Election shock leaves Umno news portals‎ scrambling

Radzi Razak Radzi Razak Updated 5 years ago · Published on 18 Jun 2018 11:00AM · 1 Comments

News portals such as AgendaDaily, which rely on funding from Umno to carry out their cyber activities, have been hard hit by the party's loss in GE14. – The Malaysian Insight, June 18, 2018

FOLLOWING Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN)’s defeat in the 14 general election (GE14), some news portals that were tied to the party have shut down while those still operating have shed staff in order to survive.   

These online outfits had received funds directly from Umno’s news media unit or the Special Affairs Department (JASA) that was under the Prime Minister’s Department.

They were registered under the Information Ministry and Malaysian Commission and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), while their staff had grey media tags similar to other independent new sites.

The Malaysian Insight has learnt that one portal that was shuttered was Antarapos, a Selangor-based outfit.

Set up in 2011, Antarapos gained notoriety for being blindly critical of the Selangor PR government as well as federal opposition figures in Pakatan Rakyat and later Pakatan Harapan.

Staff in Antarapos admitted that they had lost their jobs after the elections as the money stopped coming from Umno leaders.

“Maybe Antarapos will be revived and change its look,” said one source who declined to be identified.

A check at Antarapos’ website showed that it is under construction, in contrast to during the general election when it actively covered the polls.

Antarapos courted controversy in 2013 for insinuating that Amanah president Mohamad Sabu was a Shia Muslim, a contentious label given that Umno had waged a campaign to prosecute the minority Muslim sect.

Other portals such as Agendadaily, KLxpress and Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) have scaled back their operations, given that they are now depending on limited funds coming from individual Umno leaders.

Previously, the three portals were bankrolled with money from agencies under the former BN government.

“For now all these portals are still operating, it is just that we don’t know for how long. A few writers and operators have left while the rest are still around,” said a source from Umno’s news media unit.

Two other sites, Malaysian Gazette and MySuara, are still functioning.

It is learnt that the reporters of these two sites are still being employed and that they are still actively covering national affairs.

But a check on MySuara.Net website showed that they had put up a disclaimer in February which stated that they could not verify the authenticity of their information.

“All the information on this website are with good intentions and for general knowledge only.

“MySuara.Net does not guarantee the veracity, trustworthiness and accuracy of these facts,” it said.

MySuara.Net also has online TV and radio channel.

Despite pouring millions into portals and paying cyber troopers, Umno and the BN lost the perception battle. Their news portal did not have the traction or eyeballs as more independent news sites. They were not helped by the sycophantic manner they covered the news.

Still, former prime minister Najib Razak and his advisors believed that it was a numbers game and the more portals and cyber troopers they had, the better chance of controlling the Internet space.

GE14 proved this assumption to be a fallacy. – June 18, 2018

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  • No matter what Umno is history. During the early days when MI was incepted I have already written some of pieces that GE14 is for UmnoBn to fall and very much due to the severe changing of sentiments especially the rural folks. Now itself at this juncture Umno party members are deserting the party and streaming in to the PH parties to survive and lick their wounds hoping for some comforts. Umno name itself stinks!!!!!!!!!!! Many non Umnos are hoping that Umno will come back strong and clean with effective and constructive opposition role as a check and balance will be dismayed. Even with old or young leaders taking the helm it is almost impossible to reform as the disease is too deep in their cuture of corruption , being racist at their whims and fancies and hard core bigots when the religion comes a calling. Majority of the rakyat as a whole have really despised Umno and even within themselves in Umno there are heavy sceptism of the party ability to change and recuperate from the losses in GE14. Obviously all the Umno paid cyber troopers or permanent bloggers and journalist are also part of the factors that contribute to this malaise. With having an easy meal tickets during Umno regime as Government, these licenced mercenaries writer are actually scum and a bane to unity effort and have morphed into a free will writing of atrocity with out a care if the country goes to the dog as long as they are paid.. It is acceptable and too deeply entrenched in them as their skill set in writing and jounalism are of pedestrian mind set where it does not reqire any demanding ehtics in them just to spin and character soiling, not to write good reading piece but less writing but full of absurdities and profanities , no truth but lies, forget about peace but mayhem and chaotic condition are the intensifed to lock in the continuation of governance by their master . All done without any professionalism not even see traces of practises in humnaity or even an iota of humility in them. PH should start charging them with sedition on their going overboard with their evil and malicious intent. It is easy to pick them up they are already identified and reined them in to be placed under control environment. This will help to promote and inculcate a high degree of journalism and truth seekers bloggers to move the country politicians to be very vary of their actions or be damned by truth.!!!!!!!!!!! It should not be viewed as curbing freedom of speeches or writing in the guise of truth but ensuring professionlism and truthful representations are withinh the rules of law to curb fake news and build up harmony in the country. Umno style of "cyber war faring writing smith" should be thoroughly demolished and reintroduce well educated and trained journalist writers

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply