FW:Anwar virtually blacked out in mainstream media
If an alien from another planet were to check out the mainstream media coverage of the general election campaign, he or she would not know that a person by the name of Anwar Ibrahim existed.

It appears that the mainstream media have virtually blacked out the opposition icon from their coverage of the election campaign. Anwar has been instrumental in forging closer cooperation among the various opposition parties and ensuring one-to-one contests.

Some analysts believe the media, especially television stations, have been told not to portray the opposition in a favourable light. Anwar especially appears to be the target of a complete blackout.

This has prompted an angry reaction from Anwar, who told ABC News:

Anwar says the vote will be flawed and media coverage of the election has been totally unbalanced.
“Do you know that not one report about me in the media, in the government-controlled media or an entire mainstream media in this country,” he said.
“There’s a complete ban, a blackout, and yet you call it free and fair elections.”

The Associated Press
Sunday, March 2, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia’s government has rejected an Islamic opposition party’s challenge to hold an American-style public debate between their leaders ahead of March 8 general elections, news reports said Sunday.
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party President Abdul Hadi Awang recently dared Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to hold a televised debate similar to those held by U.S. presidential candidates.
But the Sunday Star newspaper quoted Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz as saying there was no place for such debates in Malaysia.
“We don’t follow the American system in our country. We (the country’s leaders) should be debating with villagers or town folks concerning local issues affecting them,” she said in the report.

You can access this file at the URL:
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/malaysianequalrights/files/MAKKAL%20SAKTHI%20GE%202008.htm