I’ve come to know of an opposition rally last weekend in Kuala Lumpur. While I’m not much of an opposition supporter, I always find such news hard to come by in the Malaysian mainstream media. It seems to have been relegated to side-news by The Star. In fact, I get more information whenever I watch or read the online version of Channel News Asia (http://www.channelnewsasia.com) or even when I pick up a copy of the Gulf News or Khaleej Times in UAE or when I watch Al Jazeera on TV. It’s a wonder how sometimes we depend on overseas channels to find out what’s happening in our own home country. I heard that recently Pakistanis in Pakistan had to call their relatives in Dubai to find out what has happened in Pakistan after an emergency order was declared!
But it’s true that my view and perspective of Malaysia have changed ever since I started watching Singaporean news in JB and even more when I started reading Middle Eastern news reports. For example, I’ve never been really aware of massive illegal logging and its huge environmental impact happening in Sarawak. Did you know that the indigenous people of Sarawak set up a blockade some time ago to block loggers from entering the forest? Have you heard of the mass protest by some Indians in front of the Prime Minister’s Office? Ever had a chance to watch Anwar giving an interview since he was released? Have you read Farish Noor’s articles on racial and religious issues in our country? If you think you’re missing out on a lot of info, maybe it’s worth tuning in to foreign media from time-to-time! Not that I’m anti-government but I just feel that we have the right to know more of what’s really happening in order to make informed choices. Whilst Malaysia is a beautiful country and I’m proud to be a Malaysian, there are still many areas that desperately need improvement and hopefully that will come progressively as we move ahead.
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