02 March 2008

BN blows over RM1 million on print ads

Barison Nasional reportedly spent just over RM1 million in print advertising alone, according to corruption watchdog agency Transparency International-Malaysia (TI) and a 28 February Malaysiakini report.

The organisation began monitoring TV election advertisements on 28 February—where the “lion's share of election advertising monies are believed to go”. TI is monitoring advertisements in six English dailies, five Malay newspapers, four Chinese titles and three Tamil dailies.

Under the law, a parliamentary candidate can spend RM200,000 and a state candidate RM100,000 over the course of the campaign. It is required that all expenses be recorded. “This means that the BN candidates have only RM197,780 (for parliament seat) and RM98,897 (state seat) left to spend for the remaining 10 days of the campaign period”.

Interesting, considering the number of BN television advertisements bombarding viewers through the national channels which cannot (or should not) come cheap. According to TI, none of the opposition parties used election advertising in any of the 18 papers.

2 Comments:

At 10:32 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why none of the opposition used the main stream media?

Or are they not allowed to by the MSM?

 
At 7:40 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mainstream media (MSM) is controlled directly or indirectly by the rich and powerful people in the ruling government. Directly, they are the top management or the unseen hand seating behind a closed door. Indirectly, the government can withdraw or not renew their license, hence MSM has to be pro-BN in their reporting and coverage or face the consequences. How about the opposition 'using' the MSM by paid advertisement? Firstly, the opposition cannot afford to pay unlike the ruling government using an almost unlimited resource it has which indirectly is the rakyat's money. Secondly, MSM is at their sole discretion not to accept paid advertisement as in any legitimate business without giving you a reason, more so if it is the opposition. There are so many obstacles you see.

 

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