Dubbed Malaysia’s very own Fox News, Awesome TV news yesterday denied that its Berita 7:57 segment report was racist, after its news anchors claimed on live television that if the Malay population did not go out to vote in the upcoming polls then they risk the country falling into the hands of non- Malays.
The report in question, according to a top channel official, was “based on research” and discussed the Malay community’s resistance to demands to vote in the approaching 15th general election (GE15).
Responding to criticism on social media, the official stated that the report was created to instill responsibility in Malays so that they would utilise their rights as citizens and voters.
“Otherwise, a government not of their preference will rule Malaysia to the detriment of their welfare,” the official said in a brief statement.
“That is the premise of the news reporting and it is not racist in sentiment.”
The recently aired report sparked outrage after pushing Malay electors to vote in large numbers in GE15 to prevent political power from passing to non-Malay hands.
Two news anchors are heard saying in a clip from a programme on November 3 that Malay voters should vote as required in order to stop the ascent of non-Malay politicians.
Additionally, they cited data from the Huayan Policy Institute Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies, which claims that 80% of Chinese voters are anticipated to cast ballots in the elections on November 19, while only about 10% do not plan to.
“All Malay voters must come out to vote to fulfill their civic duty if they don’t want political power to be controlled by other races… if Pakatan Harapan (PH) were to win,” says one anchor in the bulletin.
“If Malays don’t vote, politicians who should not hold power will come into power and marginalise Malay rights,” the bulletin also states.
It also serves as a reminder to Malay voters of the PH government’s shortcomings during its 22-month term in office, arguing that it gave non-Malay problems top priority.
The news clip is being criticised on Twitter by users of social media, who label it “crazy” and overtly racist.
Charles Santiago, a former Klang Member of Parliament, also denounced the video, calling its reporting “racist to the core” and intended to sow fear before the GE15. Additionally, he exhorted the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to act right away.
STATEMENT: This reporting is racist to the core & seems planted to create fear ahead of GE15 News must be accurate & truthful as it influences public perception. MCMC_RASMI needs act urgently. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/TuEphj81k4
— Charles Santiago mpklang November 6, 2022
In the meantime, Awesome TV responded to individuals who criticised the bulletin in a formal statement, claiming that it was urging voters to choose a government that respects the rights of the Bumiputera population.
“However, certain quarters with political interests, especially those who do not support the Bumiputera agenda, painted Berita 7:57 as being based on racialism on a variety of social media platforms,” the statement read.
“Awesome TV considers this manipulation to be malicious towards Awesome TV, which intends to cultivate responsibility in voting among the people.”
Malaysia will go to the polls on Nov. 19. As of Oct. 9, the electoral roll for the upcoming polls contained more than 21 million voters.
Other stories to check out:
Malaysia’s 15th General Election to be held on November 19
Election Explainer: Can Malaysia’s Umno survive its civil war and win GE15?
