Press micro control, a la Malaysia

June 7, 2007

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is getting remarried. This is on the lips of all Malaysians. Hurrah. Congrats and wishign you much happiness in the life ahead.The machinazations of the PM’s office, however, are troubling. As Rocky reports, editors were called in and told what they could and what they could not report on the marriage and Badawi’s beau.

If true, this is really depressing. Depressing because smart people who should be taking care of more important matters are spending an inoprdinate amount of time trying to micro manage the unmanageable. With blogs, the internet and other new media the PM’s advisors must realize that almost nothing can be kept under wraps. Better to influence the interpretation than try to control the flow of information, which is uncontrollable.

The other troubling development is that when rumors began circulating about this marriage in February, Badawi denied any such thing was on the books. Would you trust him the next time he denies anything?

clipped from rockybru.blogspot.com

The instructions, in a nutshell:
No run-up stories on the wedding. No interviews with Nori, KJ, relatives, close friends..No reference to Jeanne as a “janda” (divorcee) or Pak Lah’s biras (in-law). Use only releases by the PM’s department or the PM himself. No Press to wait outside Sri Perdana this Saturday. Event for official media only..

unspun

Malaysia

3 responses to “Press micro control, a la Malaysia”

Jango Ang

June 7, 2007 at 5:10 am

In Boleh Land, what is fact can be fiction and what is fiction can be fact. Facts have been twisted for so long by the political establishment that they end up as fiction. Lies have been told so many times that they become the truth. Myths have been bandied about so much so that they become lies, half-lies and fiction and sometimes the truth. rumours about pak lah’s marriage is a case in point. Be that as it may, pak lah has lost a lot of credibility by remarrying barely two years after his wife’s death. It is simply inappropriate .

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rocky’s bru

June 11, 2007 at 12:17 am

Greetings brothers di Seberang,

Despite the orders, Jeanne’s kids spoke to the Press to share their joy. Their mother was going to be the Prime Minister’s wife, so no way some half-past-six gurkha from the 4th Floor was going to spoil the fun for them!

This may also be the precursor of other changes .. a shift in the balance of power in the PM’s kitchen cabinet. Another kind of drama is unfolding bro …

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unspun

June 11, 2007 at 1:09 pm

Rocky dari Seberang: I hope Jeanne brings some good. old-fashioned woman’s common sense to the highest echelons of power.

ABB is is nice chap, perhaps too nice for politics and a leader can be so disoriented by his advisors that he acts inconsistently and strangely.

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Unspun