CALL OFF RTM LIVE TELECAST OR OTHERWISE?

Should beaming live proceedings in the Dewan Rakyat without any censorship by RTM 1 be abolished or otherwise?

After the 30-minute live telecast of the question and answer session of the Dewan Rakyat sitting captured the unparliamentary behavior of its members, should the live telecast be continued remains the serious question being asked by the tax payers.

The answer from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is positive as he described the incident happened as disgraceful and said he would support a decision to call off the live telecast.

On the other hand, Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who was cheesed off over what happened and had publicly said he wanted to stop the telecast, told a post-cabinet news conference today that RTM will continue with it, but would be reviewed if what happened on Wednesday recurred.

Beaming live proceedings in the Dewan Rakyat without any censorship by RTM 1 can be interpreted as the new approach of the new Information Minister to bear the testimony of the government’s openness and transparency of the mainstream media.

There now exist two schools of though, should RTM continue with it or otherwise.

Ironically, the precedent of British Parliament and Australian Parliament too telecast its proceedings, but interestingly, in USA Al Gore against it. Al Gore suggests that we cannot have both television and democracy. To him, democracy depends on reason and a well-informed citizenry whereas television on the sub-rational manipulation of wants. TV not only treats citizens as consumers; it corrupts politics. Politicians sell out to organized money to pay for TV ads.

Theodore White said television is American politics.

How about Malaysia? What now? Call off the live telecast or otherwise?

The answer is : RTM will continue with it, but would be reviewed if what happened on Wednesday recurred.

INFO MINISTER: REVIEW LIVE DEWAN TELECAST

The opening session of Malaysia's new parliament descended into noisy name-calling Wednesday as a newly emboldened opposition took on the government.

The Dewan Rakyat today kicked off with a fiery question-and-answer session where top opposition parliamentarians crossed swords with both the speaker and Barisan Nasional backbenchers.

The temperature went up few notches during the 90-minute session after a number of controversial rulings from speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia and an 'unparliamentary remark' from Ibrahim Ali (Independent-Pasir Mas) which drew heckles from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat MPs.

"Monkey" and "Bigfoot" were two of the epithets hurled in a rowdy session during which lawmakers shouted and gesticulated in heated exchanges across the floor of the chamber.

The scenes, broadcast live on television. The trial live telecast of 30 minutes of the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat may be reviewed because Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek feels several Opposition MPs attempted to seek cheap publicity by raising trivial issues during today’s maiden broadcast.

He said several MPs often interfered in the proceedings by raising questions pertaining to the standing orders and attempted to highlight their own interests instead of the people.

“There may be people who want to watch a circus but Parliament is not a circus,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby, here.

Ahmad Shabery said he was disappointed that the Opposition failed to show appreciation for the institution of parliament and misused it during today’s session.