crime and media (part 2)

Updated 12:44:00 PM

Satire blogger TV Smith predicts the future of the local TV advertising industry.

Original Post

Not too long ago, Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz bashed the local media for reporting crime cases, thus contributing to the social menace of rising crime rates and deteriorating standards of safety and public security. Of course, he was quickly criticized and dismissed for simplifying the issue of responsible journalism and the real threat of crime in Malaysia.

But when we say it...

National News Agency Bernama reports that foreign investors are intimidated by the intensive and frequent coverage of criminal activity in our country. This of course includes the recent killings, burglaries, robberies, rape cases and the unsettling news of 100,000 Pakistani workers brought in to fill the gap set by the deportation of 400,000 illegal Indonesian workers.

Here's an excerpt from the report, as spoken by Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar.

"Such reports give a picture that our country is not peaceful and that the crime rate is high."

"Malaysia is a safe country with a low crime rate, in fact, the crime rate is declining from year to year."

One cannot dismiss the fact that crime is happening in this country, and police enforcement is alarmingly disappointing. It is the responsibility of the media to inform the public of these crimes. And if our government cannot handle the fact that there is free media outside of Malaysia to report the truth (that inevitably "scares" foreign investors from entering our country), perhaps they should not have lambasted Nik Aziz so quickly.

What's the magic phrase again?

You can do it any way, as long as it's my way.