PR rubbishes 10-minute ‘edited’ airtime

The announcement by Information, Communications and Culture minister Rais Yatim that public-funded television station Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will allocate 10 minutes of pre-recorded airtime for every political party to present its manifesto has been dismissed as a mockery of the government's reforms claim.

In fact, the proposal, according to PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, was a joke.

“If this is the ‘reform’ claimed by the government then it is shameful. 10 minutes' duration is just not serious and doesn’t conform to the freedom of media as demanded by (electoral reforms movement) Bersih,” he said.

He added at least 30 minutes should be allocated for the manifesto's presentation so that people could evaluate each party’s offers.

Tuan Ibrahim however said PAS had yet to discuss with PR partners whether to reject the offer.

Echoing him, PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail questioned the motive behind the move which comes with conditions.

“(Is this) to tell the world that our media are independent and adheres to the democracy? Rais must rethink, don’t play a fool with us,” he said.

Rais (pic) had earlier stressed that the manifesto presentation would be pre-recorded and must be done according to 'terms and conditions' set by RTM.

He also said that his ministry’s secretary-general would supervise the presentation together with a panel headed by the director-general of broadcasting.

DAP meanwhile slammed the offer as an insult.

"Democracy is not charity or like giving alms," said the party's secretary general Lim Guan Eng.

"They hit us every day on the campaign trail and then just give us 10 minutes for our manifesto?" he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.