Media Statement by Tony Pua, DAP National PublicitySecretary and Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 28 August 2011
Rais Yatim must take responsibility for the most despicable piece ofincendiary false news reporting on national TV and ensure that thoseresponsible for it are sacked immediately.
TV1 last nite reported in its 8pm prime-time newson the existence of “Murtads in Malaysia & Singapore” Facebookgroup. What is most despicable andsickening is TV1 highlighting the alleged association of DAP leaders such asTan Kok Wai, Charles Santiago, Dr Boo Cheng Hau, Ean Yong Hian Wah with theGroup. TV1 even placed the spotlight onthe chairman of Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) and ADUN for Kota Damansara DrNasir Hashim insinuating the betrayal of his own faith.
The “news” report is obviously calculated toinflame sentiments and anger among Malays and Muslims in the country,especially towards Pakatan Rakyat whose leaders’ names were “found” to be part of the group.
The problem is those responsible in TV1 obviouslydid not bother to find the truth to the story but went ahead to make the baselessinsinuations above. TV1 either were tooignorant to know, or did not want to know the fact that the “add to group”function in Facebook is such that you cannot prevent a group administrator fromadding you to any group. There is norequirement to secure one’s permission or approval for adding a Facebook memberto a Group.
Therefore all of the accused “supporters” of theFacebook page did not intend to, or never knew they had “joined” the Group. TV1 was completely unethical in its reportingby not first verifying the above information with the relevant people who were “implicated”by the Facebook page, especially since they were Pakatan Rakyat leaders whowere easily accessible.
Hence instead of making a news report to cite theexistence of the “Murtads in Malaysia & Singapore” Facebook page andcriticising the administrators for wantonly adding Pakatan Rakyat leaders tothe page and to cause anger among the people, TV1 chose to emphasize thesupposed support shown by these leaders to the page. TV1 must be charged for making anddisseminating false news to incite hatred among ordinary Malaysians.
The false TV1 news report follows closely anotherfake news aired by TV3 on 21 August which claimed the proselytization by atuition centre in Old Klang Road after complaints by a non-existent “SurauAl-Musyrikin”.
It is absolutely clear that the above incendiaryand seditious false news reports by the Government-owned and UMNO-associatedmedia organisations are part of a systematic and orchestrated campaign todivide the people and retain power for Barisan Nasional in the next generalelections. The desperation of the Najibadministration is so deep that “to win at all cost”, BN is willing to not onlyspread false news, but also to use the highly-charged religious sentiments totear the country apart.
We condemn the actions of the TV stations in the strongestpossible terms and demand that the Minister of Information, Communications andCulture Dato’ Seri Dr Rais Yatim apologise on behalf of the TV stations formaking false and seditious news reports. Dr Rais must also conduct an immediate investigation into the completelylack of professionalism in both TV1 and TV3 and insist that the responsibleparties are removed from the posts.
The most unethical and irresponsible news from RTM TV1 reflected its Ministry and Minister Rais Yatim! Rowing out false and fake information/news. Rais himself is in a mess, what else with RTM. Who cares? Pariah Federal Government!!! Low class, SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
Wake up lah, d dirtiest war aimed at winning d next GE has begun
Lies n more lies will b thrown at d grassroot heartland Malays 2 convince them dat PR r devils n UmnoB/BN r their saviours
Don’t expect TV1 n other msm 2 cross check facts 4 they r all tools of UmnoB/BN (just like Jab Kimia M’sia n gov hospitals) meant 2 spread lies n more lies 4 UmnoB/BN
SUE them mah 4 defamation n spreading lies
TV1 boss said, “What to do, bruder. Jibb perintah, we follow. Otherwise we hilang our periuk nasi. Raya is dekat, you mau our keluarga to starve?”
In the early days of the libyan revolt, TV shows thousands of Gaddafi supporters waving flags in Tripoli’s Green Square. Today no such supporters are available. This shows that once the despot is kicked out, his “supporters” will immediately switch sides. Expect TV1 and utusan to do the same.
Just add and link Rais. Najib, Rosmah, Hishamuddin etc etc ‘s name to the list and viola!! they are all also sympathisers or even murtads.
Think about it.
Educate them about Facebook and other ‘technologies’.
They need to tell more lies…half truths in favor of them…and Rais Yatim is doing his part.
Rias Yatim is a low class politician…a turncoat..
i do hope he stands for 13th GE and get clobbered for sure.
REAL SIGN OF DESPERATION! When you are bankrupt of ideas to motivate then you turned to lies, and more lies! And this Rais fellow is supposed to hold a PhD; in what course if one may ask? Maybe it sounds more like the last word in the question that I ASK!
Basically, the truth is the fear of losing all the Dreams that they had planned for themselves; that loss is of more concern to them than ensuring the nation can compete; so all our talks on motivation and competition do not mean anything to them; including cintanegara or even Lufti; they have no concern to the welfare of the nation; only interested in grabbing what can be grabbed! This is the philosophy that they had learned the day thay wanted to learn something in life. On this they would want to emplace the future of the community!! We can all fold our arms and wait!!
That our printed/TV media ventriloquises the official BN line in service of political propaganda is something expected at least amongst the educated/literate readership, so there is no need belabor more to stress this point. (The goal of propaganda is afterall not upholding truth. It is to manage people’s perception and prevent people from questioning the message or from thinking critically outside the perameters of the message so that the message is considered an unchallangeable truth). What is interesting is that this “linking” of PR leaders to Murtads in Malaysia & Singapore” Facebook group represents (1) an attempt to cross over to the unregulated/unlicensed Internet space and utilise materials there for propaganda leverage the licensed (news/TV) media space (2) a shift to less nuanced and more blatant approach at scare bogeyman tactics focusing of late on sensitive race/religious issues.
Maybe BN’s disinformation warriors-cum-perception managers think that (1) is a way to tackle and meet the growing challenge of alternative uncontrollable internet sites/blogs/face whilst (2) implies the BN apparent shift without pretence to depend entirely on canvassing for the divided Malay/Muslim Vote having entirely given up on MCA/Gerakan to deliver the Chinese votes in the imminent GE. The propaganda keeps focussing on PR being complicit to make Malays lose state powers, PAS’s Mat Sabu wants to go Republic or Communist, amid hysteria of fake news of poselytization by a tuition centre in Old Klang Road after complaints by a non-existent “Surau Al-Musyrikin”. Does it suggest desperation “to win at all cost”? It appears so. They feel over 80% of Chinese votes are unsalvageable. Indian votes maybe hence MIC president G. Palanivel promoted to full minister). So it’s really about Malay votes. Why so fearful if they believe in what they said about a 6% to 8% vote swing back to BN and more than 5% Malay vote swing? One of factors is Sodomy II: they’re not sure whether by the way the trial proceeds, UMNO will get or lose more Malay votes.
False news on our TV channels n newspapers
False data n evidence presented in our courts by untrustworthy pseudo-professionals, witnesses, n rouge accusers
Welcome 2 dis lice land of falsehood
Long ago…when he was with the Oppositions…Rias Yatim kept pleading to voters to vote for democracy and kick BN out.
Actually all came to listen to Lim Kit Siang speech..
He was just a warm up man…waste time..all waiting for the main event.
And now he is still a warm up old man…back in UMNO B.
He is trying hard to get picked for 13th GE.
Government run what. Integrity.
k1980 said: /// TV1 boss said, “What to do, bruder. Jibb perintah, we follow. Otherwise we hilang our periuk nasi. Raya is dekat, you mau our keluarga to starve?” ///
Hilang periuk nasi? Nah. Starve? Never! Tu tak payah. Tak teruk semacam tu. Cuma takut nanti hilang road tax utk ferrari I dan kuda anak kena makan rumput tempatan. Mungkin yg paling teruk tu bini kena downgrade ke jimmychoo.