E Contrario

Public Forum “The Implications of Utusan-NST Merger: Challenges for Malaysian Media under Globalization”

Strategic Information and Research Development Center (SIRD) organized the public forum on the evening 17 January. It was held in the Selangor Chinese Assembly. Quite a number of ex-editors and journalists of TV3, Utusan Malaysia, New Straits Times and mainstream presses were among the hundred odd audience.

The attraction was the speakers: Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad, Datuk Kadir Jasin and Kou Yok Liong; and moderated by Fathi Aris Omar. It was a rare occasion for these eminent senior press persons came together.

Abdullah Ahmad started his speech by retelling his story about another Abdullah Ahmad. He recalled the last time he came to this hall was years ago when he attended the wedding reception of another Abdullah Ahmad who is now the prime minister. Badawi had his name changed to avoid confusion with the senior Dollah Kot Lanas (refering to his parliament seat).

Tan Sri Dollah characterized the merger move as an attempt to make press control easier by a weak leader. While cherishing press freedom, Dollah Kok Lanas was honest to admit that he (as well as Kadir) used to be on the other side playing the role of executor. To preserve whatever little space that our press still have, we need to resist monopoly and try to retain diversity.

Veteran journalist Kou Yok Liang gave his view on the trend of media monopoly in Malaysia. Kou was former director of Sin Chew Jit Poh and former executive director of Nan Yang Shang Pau. He compared the merger of Malay/English media with the Chinese newspapers. Unlike Utusan-NST deal, merger in the Chinese press was primarily driven by the urge of empire building.

Kadir suggested that besides political control, there is also an economic dimension. Some one will be making a fortune out of the deal. Kadir revealed that majority of Umno leadership strongly oppose the merger. Since the merger was pushed by Dollah Badawi as the president of Umno, and supported his deputy Najib. The rejection by the supreme council is tantamount to a vote of no confidence for the president and deputy president.

Kadir warned that even though there is a high probability that the proposal might be derailed by Umno rank-and-files, we cannot be complacent. The desire to control and tighten up media space will not die out. The plan could be resurrected in another time.

Incidentally, news report the next day (18 January) reported the announcement by both Utusan and NST that the merger is OFF. We could only say it is off for now, can never be sure what lies in the future.