IT wasn’t too long ago that Malaysia saw its worst political turmoil ever since the country was first formed in 1957. The day we saw an unelected government overthrow a democratically elected one and march into Putrajaya is a day that we will never forget. How could we?

For the past 62 years and 14 general elections, the government of the day has always been determined by who the people voted for at the ballot box. Notwithstanding rampant gutter politics that have always been the hallmark of our not-so-democratic system, Malaysians have certainly never seen a coup like that of February 29. 

But before we take a good, hard look at where we’ve landed, let’s first go back into events of the recent past. In the past six months, especially before Pakatan Harapan fell, our country had been more fixated than ever on major issues plaguing the coalition from all sides. In addition, there was also increasing displeasure and discontent among Pakatan’s grassroots supporters, with many questioning and speaking out against the coalition’s leadership over various issues. 

Of course, the media was very quick in capturing and sensationalising all this conflict and disharmony, real or perceived. The media made sure we didn’t forget and constantly thrust Pakatan in the spotlight. Time after time, our screens and pages were constantly bombarded by headline after headline of the latest afflictions befalling the coalition.

So, do Malaysians see the media doing the exact same thing to Perikatan Nasional (PN) today? No, we don’t. Ever since PN formed the federal government, its unholy union has seen nothing but strife. And, the cracks started showing early.

Right after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced his Cabinet line-up, he came under heavy fire from angry Umno leaders. They claimed they were under-represented and criticised him for not giving them more positions in the Cabinet, especially more glamorous and high-flying portfolios. Then, we had former prime minister Najib Razak very openly state that Umno’s support for PN had its limits, and that Umno would only defend PN until the next general election. 

In the past few weeks, infighting and mudslinging among PN ministers have further intensified, especially on social media. If Malaysians thought that the prior friction within Pakatan was bad enough, PN ministers are redefining friction. However, unlike Pakatan as a whole, they are not even trying to be civil or diplomatic. They’re clawing at each other in broad daylight, yet the media has been silent. Why?

This is not to say that the media does not report on ongoing hostilities within PN at all. That would be missing the point. The point is, the media is simply not highlighting just how much discord and animosity are actually taking place in PN’s dark corridors of power. It almost seems as if it is very carefully downplaying it.

Before Pakatan fell, the media placed the dynamics between Pakatan leaders under a microscope and scrutinised the state of the alliance from multiple angles. Contrast this kind of sensational and speculative reporting clearly meant to provoke, to mere matter-of-fact reporting. Isn’t there a huge difference in approach?
   
If the media showed no fear in dissecting Pakatan on its platform from different aspects, why can’t it show the same fearlessness in reporting on PN? Is it biased? Or, is it afraid that it will earn PN’s wrath? Whichever it is, the fact remains that there is a stark contrast in how the media reports about both Pakatan and PN. 

What we read makes us what we are. Likewise, what we don’t read also makes us what we are. While Malaysians should always be mindful of what they choose to feed their minds with, the media should also be equally mindful of what it feeds the masses with. – April 19, 2020.

* Lara Ling reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.