COMMENT In an investigation repeatedly said to be above race, politics and party lines, the Malaysian government has drawn a curious distinction in disseminating information - that between foreign and local media.

The division is unsurprising considering the authoritarian government’s poor record of transparency, and the level of control it exerts over the local media.

The long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is unaccustomed to fronting up to tough questions, preferring instead to simply dismiss, or jail, its critics.

But a foreign press corps unafraid of confrontation with authority descended on Kuala Lumpur on March 8, putting the government in an unprecedented position, and under a spotlight it is unfamiliar with.

Local journalists have been astonished at the forthright manner foreign reporters ask questions of the government, and do so without fear of reprisals.

An Australian journalist at the media centre where press briefings are held said he had been asked by local reporters for help in phrasing questions, and how best to pursue a line of inquiry to get an answer out of the authorities.

He was surprised at what he saw as a basic request, but happily complied, saying it highlighted how unaccustomed local reporters were to asking questions, and how infrequently they expected to get answers.

Yet the nightly media briefings on the missing plane are one of the most stark displays of the division imposed between local and foreign media.

After acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s prepared statement, the floor is opened for local reporters to ask questions first, followed by those from foreign media outlets.

At one briefing, a foreign journalist said she had done a tally - local reporters were allowed to ask 12 questions, while foreign reporters were allowed just three before the press conference was abruptly ended by officials.

There have also been press events restricted to local mainstream media, and two days ago, the head of the Department of Civil Aviation stopped his opening speech at an international aviation conference to ask reporters to leave.

Local publication The Star reported that Azharuddin Abdul Rahman (left) knew in advance that the media would be present, and said nothing in his speech that had not been circulating for weeks on the timeline of flight MH370.

Yesterday, the story was removed from The Star’s website, and did not appear in its print edition - illustrating the heavy hand local media are treated with by a government that refuses to tolerate dissent.

Confusion over ‘last words’

In the same vein, opposition politicians have been criticised for comments that supposedly left the government vulnerable to attacks from the foreign press.

But as the flight's transcript emerged and contradicted an earlier report, the Malaysian government’s credibility crisis worsened, and criticism from foreign media continued to flow.

Hishammuddin said this week the country's attorney-general had been instructed to compile evidence and advice on possible legal action against media outlets that had published false reports.

Earlier, Hishammuddin was quoted by the Malay Mail newspaper as saying they had kept track of false reports since the day the plane disappeared, and “when the time is right, the government should sue them."

Every media outlet that reported “all right, good night” as the last words communicated from the MH370 cockpit presumably falls into this category - because each one was given the same misinformation by the Malaysian government.

But of the nearly 600 media personnel registered as covering MH370 with Malaysia’s Information Department, there will be no prizes awarded for guessing which outlets will be the targets of legal action.

Yes, please sue and start with global media


AIMEE GULLIVER is a New Zealand journalist interning with Malaysiakini for six weeks, courtesy of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.