DAP plans legal action against media; PSM gets better online coverage

The DAP intends to take legal action against the media where it is shown that they have published false and inaccurate reporting, said legal bureau head and Perak chairman Ngeh Koo Ham. In an interview with the Centre for Independent Journalism on 21 February, Ngeh confirmed the news report in Utusan Malaysia (20 February), which quoted his warning against the media for the inaccurate reporting on the reasons for Fong Po Kuan's withdrawal. The statement read that:

“I would like to give notice to the media that the DAP Malaysia Legal Bureau will be gathering materials which are deemed to be defamatory in nature and will advise the party accordingly on the legal course of action to be taken. We look forward to a media that practises fair reporting and publishes the truth and nothing but the truth. In order to protect public interest, the DAP Legal Bureau will do all it can to counter any falsehood that is reported.” (Statement issued 19 Feb to the media)

“I issued the warning two days ago because the media have reported things not said and implying crisis in the party. There has never been an alternative candidate for Batu Gajah (where Fong is the incumbent), some of them quoted that I regretted the inaccuracies but did not say that we want to sue them,” he said on Thursday to CIJ. The mainstream media had given wide coverage to Fong's announcement with a lot of space dedicated to the alleged internal crisis in DAP, but few followed up with this statement from Ngeh. The Star published one paragraph in page 6 of its 20 February edition in a story featuring Fong's blog. See earlier postings.

DAP supremos Lim Kit Siang and secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had remarked that they hoped the mainstream media would give fair coverage. In a 19 February posting on his blog, DAP party leader Lim Kit Siang reprimanded the mainstream media for their unbalanced and sensationalist coverage of Fong Po Kuan’s decision not to defend her Batu Gajah seat in the 2008 General Elections. In “Po Kuan incommunicado”, Lim Kit Siang stated that “the media should not play up Opposition problems while playing down even more serious BN problems in the run-up to the 12th general election”.

He cited the transformation of MIC President S Samy Vellu into “the most unpopular and most disliked politician in the country” as “one of the biggest political news [stories] not only in recent times but probably in Malaysia’s political history”. This, like other “gargantuan problems of BN are played down or even “blacked out”. Lim Kit Siang predicted how the mainstream media would respond if a DAP candidate received such harsh criticism from citizens: “this will be reported on the front page, back page and the inside pages”. Most of the 122 comments to this entry expressed either contempt or lament for Fong Po Kuan's withdrawal, some mused over conspiracy theories, while many encouraged the DAP leader to forget Fong and move the party forward. Fong herself received more than 300 comments for her posting “I am sorry”.

On another opposition party, the significant media turnout at the Parti Sosialis Malaysia press conference on 20 February was not reflected in the coverage it received. On the day MIC president S Samy Vellu confirmed his candidacy in Sungei Siput, PSM's announcement could have generated attention given that they are fielding Dr. Jeyakumar Devaraj again this time.

The New Straits Times carried a 10-paragraph story on page 21 under the headline “PSM threatens to wreck opposition plan”, a rather bold headline given that only one state seat is an unresolved issue with the DAP.

At the press conference, PSM secretary general S. Arutchelvan said the party intends to contest either Jelapang or Jalong, both being contested by the DAP, and are prepared for a three-cornered fight if the DAP does not give in.

The Star published a Bernama report on page 22 under the headline “2-plus-2 for PSM under PKR”, focusing on where the candidates would contest. In contrast, Mandarin news portal Merdekareview.com published the party's manifesto in great length, while Malaysiakini.com focused its piece on the Jalong seat issue followed by the election manifesto and the declaration of assets by the four candidates. PSM published its own statement on its website.