TRANSPORT Minister Anthony Loke denied today asking an aide to question RTM over its decision to omit a portion of his speech at a recent Chinese New Year event.

The minister said his press secretary, Lim Swee Kuan, acted on his own will. 

“It is not a question of infringing media freedom. It was a live event. We want to understand why certain portions of a live event were taken out. It is a government TV station and the entire event was live.

“No. 1: it is a government TV station and it was supposed to be a live event but why certain portion taken out? I think that’s the crux of the issue here. I don’t want to pursue this further,” Loke told reporters in defence of his press secretary after a ground-breaking ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.

Lim said RTM’s omission of Loke’s speech is an act of “sabotage”.

“Not a single word of the speeches of Menteri Besar Negri Sembilan YAB Dato’ Seri Hj Aminuddin Harun and Transport Minister YB Anthony Loke Siew Fook was broadcasted!

“What is this if not sabotage? Heads must roll over the highly possible sabotage against the government administration,” Lim said on Facebook about the federal government-organised Chinese New Year national open house attended by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his deputy, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, in Seremban last Sunday.

“I demand an explanation from state-owned RTM. We will lodge an official complaint to YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Communications and Multimedia immediately.”

Loke said he will leave the matter to Gobind to investigate.

Gobind said yesterday he has asked the state broadcaster for a report on the issue. – February 19, 2019.