Utusan's contrasting questions for Najib and Karpal

DAP chairman Karpal Singh was interviewed by Utusan Malaysia (24 February) and given half of page 10, while Umno deputy president Najib Abdul Razak got more than one page: pages 7 and 8. Najib sailed smoothly over the questions and, at various points, was asked leading questions that allowed him to explain the BN's positions and take a swipe at the opposition. But for Karpal the space was limited to a discussion about the DAP's chances in the elections - and the questions were more hard-hitting.

Some of the questions for Najib:

“Apakah kewajaran untuk rakyat memilih Barisan Nasional sekali lagi?”

“Apakah rakyat mudah terpengaruh dengan janji-janji pembangkang dalam manifesto mereka walaupun ramai tidak sedar ia tidak mungkin dapat ditunaikan?”

“Pada penilaian Datuk Seri di tahap manakah keberkesanan perkongsian kuasa sekarang?”

“Setiap kali berlangsungnya pilihan raya, kempen dan ceramah pembangkang nampak panas, 'berdegar-degar' malah menyerang peribadi lawan. Apakah nasihat Datuk Seri kepada rakyat?”

“Orang muda ini biasanya analitikal dan kritis serta terdedah kepada maklumat tanpa batas melalui internet. Apakah nasihat Datuk Seri supaya mereka ini nanti tidak tersalah pilih?”

Some of the questions for Karpal:

“Setelah separa lumpuh akibat kemalangan yang menimpa pada awal tahun 2005, adakah saudara masih 'relevan' dalam dunia politik?”

“Banyak masa dihabiskan di luar kawasan, tidakkah pendduduk di kawasan saudara merungut?”

“Menjelang pilihanraya umum ke 12, mengapakah saudara setiausaha agung DAP Lim Guan Eng sering mengatakan BN pasti menang, adakah ini strategi politik simpati DAP?”

“Bagaimana saudara melihat peluang DAP di negeri Johor dan empat 'kubu kuat' yang disandang di Lembah Klang iaitu Seputeh, Kepong, Bukit Bintang dan Cheras?”

“Bagaimana dengan dakwaan bahawa saudara sendiri sebagai 'orang kuat' DAP mengamalkan nepotism apabila anak sendiri, Gobind Singh Deo, dijangka turut bertanding?”

It is obvious that the newspaper does not deserve the benefit of the doubt in the way they presented the two leaders when the questions fielded prove the prejudices that exist in the minds of the writers and editors. It was also unfair to ask Karpal about his disability, a thread of criticism used in Parliament by the incumbent BN ministers and backbenchers. Similarly, with the questions on succession and family members in DAP, it was convenient for the writer to describe it as nepotism, but none of the mainstream media refer to the BN family dynasties in that note. While a number of the newspapers did highlight the family connections among candidates in this elections, none questioned the credibility of the candidates. Even the infamous Zakaria Md Deros's daughter-in-law, Roselinda Abdul Jalil, got off rather easily on her qualification as a candidate. Would she “continue” the legacy of Zakaria? What does she offer her Port Klang constituents, already subject to a number of controversial projects? What would her policy be on local council elections, we wonder.

Utusan continued with the decreased coverage of opposition items started since 22 February. Only 16 per cent were opposition news items and articles - or six items from a total of 37 items on the elections. As the candidates list for BN were finalised, the main attention was on exhorting its members to close ranks, echoing the two top Umno leaders' advice. The tendency was to gloss over any impression of a crisis and to project a show of unity. Reconciliation was the theme in nine news and editorial items: Terima keputusan ditetapkan parti - PM, Jangan sabotaj parti - Najib, Tiga pemimpin lupakan sengketa, Penyokong BN diminta bersikap rasional, Rahman tetap bantu BN, Walaupun gugur tetap bekerja keras bantu BN, Jangan derhaka jika tidak terpilih, Gelora politik Indera Kayangan ,and Umno Terengganu kembali kukuh.

It was the first time that “crisis” was alluded to in the tussle for the Perlis chief minister's seat in Gelora politik Indera Kayangan, but this was quickly refuted as the talk of the unscrupulous.