The Malaysian Insight

STATE-OWNED broadcast network RTM has been asked to explain its live coverage of yesterday’s national Chinese New Year open house, Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo said.

This was following a complaint that RTM did not air the speeches of the Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun.

The event hosted by the federal government and attended by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was held in Seremban last night. 

Loke is the Seremban MP, whose press secretary Lim Swee Kuan had complained about RTM’s omission of Loke’s speech. Lim had called the omission “sabotage”.

“Not a single word of the speeches of Menteri Besar Negri Sembilan YAB Dato’ Seri Hj Aminuddin Harun and Transport Minister YB Anthony Loke Siew Fook was broadcasted!

“What is this if not sabotage? Heads must roll over the highly possible sabotage against the government administration,” Lim wrote on Facebook yesterday.

“I demand an explanation from state-owned RTM. We will lodge an official complaint to YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Communications and Multimedia immediately.”

Asked to comment on the complaint during a press conference in Penang today, Gobind said he has asked RTM for a report.

He said he had asked to be informed of the details, including when RTM received the request for coverage, what were the terms, and what was RTM’s standard operating procedure in such cases.

“I think these are things I have to look at before I comment.” – February 18, 2019.