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| Abdul Karim joins Kota Samarahan MP Rubiah Wang (left), Sadong Jaya assemblyman Aidil Lariwoo (fourth left) and a guest in a photo-call with the lion dance performers. |
KOTA SAMARAHAN: The alleged guidelines that forbid Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) to provide coverage for states under opposition rule are narrow-minded and may subvert the national broadcaster’s original purpose, which is to promote and uphold unity.
In stating this, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah regards RTM as an agency meant to unite the people, not split them.
“In Sarawak, most of the state government programmes are meant to unite the people, but there isn’t any coverage (by RTM) just because they’re a state government’s events or functions.
“To me, this is such a narrow-minded thinking. Even though Sarawak is under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and is not a coalition of parties that subscribes to the federal government, we still sing the same national anthem, ‘Negaraku’,” the minister said in his speech during a Chinese New Year gathering, hosted by the district police headquarters at the civic centre here on Friday night.
Citing the recent launch of ‘Visit Sarawak’ campaign as an example, Abdul Karim regarded promoting tourism for Sarawak as also promoting Malaysia, but RTM did not cover the event because the federal minister-in-charge (referring to Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo) stated that it was because Sarawak was an opposition state.
“If they think tourism is also politics, the way the government of the day thinks is narrow-minded.”
Gobind, during a press conference held after a programme at Telekom Malaysia Bhd in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, reiterated that his ministry did not issue any directive or guideline to RTM on the coverage of states under opposition rule.
“This isn’t the instruction issued by the ministry or me – I was informed that this was the result of RTM’s state-level discussions in the affected states,” Gobind was quoted of having said, referring to a recent Facebook posting by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who alleged that there were guidelines regarding RTM’s coverage and broadcast for states under opposition rule, and claimed that there was no media freedom under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
In view of this, Abdul Karim acknowledged and understood that there would not be any coverage by RTM on GPS-linked programmes such as the GPS roadshow.
“If it is a GPS roadshow or anything political, it is fine that there is no coverage.
“But if it is a programme that promotes unity like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Gawai Dayak and Christmas celebrations, RTM should be doing the coverage because that’s why RTM was established in the first place,” he stressed. -TheBorneoPost
In stating this, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah regards RTM as an agency meant to unite the people, not split them.
“In Sarawak, most of the state government programmes are meant to unite the people, but there isn’t any coverage (by RTM) just because they’re a state government’s events or functions.
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| Visit Sarawak Campaign |
Citing the recent launch of ‘Visit Sarawak’ campaign as an example, Abdul Karim regarded promoting tourism for Sarawak as also promoting Malaysia, but RTM did not cover the event because the federal minister-in-charge (referring to Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo) stated that it was because Sarawak was an opposition state.
“If they think tourism is also politics, the way the government of the day thinks is narrow-minded.”
Gobind, during a press conference held after a programme at Telekom Malaysia Bhd in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, reiterated that his ministry did not issue any directive or guideline to RTM on the coverage of states under opposition rule.
“This isn’t the instruction issued by the ministry or me – I was informed that this was the result of RTM’s state-level discussions in the affected states,” Gobind was quoted of having said, referring to a recent Facebook posting by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who alleged that there were guidelines regarding RTM’s coverage and broadcast for states under opposition rule, and claimed that there was no media freedom under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
In view of this, Abdul Karim acknowledged and understood that there would not be any coverage by RTM on GPS-linked programmes such as the GPS roadshow.
“If it is a GPS roadshow or anything political, it is fine that there is no coverage.
“But if it is a programme that promotes unity like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Gawai Dayak and Christmas celebrations, RTM should be doing the coverage because that’s why RTM was established in the first place,” he stressed. -TheBorneoPost
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