Green light for 'live' coverage of Penang assembly
Athi Veeranggan | Jul 13, 08 7:42pm
The Penang government has given the green light to go ‘live' on the state legislative assembly proceedings when the House sits for four days starting next Monday on July 21.
The state government said all local media television and online news sites can give full ‘live' or recorded coverage on the proceedings of the scheduled four-day sitting.
The move will make Penang the third state after Selangor and Perak to go for ‘live' coverage of its state assembly proceedings.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told a press conference today that this would provide an opportunity to Penangites to see "democracy in action" and enrich their knowledge on the proceedings of the assembly.
"By making the proceedings transparent, it will make the assemblypersons more competent and accountable as public would have full view on them," he said after attending the state titles and awards giving ceremony by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abdul Rahman Abbas in conjunction with his official 70th birthday.
It is now up to the electronic and online media organisations to accept the state's open invitation to either show ‘live' or recorded coverage on the House proceedings.
The state government has held informal discussions with state-owned Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) on the matter, but it is learnt that RTM's response had been lukewarm, citing bureaucratic red tapes behind its lack of interests.
It will formally notify the Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek to allow the official radio television channel to provide the full ‘live' coverage.
Open invitations have been extended to other television channels such as TV3, NTV7 and news portal Malaysiakini to cover the assembly proceedings.
"It's up to RTM and other media channels now to take up the offer to either provide full or periodical coverage of the proceedings," said Penang executive councillor Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, who heads the state ad-hoc committee on freedom of information.
Beware of distortion in edited footage
Whether live or recorded coverage, it will put additional pressure on Penang's 40 elected state assemblypersons to perform.
The coverage will also provide first-hand information to Penangites to assess and evaluate the performance of their elected representatives at the highest lawmaking body in the state.
In long run it is hoped that it will generate enthusiasm among Penangites to show more interest in the political governance of the state.
"It could help to develop a politically vibrant, dynamic and progressive minded society," said Lim.
Although the state government undoubtedly favours live coverage of the state assembly proceedings, Pakatan Rakyat state government leaders are also sceptical over the possibility of distortion of facts in edited recorded footage.
They cautioned that the state government would have to be extra careful with certain bias-prone television stations resorting to dirty tactics of distorting the footage in favour of Barisan Nasional.
For instance, a Pakatan Rakyat assemblyperson may cynically say ‘I congratulate BN for hiking up the fuel price' but the edited recorded version would sound ‘I congratulate BN' only.
However, the state government said it is prepared to take the risk in going 'live' for the sake of transparency.
The Penang government has given the green light to go ‘live' on the state legislative assembly proceedings when the House sits for four days starting next Monday on July 21.
The state government said all local media television and online news sites can give full ‘live' or recorded coverage on the proceedings of the scheduled four-day sitting.
The move will make Penang the third state after Selangor and Perak to go for ‘live' coverage of its state assembly proceedings.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told a press conference today that this would provide an opportunity to Penangites to see "democracy in action" and enrich their knowledge on the proceedings of the assembly.
"By making the proceedings transparent, it will make the assemblypersons more competent and accountable as public would have full view on them," he said after attending the state titles and awards giving ceremony by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abdul Rahman Abbas in conjunction with his official 70th birthday.
It is now up to the electronic and online media organisations to accept the state's open invitation to either show ‘live' or recorded coverage on the House proceedings.
The state government has held informal discussions with state-owned Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) on the matter, but it is learnt that RTM's response had been lukewarm, citing bureaucratic red tapes behind its lack of interests.
It will formally notify the Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek to allow the official radio television channel to provide the full ‘live' coverage.
Open invitations have been extended to other television channels such as TV3, NTV7 and news portal Malaysiakini to cover the assembly proceedings.
"It's up to RTM and other media channels now to take up the offer to either provide full or periodical coverage of the proceedings," said Penang executive councillor Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, who heads the state ad-hoc committee on freedom of information.
Beware of distortion in edited footage
Whether live or recorded coverage, it will put additional pressure on Penang's 40 elected state assemblypersons to perform.
The coverage will also provide first-hand information to Penangites to assess and evaluate the performance of their elected representatives at the highest lawmaking body in the state.
In long run it is hoped that it will generate enthusiasm among Penangites to show more interest in the political governance of the state.
"It could help to develop a politically vibrant, dynamic and progressive minded society," said Lim.
Although the state government undoubtedly favours live coverage of the state assembly proceedings, Pakatan Rakyat state government leaders are also sceptical over the possibility of distortion of facts in edited recorded footage.
They cautioned that the state government would have to be extra careful with certain bias-prone television stations resorting to dirty tactics of distorting the footage in favour of Barisan Nasional.
For instance, a Pakatan Rakyat assemblyperson may cynically say ‘I congratulate BN for hiking up the fuel price' but the edited recorded version would sound ‘I congratulate BN' only.
However, the state government said it is prepared to take the risk in going 'live' for the sake of transparency.
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