Anwar, the media, and us

As I write this, it is now 6pm Malaysian time.

I first found out about the  medical report on Saiful which stated that he was never sodomised, on Malaysia-Today this morning, at 4:56am Malaysian time. It has been a 13 hour gap between then and now.

Malaysiakini reported this at approx 1:01pm today. It has been a 5 hour gap since then till now.

Malaysiakini had their news updated at 4:50pm. It has been about an hour’s gap since then till now.

Malaysian Insider had a news article on it at about 4pm. Two hours between then and now.

TheSun has an article updated 5:32pm. Half an hour from then till now.

The Star: nadda
NST: nadda
Bernama: nadda

My question is: why?

Malaysiakini has already authenticated the medical report:

A senior Pusrawi official told malaysiakini this morning that the hospital had launched an internal investigation on how Saiful’s medical report was leaked, which is widely considered as a major infringement of patient privacy.

When malaysiakini showed him a copy of the report, he refused to return it saying, “It’s our document.”

Taken from Din Merican’s blog HERE.

What are they afraid of, the people from The Star and NST and Bernama?

Not even Wong Chun Wai’s personal blog carries any such news item.

Have the papers not learnt anything? Don’t they know that speed is something that they cannot lose out on when reporting on items like this?

This is very similar to the time when Balasubramaniam first came out with the first SD, linking Najib to Altantuya. None of the mainstream news portals reported on the issue, until the evening when Najib came out to deny all allegations.

The Star, NST and Bernama all reported on Najib denying the allegations, without reporting on the allegations prior to Najib’s press conference.

Am I to assume that they are not going to report on this at all until and unless Saiful makes a statement? Or until and unless any government official comes out to say that the medical report was fabricated? Or until and unless the IGP comes out to say that he knows nothing of it?

Must there be a denial of sorts from the government before this issue gets reported in the mainstream media?

I hope not. But it’s not looking good for them.

UPDATE: 6:15pm, NST has an article. Go HERE.

According to the report, the police say that whatever is being circulated on the Internet is yet another attempt to sabotage the investigations.

I guess it is true. Mainstream news portals need someone from the government to deny it before they can report on it.

*****

And nor is this looking good for the police and the government.

I have been aptly reminded by several comments left around blogosphere, about something I once wrote when Bala came out with the first SD.

I said:

It’s not just about them. It’s about us. It’s about how we understand the situation at hand. It’s about how we, as a society, will handle this issue. It’s about how we react.

I have to admit, amidst all the cacophony, I have forgotten the most elementary part of the issue. It’s not only about vindicating Anwar. It’s not only about Saiful being un-sodomised.

It’s about how rotten the system has become. It’s about how we could have let it become the way it is. It’s about what we say, what we do, and where we stand from here on.

RPK ended his article with this:

Civil society movements, NGOs and the Malaysian Bar Council must not remain silent.

WE, the rakyat of Malaysia are the civil society. We cannot afford to remain silent anymore.

Lim Teck Ghee, Director of Centre for Policy Initiatives has this to say:

Further attempts at one sided or politically biased and manipulative handling of the case will cause the nation even more grievous damage than what has already been inflicted.

Taken also from Din Merican’s blog HERE.

Comments from Haris’ blog HERE:

This goes beyond Anwar. I think it is what we do as a nation that will matter. What we demand how far we want to go is what matters now. Telling the truth and standing for it at a time of universal deceit is what makes partiot get counted. We will have to demand the best of our nation and it is now. Keeping silent or standing aside is being part of the crimes being commited against our motherland. – Abdul

How are we going to trust our system ever again. I think we all have to stand p and be counted. Inaction rather than opposition is the country’s worst enemy. – arianna

This is beyond me. My reaction to this so far has been: What has Malaysia come to?

Are we being led by leaders who don’t lead? Are we being duped by reporters who don’t report? Are we being silenced by fear and paranoia? Are we being robbed by unfair policies? Are we being stepped on by rubbish politicians? Are we being spat at on the face by the very persons we voted into office?

Are we going to keep silent about all this? Are we going to say “I’ve had enough of this,” and simply turn our cheek? Are we going to slowly kill ourselves by thinking it has nothing to do with us?

Haris had this to say in reply to a comment:

Let this fight for equality reach to the highest heavens, I am up to the task, God-willing.

Question is, are you?

I am too.
Are YOU?

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