the lie that the DAP would contest 90 seats – including a report on Wednesday, 11th July 2012 quoting the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein attacking the DAP for wanting to contest 90 seats in the 13GE (as if Hishammuddin does not know nor care that the DAP had pronounced the Utusan report a lie!)
Utusan resort to such blatant lies is not to launch a “gentlemanly attack” on the Opposition, but a most irresponsible, mischievous and diabolical attack, as when Utusan on another occasion front-paged another lie that the DAP wanted to establish a Christian Malaysia and appoint a Christian Prime Minister.
Malaysian taxpayers are entitled to know why is UMNO/Barisan Nasional government giving its blessing to such unethical and dishonest journalism by being involved in the social media convention through the Biro Tata Negara of the Prime Minister’s Department, not only to disseminate unethical and dishonest principles of journalism and its application in the social media, but to carry out what is clearly divisive and destructive social activities which could only undermine inter-racial harmony, national unity and 1Malaysia nation-building.
Most importantly, is this confirmation that Biro Tata Negara (BTN) of the Prime Minister’s Department is back in business as the most
divisive and destructive brain-washing centre in the country, dividing instead of uniting Malaysians regardless of race, religion, region, class, age or gender despite earlier assurances that BTN is being reformed into a truly Malaysian rather than racist institution?
A paper that’s not even fit for toilet use. No wonder the circulation is sinking like a stone. Sue them, make them pay damages. It’s the court which decides if “spin” is slander or libel. Reduce UMNO’s coffers.
Not only Utusan Melayu but the whole government controlled media, its departments and institutions as well.
They also have the whole-hearted support of the many ‘BN friendly’ Independent MPs, Senators, other individuals and NGOs.
This confirms that mass brainwashing is well in process.
Can government statements, information, reports and statistics be believed and relied upon?
Our History has been re-written and misreported and we may have to ‘unlearn’ many things.
Najib has truly ‘Transformed’ the landscape and poisoned the people’s minds.
We urgently need to find our way back to the true path.
///At a forum on social media organized by Biro Tata Negara (BTN) of the Prime Minister’s Department and the 1Malaysia Social Media Convention secretariat, Utusan Malaysia’s deputy chief editor Mohd Zaini Hassan claimed that media practitioners are allowed to spin the facts to paint a “desired picture” to the reader and to launch a “gentlemanly attack” against the Opposition.///–the author
To paint a picture desired by the artist says that the artist can create what he wants. That is what Mohd Zaini Hassan thinks that it is alright for him to lie, or to slander, but the law of the land clearly forbids such action. If lying is considered a gentlemanly action by Utusan, then god knows what are not gentlemanly which Utusan practices all the time.
///Biro Tata Negara (BTN) of the Prime Minister’s Department is back in business as the most divisive and destructive brain-washing centre in the country…///
Mr PM, is your 1Malaysia for real or just cheap talk to fish votes?
How can we have ministers blinded by lies?
BUT they lie – again and again obviously. Is someone that can’t tell the difference between a spin and a lie AND is STILL WRONG about spinning EVEN QUALIFIED FOR A JOB AS A JOURNALIST? – A Journalist? Its not even Advertising.. Its Defamation…
Utusan is not just lying – its a criminal by most developed country standards. Its simply organised crime – legal organised crime.
In March 2012 launch of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, PM Najib had boasted how he respected freedom of the press and how the media had achieved more freedom under his watch. He said, “Since I become prime minister, Malaysia has moved up 9 places in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, even as the likes of the United States and Great Britain have slid down”. However when Utusan Malaysia’s deputy chief editor claimed that “media practitioners are allowed to spin the facts to paint a “desired picture” to the reader and to launch a “gentlemanly attack” against the Opposition”, is that the kind of “press freedom” envisaged by the PM (that has moved up nine places) – ie the freedom (nay license) for mainstream media to liberally spin and slant the truth and launch a “gentlemanly attack” against the Opposition”??
Ayooh, that guy does not know what he is saying and doing. This government and their cronies have gone so far that they can no longer see what is right from what is wrong. They have lose their sense and direction. Looks like whatever can help them to survive this election, is OK. Looks like GE 13 by hook or by crook, looks more like the latter.
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THAT WE SHOULD ALL BOYCOTT PETRON PETROL STATION. LET US TEACH MAD-HAT-TIR / HIS SON A LESSON. PLEASE BOYCOTT PETRON, OR USE PETRON LAST.
We need to change the tenant at Putrajaya. GE 13 is coming soon. If there are no significant electoral reforms, first to Bersih 4.0, then to GE 13, then to Putrajaya.
