Politicians and the media have a love-hate relationship, but lawmakers are actors, so they must watch their words.
– Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, columnist
When things go wrong, the media is at the receiving end – maybe not all the time, but most of the time.
Here, when I mention the word ‘media’ I am referring to mainstream media – the traditional or established publishing or broadcasting outlets, especially newspapers, radio and television stations. So, don’t get it mixed up with social media news platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr etc.
My ex-boss Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai in his weekly ‘On the beat’ column in The Star yesterday sounded a bit worked up with the National Unity Minister when the later reportedly pointed the finger at the media “for deliberately wanting to fan flames” on sensitive issues.
The minister in question is Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, a Sarawakian. Wong wrote that he agreed with the choice of an MP from Sarawak heading the important ministry as ‘he’s the best person to speak up for racial and religious issues because he doesn’t have the hang-ups ailing some politicians from the peninsula”.
The minister, according to media reports, lost his cool when a journalist from a Malay paper asked for his comments on the Jom Ziarah event to get youths to visit different places of worship. He sidestepped the question and was said to have blamed the media for race-baiting.
“Perhaps he had good intentions (to avoid the journalist’s question), which was to downplay the controversy and put an end to it.
“However, his response wasn’t right. Instead, he issued a stern warning to media practitioners to quit acting like instigators, asserting that ‘it’s enough’.
“If he was annoyed with the reporter, he could’ve just said that he has no comments or would rather not prolong the controversy, and appeal to the media to stop carrying the comments of certain politicians.
“Yes, politicians, not the media. The instigators are a clutch of politicians and some commentators on social media, too,” wrote Wong.
Couldn’t agree with my ex-boss more. I believe his remarks couldn’t be far from the truth. For the record, Wong has served The Star for more than 35 years in various junior and senior roles, including as group editor-in-chief and chief executive officer. He is now the paper’s group editorial and corporate affairs adviser.
Concurring with Wong is award-winning journalist Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar who finds its “totally unacceptable” for blaming the media for allegedly stirring up racial and religious issues.
“He is certainly barking up the wrong tree. The fact is, Malaysian media has been exercising utmost restraint in handling matters pertaining to race relations.
“The practitioners understand their role in a muti-racial and multi-ethnic Malaysia,” Johan said in his opinion piece in the March 23 edition of the Vibes news portal.
Politicians should drop the bad habit of blaming the press when things don’t go in their favour.
In the words of Johan: “Please stop blaming the messenger. Do not condemn the media to avoid blame for their own missteps, oversights and mistakes.”
I agree with Wong when he wrote that politicians should pluck up the courage to tick off their counterparts for their sensitive remarks and statements instead.
Honestly, I have yet to come across politicians from East Malaysia now serving in Malaya reprimanding their fellow Cabinet colleagues or elected representatives for making sensitive remarks. We are only brave against opposition politicians, that also against selected parties. Anyone has the ‘telur’ to criticise Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and PAS?
Not many came to the rescue of Hannah Yeoh, the Minister of Youth and Sports, when she was slammed over the Jom Ziarah issue both in Parliament and in public. How many of our MPs sincerely offered to explain on Yeoh’s behalf. I stand corrected.
Only state Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah explained publicly that while Yeoh’s Jom Ziarah initiative – an event for youth of different religions to understand the faith of others – might be a noble effort, it was distorted by some politicians and non-governmental organisations as an attempt to convert Muslims.
“When she planned that (Jom Ziarah), her intention was to make Malaysians much more harmonious and tolerant with one another,” the outspoken no-nonsense Abdul Karim told the media during the DayakDaily’s D’Drift 2023 launch press conference recently.
We need more leaders of Abdul Karim’s calibre at both national and state levels – who are willing to speak without fear or favour, and more importantly have the guts to tick off and guide fellow politicians – government as well as opposition – to the right path for the sake of multiracial and multireligious Malaysia.
The people, the media in particular, want leaders who are truthful and be prepared to take the rap for their mistakes – NOT someone who passes the buck or find scapegoats!
Do not find faults in the media or make the poor journalists scapegoats when they are only doing a thankless job of disseminating news to the community and acting as a bridge between the people and government.
We do our tasks without fear or favour. Politicians and the media should join force for the good of the country.
I end with a quote from Prof Len Niehoff of the University of Michigan Law School: “These days, it has become commonplace to make scapegoats of ‘the media’. We blame the media for everything: our divided country, our failed policies, our anxieties, and so on. It has become a national pastime and a drumbeat of political rhetoric. And it’s dumb and dangerous.”
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
