Utusan plays up candidacy as the main concern

News about elections made up the majority of news items under the Dalam Negeri section of Utusan yesterday, comprising more than 71 per cent or 35 items out of a total of 49 items. BN is the focus of these election reports, taking up close to 80 per cent or 27 news items, including a pro-BN news analysis on the state of Kelantan and the Prime Minister’s take on the economy and crime. In the editorial section, eight out of nine articles were on the election and had a pro-BN slant. In the letters' section, two of the five letters touched on general concerns about the election. Only seven news items referred to the opposition parties.

Apart from the withdrawal of DAP's Fong Po Kuan from the race and alleged signs of a crisis in the party, the paper carried a four-para rebuttal by Pas' adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat underneath a 26-para “analysis” on Kelantan's plight. Its primary source: Kelantan Umno Information chief, Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad. Three other stories on the opposition parties centred on candidacy but nothing was mentioned about the candidates' plans or messages.

Candidacy continued to dominate the news about the BN too - 16 items out of the 27 stated above. The focus on candidacy dwarfed public interest issues on rising crime rates and the state of the economy. Only one report each for the topics and they were based entirely on the PM's speeches; “Ekonomi Malaysia dikagumi” and “Bekerjasama perangi jenayah”. The PM also got a report each on page 2 for his reiteration that he has been fair and for his promise on the North Corridor Economic Region (NCER).

Utusan's editorial approved the use of force by the police against Hindraf supporters who gathered in the city on Sunday. Seven more columns were pro-BN in different approaches - attributing political stability and economic development to Umno (“Faktor pengundi atas pagar”, “Salah pilih bawa padah kepada negara”, and “Estet Padi Jelai hasilkan pulangan lumayan”), advocating reform within and through Umno (“Dekati kecenderungan pengundi muda”), and highlighting the weaknesses of opposition parties (“Nasib DAP, Pas di Johor”, and “Kelesuan buku kempen pilihan raya”).