Suspension and arrest: UMNO-BN incapable of learning its lessons
(Harakah Daily) – Suspension on newsweekly The Heat and the arrest of movement against price hikes TURUN chairman Mohd Azan Safar shows BN government has hardly transformed despite launching bunches of transformation programmes.
First, was there a need to suspend The Heat for portraying Prime Minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor as ‘big spender’? To put such public perception into words is definitely not a crime.
Home Ministry has raised more questions when it tried to address public dissent by claiming that the suspension imposed on The Heat was not due to the article about Rosmah. It claimed that The Heat had violated its permit by focusing on ‘Current Affairs’ when the publication license was issued for business news magazine.
The Heat editorial had refuted the Home Ministry’s claim saying the news agency had obtained approval to change its scope of news on September 18, 2013.
Regardless of the reasons, should have and haven’t, when the suspension coincided with the report questioning Najib and Rosmah’s spendthrift, whatever explanation given by Home Ministry would be futile, especially when it is still suffering from serious deficit in public trust following its black record on curtailing media freedom.
Arresting Azan over the so-called alleged plot to oust government on New Year’s Eve is politically and strategically wrong for BN government.
BN government is presently under pressure from the public following a series of price hikes announcements that began in September – 20 sen increase in fuel and diesel, removal of sugar subsidies, electricity tariff hikes and the impending rise in toll charges – therefore, the arrest of Azan, who lead the movement to protest against price hikes, the centre of public discontent against BN government, will only increase the pressure.
