When I read Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's recent call for the media to work for a united Malaysia it only proved yet again that politicians are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.

As a media woman, I recall the many arm-twisting approaches we the journalists were faced with in reporting truth as it were.

I wonder what does Najib has in mind when he said "for a united Malaysia"?

Does a "united Malaysia" mean that truth is swept under the carpet and only propaganda be made the flavour of the day, the week, the month and the year?

To have a united country, must truth be suppressed and fiction be used to win votes?

To have a united Malaysia, must the media be muzzled and gagged when truth is at stake?

Must the media be prostituted at the whims and fancies of politicians and ministers?

NONE A united Malaysia is all about acceptance, of understanding what it constitutes in raising a nation of multi-cultural and multi-racial diversity to greater heights.

A united Malaysia is not about one race boasting of supremacy at the expense of other races, nor is a united Malaysia about one dominant religion being used to instill fear in its believers?

Najib is correct in saying that the media have a social responsibility to work with the government towards nation building despite having differing policies.

But has Najib forgotten that the mainstream media is servant to the political masters and that every move the media makes is at the pleasure of these masters?

The issue of differing policies does not arise because the mainstream was, is and will always be leashed by the hands of such political masters.

Stop fooling the rakyat

A leader bears the responsibility of earning the respect of the people, not forcefully demanding it.

If Najib is going to take the public relations approach to fool the rakyat into believing that the media is there for them, he should know better.

The taglines of the different newspapers are all aimed at one goal - to earn them as many readers as possible which will lead to making as much money as they can.

I anwar quality hotel 270608 press conference speak from experience of situations when the media had to drop the ordinary man's story because of its repercussions on the then ruling government.

The media had to write stories to make the political masters look good in terms of performance and journalists with conscience had no opportunity to report the truth because some VIP or VVIP's image was at stake.

The truth is that the media, in particular the mainstream media is used as a tool to serve the agenda of the ‘powers that be'.

Truth has to wrestle with the political pressure imposed on media practitioners and it always happens that the truth loses out.

Is all these a recipe for a ‘united Malaysia' where there is no respect for freedom of speech.?

The role and responsibility of the media certainly is to inform, educate and entertain the readers and viewers.

But in reality, all this is done with so much of manipulation that readers and viewers have started reading and watching what is being said with spoonfuls of salt. Who is to be blamed here?

Najib's remark that the final destination for the media to converge was towards "a stronger, better, united, harmonious and prosperous Malaysia" is nothing but a sham.

Is the media given any chance of working towards these?

How does a nation attain strength, attain unity, harmony and prosperity?

It is done by weeding out unscrupulous characters who have no conviction in the ‘love thy neighbour' message and have no qualms spreading rumours and engaging in malice to fulfil their personal agenda.

Truth is the bedrock of any relationship and in this regard the relationship between the people and their nation can only succeed if there is no manipulation of the truth and trust and respect for one another is the only priority of the leaders.

Media a ‘eunuch'?

The mainstream media especially has become no less a ‘eunuch, ' having sold its pride and courage to please so many political masters who act as the pricking stakeholders.

If as Najib claims the media has a responsibility in bringing unity to Malaysia, then the realisation must dawn on this seasoned politician that unity comes when truth is spoken.

In this regard, Najib knows better just how much of the truth the people of Malaysia are told.

The self-censorship approach of the media has forced the people to seek out the truth through other means, and this trend is not going to cease.

The gag order on the media to not highlights issues that betray the people's trust in the ruling government is one such example.

The rape of the Penan women is one fine example. Just how far did the mainstream media go with this injustice towards women?

Did Najib himself not find it alarming to tackle this issue with utmost seriousness? How does the mainstream media cover the general elections?

Is bashing the opposition for the sake of doing so any help in a ‘united Malaysia'?

Turning the country's human rights commission Suhakam into an impotent organisation is also no move towards achieving ‘a better and harmonious Malaysia'.

To pressure the commissioners to speak what the federal government wants them to is certainly not going to create harmony in Malaysia.

To chastise a columnist for writing a piece that speaks of gross injustice against the Muslim women is not going to help create a prosperous Malaysia.

If the work of the media is respected and appreciated, never would the journalists and columnists be threatened with the Internal Security Act especially or the Official Secrets Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

Resuscitate mainstream media

In Malaysia, the mainstream media has little courage to report the truth as it is because it so often involves some hot shots with connections to the higher-ups.

Trying to expose a wrong doing can be a frustrating affair with the journalist reprimanded for the gung-ho attitude.

If Najib is sincere about seeing the media work for a united Malaysia, he must works towards ending the slavery of media entities at the hands of the political masters.

Najib has to resuscitate the mainstream media and bring back the grace of what reporting the truth is all about. Can he do so?

Until and unless the mainstream media is free from the bondage of political masters, there is never going to be any way that Najib's daylight dream of ‘stronger, better, united, harmonious and prosperous Malaysia' can be attained.