by Maclean Patrick, Wong Choon Mei
As the
world reels over the Murdoch phone-hacking scandal that saw the demise of The News of The World tabloid,
another media scandal is starting to rock. CNN, BBC and CNBC are all rushing to
contain the fallout and hoping that their industry regulators do not call for a
similar public inquiry.
But if they do, it would not only jolt the networks into
greater alertness but also suck Prime Minister Najib Razak and Sarawak Chief
Minister Taib Mahmud into another tailspin of global contempt, which will
surely have devastating repercussions for Malaysia's already-battered image.
Both men were caught red-handed buying glowing, gushing and
good reports of themselves through a corrupt UK firm FBC Media. It is not
unusual at all for top leaders to try to project a positive image, but surely
none have gone to the depths of desperation or spent as much money as Najib has
just to get a shot at world fame.
Cheating
the people of the world
Perhaps, Najib and Taib are used to curtailing the local
media, which is forced to report only favourable news and produce biased
versions of the facts. They seem to believe that money can buy everything and
have taken this pitch to the international media. In doing so, they have
tainted the craft of journalism.
The global networks should now play their part and those who
succuumbed to temptation should roll out the stiffest punishment. It is the
only way to regain credibility.
The world media should also not allow such operations by both
Najib and Taib to go unpunished. Instead, it should bring to the world’s
attention these two leaders and their attempts to paint a false image to the
international community and global investors.
The investments that the duo had hoped to pull into Malaysia
with these 'interviews' are targeted to boost their own pet projects, many of
which have complex and questionable offshore shareholdings.
"Certainly, we view
this very seriously as once international investors get the perception that
Malaysia cannot be trusted because their leaders buy 'good' image, who would
want to consider Malaysia. Granted investors do their own due diligence, but
with competition so hot for FDI, this is another reason why they may put
Malaysia last. They may even increase due diligence requirements for anything
Malaysia," Tian Chua, an opposition Member of Parliament, told Malaysia
Chronicle.
Slap
in the face for Malaysia
Indeed, it seems that in the two years Najib Razak has been
prime minister, Malaysia has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The
nation has become the laughing stock of the international community. It seems
Malaysians not only have leaders who are not camera-shy but also have no qualms
about using tax-payers money for their own dubious purposes, which include
vanity and corruption.
The decision by CNBC to axe its flagship business show World
Business over allegations of payouts by the Malaysian government to FBC Media,
the producer of World Business, is a slap in the face for Malaysia. The whole
world now sees Najib and Taib as two stereotypical banana-republic despots with
such rotten records that they have to buy flattering image-makeovers for themselves.
According to Sarawak
Report, FBC Media
had close ties with APCO, the public relations consultancy with links to
several top Israeli military leaders, to whom the Barisan Nasional government
paid over RM70 million in annual fees to help promote his '1Malaysia' campaign
after assuming office in 2009.
“Official disclosure
documents to the United States Government show that FBC Media has paid a total
of US$70,000 to APCO over the past two years to conduct a lobbying campaign in
the United States on behalf of the Malaysian government," said Sarawak
Report, adding that
as a result, the Malaysian government had been frequently featured in positive
light across all its programmes.
Not long ago, PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution had
also questioned the role of FBC Media in Parliament, and as usual was met with
stony silence. Official statistics have shown that the Prime Minister’s
Department paid a total of RM57.68 million to FBC Media between 2008 and 2009.
But that may not be the final bill and until the BN government sees fit to give
a reply, Malaysians would never know.
As for Taib, Sarawak
Report accused him
of having paid US$5million or RM15million to FBC Media.
Simply
sick
Meanwhile, hot on the heels of CNBC axing its business show,
CNN has denied being paid to interview Najib Razak although questions remain
about the role played by its anchor John Defterios, who was seen as being too
“soft” on Najib, when he interviewed him over the July 9th Bersih rally.
The industry regulator's spotlight is now on the relationship
between FBC Media — the British publicity firm led by Alan Friedman with
Defterios still listed as its group president — and broadcasters like CNBC, CNN
and the BBC.
CNN, BBC and CNBC have been quick to distance themselves from
the media scandal wrought by both Najib and Taib. News institutions worldwide
are putting in efforts to gain back credibility in the wake of the Murdoch
scandal, and another as steeped in corruption as the Malaysian one does not
help at this juncture. To say they are not happy with the Malaysian duo is
understating it.
The depths to which both Najib and Taib have gone in order to
give a skewed version of themselves, their actions and aspirations is
deplorable. In the wake of allegation upon allegation of abuse of power and
corruption during their terms of office, paying for 'good' coverage on
international news to hide the truth is simply sick.
But a media-conscious Najib will find this hard to accept. To
him, a good public image is everything - even above good governance and
leadership skills.
Taib will fare better, having been in power longer than any
other politician UMNO can raise. UMNO is Najib's ruling party, Taib belongs to
the Sarawak-based PBB. He knows that the fear of UMNO entering Sarawak will
keep him in power. The media can scream insults at Taib and he will simply
brush it aside, but not Najib. The PM is in a much weaker state.
Najib’s image is purely built around the perception that he
is doing his job as prime minister, when in reality, most if not all of his
grandiose initiatives to improve the nation and its economy have come to
naught. A global media-corruption storm will accelerate Najib's free-fall
into obscurity as his local propaganda would never be able to face up to the
scrutiny from an impartial inquiry.
Source : MC
Online Booking Hotel
Empire Money
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