All Government-communist, fascist, dictatorship,
democratic or even theocratic possess propaganda tools such as the Radion,
Television, newspapers and other publications, website, Internet, Twitter,
Facebook and what not to informer communicate with rule. Good government use
these media to inculcate patriotism or love for the country. Bad
governments abuse them to indoctrine the ruled to love their rulers rather than
instituition of Government, or to oppress or suppress dissent or decimate any
one else having a different point of view. So when signals from two radio
stations pop up of thin air and dominate their airwaves for several hours each
day in the rural areas, some politician especially from Ruling coalition lose
sense of perspective, not to say, of fair play.
The two years old Radio free Sarawak and Radio
Kenyalang barely three months old are under attack by governing politician
which gives a lot of free publicity to the stations. Parti Rakyat Sarawak
(PRS) Youth lodged a police report against Radio Free Sarawak (RFS) and Radio
Kenyalang (RK) at Sungai Maong Police Station here (Picture shown above)
What a counterproductive move, that was. As a
result many people who couldn’t be bothered about their existence are now
curious and may want to listen to them just to find out if they are really
poisonous as claimed. Before the stations are shut down, I suggest any
person who is broadminded should listen to them and evaluate the quality of
their broadcast before condemning them. If they are amateurish and
ineffective why take trouble to jam the broadcast.?
They will not last if nobody listens to them
any more. Why bother to demand the police to take action against what are
basically politically intrigues or foibles?.Already the police have their hamds
full in dealing with real crime. Police time should be better utilized in
bringing kidnappers and murderers to book instead of spending it in catching
the alleged defamers, libellers and slanderers. They are not criminals
unless the radio stations have become seditious advocating the overthrow of the
legitimate government by force of arms
That freedom of expression has limitation and i
agree absolutely.
Lest reader should go away with the impression that
freedom of expression is without limitation, let me state clearly here and now
that i do not condone libel or slander without justification, on a priviledge
occasion or on the basis of fair comment in the public interest. Not by
any stretch of the imagination. Sedition being criminal in nature is never
condoned, treason is never justified in a country like ours.
If one thinks that his or her reputation has been
tarnished through the publication of a statement which tends to lower him or
her in the estimation of right thinking members of society generally, one does
not rush to the police; the police deal with violation of criminal law and
public order, not civil cases.
Unless the allegation by the two radio stations
(Radio free Sarawak and Radio kenyalang) verge on security problem for instance
people are being aroused to take up arms against the legitimate government and
its instituitions, these outfis should be allowed to carry on with their
broadcast uninterrupted. They are doing a good service to a lot of people
in the rural areas who have no access to the internet, or even in certain areas
of the state to the government- controlled radio station’s signals
However the moment they cross the red line, the
appropriate law is already in place to deal with the editious and defamation as
the case may be. Otherwsie there is no need to harass them, let alone
involve the police. It may perceived of enlisting the police help to side with
you against your political rivals when the when the police should neutral in
political matters.
A political party worth its salt should possess
propaganda organs. Both the radio stations are organs of political
parties – RFS advocating the cause of Pakatan Rakyat and RK is promoting on its
own. It can’t because of its limited number of seat it will
contest. If luck has it, it may help form a government. Who knows?
Discerning and broadminded listeners, listen to their broadcast and judge for
themselves. If you are innocent of their allegation, switch off your set.
If either or both these stations cannot influence
voters to vote for their respect candidates at the next election, it would
better to leave them alone, unless, repeat, they being deliberately seditious
by threatening the security and the sovereignty of the nation, I would be the
first to condemn them.
For the past 60 years we had listening to one
station, the only source of information and its news and views. It has
become the only source of truth apart from Holy books of all religions.
So long have been indoctrinate by this one station one that when Radio Free
Sarawak and Lately Radio Kenyalang penetrated the rural areas, the folk
suddenly found an alternative source of news and information. So why
begrudge the enjoyment of that freedom to listen to alternative news and views?
RTM has been urged to counter the allegation made
by two stations, but RTM is funded by taxpayers and as such should not be
abused for political purposes.
It would be fair for political party in the Government
to start a radio station of its own like the opposition BN in Selangor has
done, it Radio BNFM is being financed by its members and supporters, not out of
taxpayers’ pockets. This is additional tool to the so called array of
mainstream media under central Government control – the privilege of any
incumbent administration. These are the Goliath and they should be able to
stuff out the tiny Davids easily.
The prime Minister who doubles as the Selangor BN
chairman and liaison chief in his broadcast has said that many problems has
cropped up in Selangor especially those related to the empty promises made by
opposition during last General election in 2008 That’s a fair comment, and two
can play that game.
Similar views about empty promises have also been
expressed by the interviewees from certain parliamentary constituencies in
Sarawak and were aired by the two stations. What’s the difference? The
prime minister has every right to air his view on this matter of empty
promises, so has a voters in Sarawak in respect of the same subject matter.
Has Menteri Besar of Selangor of Selangor reported
Najib’s statement to the police or threatened to shut down BNfm station?
However when Radio free Sarawak relayed views of
their interviewees on the same topic they were accused of telling lies and
poisoning tge minds of the rural people. Using similar tools of trade,
political rivals can prove each other wrong with facts and figures, word for
words, issue for issue, verse for verse, chapter for chapter.
The law of libel and slander is available to those
who wish to sue or be sued, the sedition law will spring into action if any one
crosses the red line.. that the time to rush to the police station to
lodge a report against the radio station that violates the law. Not any
old time.
I repeat,
we must not begrudge the freedom of rural listeners who wish to find out
alternative sources of information and keep people under the yol.
Be Fair.
Let have the Freedom to listen, at least.
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