Change we must. Change we can. Change we will.
Yes,boycott all umno f##king anak h##am putra’s kanniabou businessess.Let them rot with their souls.Never go for mamak’s food or if those racist places.Espeacially in Penang!!50 over years of blindly supporting them( the country’s greatest destroyer of economy,race,religion and what f##king things you can name them!)-is really really ENOUGH!!!!!!WE WANT_ ANYTHING BUT UMNO_THAT’S IT!!!
Boycott Utusan and Star.Make sure these two toilet papers disappear totally.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/203561
Soi Lek’s perverted logic– just look at what he did to angela yummm
http://i.imgur.com/OSmO0.jpg
This is the expression on the face of my cat after it has watched Soilek’s hotelroom porn video
We should campaign for national boycott of toilet papers like Star and Utusan to stop shameless people like Zaini, Wong Chun Wai, and Joceline from spreading blatant lies!
An intelligent comment by me under moderation turns me off.
///The crime rate reportedly dropped 10.1 percent to 63,221 cases between January and May compared to 70,343 cases over the corresponding period last year.///–MalaysiaToday
Acquitted 4,265 [21st of 30]
Bribe payers index 3.9 [15th of 19]
Car thefts 55,879 [13th of 46]
Drug offences 48.6 per 100,000 people [19th of 46]
Embezzlements 4,212 [14th of 36]
Frauds 2,000 [37th of 48]
Jails 26,294 [1st of 80]
Judges and Magistrates 357 [31st of 35]
Prisoners 39,258 prisoners [33rd of 168]
Prisoners > Female 9% [8th of 134]
Prisoners > Foreign prisoners 39.6% [11th of 86]
Prisoners > Per capita 161 per 100,000 people [54th of 164]
Prisoners > Share of prison capacity filled 122.5% [57th of 128]
Software piracy rate 59% [59th of 107]
Total crimes 167,173 [32nd of 50]
DEFINITION: Note: Crime statistics are often better indicators of prevalence of law enforcement and willingness to report crime, than actual prevalence.
SOURCE: Fifth Annual BSA and IDC Global Software Piracy Study///–http://www.nationmaster.com/country/my-malaysia/cri-crime
The above statistics says that there were 167,173 crimes committed in the most recent year, and car theft alone accounts for 55,879 cases. There are on average 150 car theft cases a day and this is hardly ever reported. There must have been about the same number of snatch theft, and only those that caused death get reported. The police should not talk only about the reduction in crime rate, it should not tolerate any incidence of crimes at all.
‘Intelligence’ is subjective. It might just be not your day.
So it is your good good day…. Sheriff.
Intelligence means use brain and think before posting.
You have learn alot from reading …young man.
Good for you.
“…At a forum on social media organized by Biro Tata Negara (BTN) of the Prime Minister’s Department and the 1Malaysia Social Media Convention secretariat, Utusan Malaysia’s deputy chief editor Mohd Zaini Hassan claimed that media practitioners are allowed to spin the facts to paint a “desired picture” to the reader and to launch a “gentlemanly attack” against the Opposition….”
BTN and Utusan, birds of a feather or, shall we say “vipers with the same poison”.
It really boggles the mind how seriously these clowns are in denial. They spin and lie so much that I suspect they actually believe their own lies!! Blithely they organised forums such as these hoping against hope they can convince the public they are not the malicious, lying and destructive organizations that everyone can clearly see.
Its confirmed. Utusan (therefore umno) spins but does not lie. Lets take one issue at a time. So it is admitted. Utusan does spin. Spinning is bad enough. But utusan does not seem bothered one single bit. The point is utusan spins its stories. And it is now clear that utusan = spinner.
What about lying?. Doesnt utusan ever lie? No utusan claimed. If anything, they were just spins not lies. Wait a second, utusan. Errr about that “utusan doesnt lie” claim, it is another spin, like all the other spins? And so the claim that “utusan does not lie” is just a spin (to put utusan and therefore umno in good light) but not a lie? OMG, this logic screw me brains up real good man.
And what about the claim that guan eng’s son molested a certain HK chess player in penang. I know, utusan merely quoted a claim posted by a blogger. But failure by utusan to check the facts makes utusan equally culpable of – hmmm, now what the hell is it?, lie? no? well wtf – spin (it is).
Bottom line. Lying is not ok. But spinning is. Know what I mean, people. Let party people. Spin some stories.
UmonB/BN kakis n editors of msm – all CHEATing SPIDERS, busy SPINNING lies