I can now confirm that the 90-second political broadcast aired during prime time news slots for the past week is not just over TV1 and TV2, but also on TV3, as I saw it last night.
In fact, this also elicited an outrageous response on an Internet mailing
list, as follows:
“Just saw this broadcast on TV3 news as well..The first thing the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Indera Kayangan by-election, Oui Ah Lan said after the announcement of her candidature was to pledge a clean fight in the by-election on Jan 19, calling on the Opposition to do the same.“I was confused for a moment.. it was a mish mash of violent images and stereotypical pictures of ‘fundamentalists’ but then it started showing clips of PAS leaders (what's that got to do with extremism and shooting women in stadiums?) then some KeAdilan rallies and other opposition clips.
“Now it's not only on RTM but also on TV3 (is it paid to air it?), it's shown as if it's part of the news.
“Man.. this is kicking below the belt.
“How about we see some clips of Taib being led to an Australian court caught with 2 million ringgit in cash?? Or his house and properties? Or some figures of how many billions have been wasted on bailouts this year and how it would affect growth and investment for the next few years?
“We still haven't had any proof yet on those held by the ISA yet. Especially the ‘plot to overthrow the government’ by some of the KeAdilan leaders. Remember the grenade launchers?”
She should now declare whether she really believes in a “clean” fight by asking the Barisan Nasional leadership to immediately withdraw the nightly 90-second political propaganda broadcast camouflaged as prime-time news as it is unfair and dishonest - so that there is a clean and honest by-election campaign in Indera Kayangan.
The Cabinet on Wednesday should show that it is capable of the sense of fair play by directing the immediate discontinuance of the blatant nightly 90-second political propaganda broadcast camouflaged as prime time news.
If it wants the nightly 90-second political propaganda broadcast to continued to be aired over the three television channels every night although it is most unfair, biased, tendentious and even defamatory, then it should impose three conditions: (I) that it be clearly identified as a political commercial and not camouflage as prime-time news; (ii) that Barisan Nasional pay for the airtime like any television commercial and (iii) the same facilities extended to the Barisan Alternative and the DAP to buy airtime to broadcast political commercials on the three TV channels.
Otherwise, police reports should be lodged for abuse of government facilities as well as criminal breach of trust, as government revenue which could easily run to RM2 million are being lost to the detriment of the Treasury and taxpayers. The prime time rate for TV3 (though private) is even higher than those for TV1 and TV2, which is RM2,400 for a 30-second commercial (as compared to RM8,400 for a 30-second commercial on TV3), before adding a five per cent service tax.
I had said on Saturday that DAP was considering the case for legal action against Barisan Nasional and RTM for the blatant nightly BN political broadcasts camouflaged as prime time news, for gross abuse of government resources and facilities.
We have decided after study that the proper parties to take legal action against the blatant and brazen abuse of air time should be PAS and KeAdilan as the former is pictured with its national leaders as representing Taliban Malaysia while the latter as ushering in unrest, instability and chaos in Malaysia.
(7/1/2002)