Baby dumping stories taboo for RTM?

Government-run RTM2 has barred its Mandarin news and current affairs programmes from touching on baby dumping issue, as this has been deemed "sensitive" by the station's higher-ups.

Malaysiakini has learnt that the person in charge of RTM Mandarin news and current affairs programmes, Yap Shy Chuan, had ordered the Mandarin section not to report any baby dumping news since last week.

This has resulted in Mandarin talk show programme What say you changing its latest discussion topic from baby dumping to sexual harassment.

One of the guest speakers for the programme, Wong Su Zane (right), revealed this on her Facebook page, questioning why the station sees baby dumping as a taboo topic.

She said she was informed of the topic changes through a phone call from a production team member.

"When I asked her why, she said there is an internal change in policy because the topic is a bit sensitive," read her Facebook message.

Wong, who is also the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) social work manager, however pointed out that her colleague did not face any problems in discussing the same topic in a Malay talk show of the same station last week.

"The Malay and English sections had no problem at all. It seems like the Chinese section is highly mindful of ‘sensitive' issues."

Several sources said it is only an oral directive with no guidelines in black and white, which is not an unusual practice.

One source revealed that Yap had told them the directive was from RTM director-general Ibrahim Yahya, who had ordered producers for all languages not to report on baby dumping in a morning daily meeting.

Interestingly, sources said the Malay news still carried baby dumping stories after Yap told the Mandarin section not to report the issue.

However when contacted, Ibrahim (left) denied he had issued such a directive.

"No ban, we are very open," he said, adding that RTM has been following the baby dumping issue for quite a while already.

He however said he did not know if any of his producers did issue such a directive, as it is their right to focus on whatever they considered newsworthy.

Asked what if the producers had issued such directives on their own accord, Ibrahim said, "I don't answer hypothetical questions."

Appointed to oversee Chinese programmes

Yap, who is alleged to be a MCA member, refused to comment on the ban, saying that it was Ibrahim who has the right to speak to the media.

Yap was appointed in May by RTM to oversee Chinese language programmes.

RTM had earlier junked two documentary series produced by Chou Z Lam and Tan Ean Nee.

Chou was the producer of a nine-part documentary highlighting the negative impact of the Bakun Dam on Sarawak's indigenous people, who had been displaced to make way for the project.

Tan's documentary had focused on the Rawang New Village residents' long-drawn-out protest against the construction of high-tension cable towers in their village by Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

Chou's contract was terminated by RTM while Tan did not get a new contract after her one-year contract had expired.