Don't deal with mainstream media, corporations urged

Global Bersih, the coalition of overseas Bersih supporters, urged corporate citizens in Malaysia to stop their business dealings with the mainstream media for their grossly unethical reporting of last Saturday's Bersih 3.0 rally.

Describing some media organisations as "being totally detrimental to the future of democracy in Malaysia", the coalition called upon advertisers and sponsors helping tofund these organisations to pay heed to their moral compass and ask themselves, "What are we doing to Malaysia?"

"Businesses that advertise or enter into sponsorship with these groups must realise that they are supporting blatant distortion and misrepresentation of the Bersih 3.0 rally.

"It is morally and ethically wrong. This practice must stop if Malaysians are to progress and save our democracy from further damage," said the group in a statement issued today.

Commenting on the United Nations-designated World Press Freedom Day, Global Bersih said the continuing failure of Malaysia's mainstream media to accurately reflect Malaysian society is a tragedy that must end.

"The scandal behind censorship of the BBC report of last Saturday's events is only the tip of the iceberg. The vague and inadequate excuses given by Astro for censoring the BBC's and Al Jazeera's reports on Bersih 3.0 only serve to betray the trust of their audience and customers."

Global Bersih also directed its criticism at state-owned TV station RTM, private TV station TV3, and newspapers Utusan Malaysia, The Star and The New Straits Times (NST) as "clear examples of an apparently orchestrated programme of gross distortion and manipulation of events using long-discredited methods that echo the censorship programs of the Nazis' Goebbels and others".

Absolute zero for professonalism

"Put together, their coverage of Bersih 3.0 represented the total failure of Malaysia's licensed mainstream media to provide a professional, accurate and fair news service," Global Bersih said.

"When a quarter-million Malaysians rallied for free and fair elections, NST could only headline their report with 'Day of Shame'.

"The day after Malaysians risked life and limb in the name of democracy, The Star would only report 'Big mess after Bersih'."

Although Bersih 3.0 is a chapter in Malaysia's history that will resound for generations, Global Bersih said, it is also Malaysian journalism at its most evil.

"Journalism is the first draft of history, and these media companies totally failed the nation when they abdicated their responsibility to record these events truthfully."

The group further pointed out that NST's description of Australian Senator Nick Xenophon (right), who was present at the rally as an international observer, as anti-Islam was a vile act that further devalued the newspaper's long history.

"Senator Xenophon was understandably 'gobsmacked' that the NST could stoop so low in its blatant lie.

"The editors and proprietors of these media groups know full well Malaysia's electoral system is in dire need of repair, but in deliberately misrepresenting Bersih 3.0 and its historic achievement, they are by default supporting a system that denies free and fair elections.

"Ultimately, media companies that embarked on censorship of Bersih 3.0 knowingly inflicted fundamental damage on civil society and democracy," read the statement.

Global Bersih urged reporters and editors to reflect on their actions on this auspicious day for journalism.

"Journalists from Malaysia's press were attacked, even by federal police, and these other organisations failed to offer fair reporting of the violence that was inflicted on their professional colleagues.

"Malaysia's mainstream media has betrayed Malaysia and Malaysians," it added.