KUCHING: Since the federal government is on a roll ‘fulfilling’ its promises to citizens, the local opposition too now want them to effectuate a pledge made last year.
According to Sarawak PKR, the federal government promised to give the opposition at least 60 minutes of airtime over Radio Television Malaysia to talk about their policies and manifestos but thus far nothing has happened.
Said state PKR chiarman Baru Bian: “I remember that the Minister of Information, Communications and Culture (Rais Yatim) last year had promised to give us an air time over RTM for us to broadcast and televise our polices.
“We are still waiting for this. If the BN is given one hour, we should also be given one hour.”
Bian said it would be most unfair if Rais backtracked on his promise and allowed only BN to use campaign over national radio and television.
“But if BN is only allowed to use RTM to campaign, to me this is not only most unfair. It is unethical and also not right for them to do. RTM is a government facility,” he said.
Bian who is the Ba’Kelalan assemblyman was reacting to comments made by BN leaders that they are going to rebut ‘lies’ broadcast by online Radio Free Sarawak (RFS).
“There was even a proposal that RFS should be jammed as mentioned by the secretary-general of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture.
“Our question is what are these ‘lies’ that RFS has been broadcasting? As far as we are concerned, it (lies) is the truth,” he said.
BN’s obsesssion with RFS
Bian also said the people were now wondering what BN, with more than 30 channels including RTM at its disposal, had against a single channelled RFS.
“We are wondering about BN’s obsession with RFS, when they have more than 30 channels to rebut these lies.
“RFS is very popular because it engages the people who give us feedback onair and expose the wrong doings of Barisan Nasional.
“RTM, TV1, TV2 and TV3 on the other hand just go ahead with their one-sided views and only air the views of the BN leaders and not the people,” he said.
Bian said that if what those calling RFS and telling their woes are lies, then Pakatan Rakyat would leave it to the voters to judge.
“If the people believe in our policies, then they should vote for us and vote for change,” he stressed.
Bian claimed BN was intimidated by the views being expressed by the people through RFS and it is threatening their respective godlike-status amongst the rural natives.
“I think Barisan Nasional feel threatened. Now they realise that the people have an alternative views and messages. They know that we have better policies than Barisan Nasional.
“Moreover, the people no longer can be intimidated as they dare to come out and speak up their minds, ” he said citing he case of Selangau where more than 30 longhouse chiefs had attented an opposition-led function in Sartok, with some even taking to the mike.
This, he said, was “the change that RFS has brought” to the rural population.
“This is some of the reasons why BN leaders including Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud is feeling jittery about RFS broadcasts,” Bian said, pointing out that for the last 50 years BN has been monopolising radio and TV transmissions.
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