Rais denies RTM blackout
Government-owned television station RTM did not blackout the Terengganu political issue as reported by Malaysiakini yesterday, said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim this morning.
He however defended that RTM's rights to report on any news as it wished.
Speaking to reporters after attending the ministry's first gathering in Sultan Abdul Samad building, the newly-appointed minister said RTM was just "like other TV stations".
"And the government has the rights to publish any news they wish to highlight," he said.
"There is no main gelap (blackout) or main putih. I leave it to RTM which news they prioritise the most to highlight... if people think that's not fair, we'll look into it," he said.
He also brushed off suggestions that the government practised censorship on its own television station contrary to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's call for a "vibrant, free and informed media".
"Censorship is practised by everyone, even in Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal or Newsweek. Is there any good Malaysian news published in Newsweek? No!" said Rais.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that RTM blacked out news on the apparent boycott by 10 Terengganu state representatives of the state assembly sitting two days ago.
Yes, censorship is practised by everyone but is everyone practising truth reporting?
Government-owned television station RTM did not blackout the Terengganu political issue as reported by Malaysiakini yesterday, said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim this morning.
He however defended that RTM's rights to report on any news as it wished.
Speaking to reporters after attending the ministry's first gathering in Sultan Abdul Samad building, the newly-appointed minister said RTM was just "like other TV stations"."And the government has the rights to publish any news they wish to highlight," he said.
"There is no main gelap (blackout) or main putih. I leave it to RTM which news they prioritise the most to highlight... if people think that's not fair, we'll look into it," he said.
He also brushed off suggestions that the government practised censorship on its own television station contrary to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's call for a "vibrant, free and informed media".
"Censorship is practised by everyone, even in Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal or Newsweek. Is there any good Malaysian news published in Newsweek? No!" said Rais.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that RTM blacked out news on the apparent boycott by 10 Terengganu state representatives of the state assembly sitting two days ago.
Yes, censorship is practised by everyone but is everyone practising truth reporting?
No comments:
Post a Comment