RTM boss gets brickbats from PH supporters in aftermath of state polls

Malaysia's oldest broadcasting station Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) has come under fire from government supporters in the aftermath of the six state elections which saw the further strengthening of Malay support for federal opposition pact Perikatan Nasional (PN). 

RTM director-in-chief Suhaimi Sulaiman has been receiving brickbats on Twitter since Sunday, with some questioning the role by the veteran journalist in promoting the Madani government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. 

The matter appeared to begin when a user compared the broadcast frequency of religious programmes under Anwar's government with that of former leader Muhyiddin Yassin, who had appeared to recite prayers during prime time broadcasts on RTM-owned TV channels. 

"I don't want to blame Fahmi, but who should be blamed b***," Twitter user @lokmanhakimrml wrote. 

This was followed by several messages criticising Suhaimi and putting the responsibility on him for the spread of government propaganda. 

Twitter user @malaysia_baharu accused the former news anchor for lacking the political will to portray the coalition government as a successful administration in the eyes and hearts of the people. 

"Since PMX took over, has RTM made any documentaries about him to let the people really get to know him?" he wrote. 

"Have patriotic songs been broadcast on a regular basis to explain the meaning of madani? Has there been information that is simple and easy for the people to understand?"

He added that Suhaimi should not be leading RTM and should instead be relegated to a lower position. 

"He is good, but not as the CEO of RTM. He needs to be lower than that," he wrote, blaming the government as well for appointing "the wrong man" for the job. 

At the state elections on Saturday, PN retained its control of Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan with a greater majority than before. 

It also made inroads in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang although these three states remained under the administration of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN). 

In Selangor, it won 22 seats, denying the PH-BN pact a two-thirds majority. In Negeri Sembilan, meanwhile, it won five seats in the state assembly and in Penang, 11. 

Suhaimi, a former TV and broadcasting personality, was appointed to lead RTM effective Jan 19. 

In an interview with MalaysiaNow in May, he recalled how he had received a phone call from Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil, offering him a spot at the broadcasting department. 

At that point, he had retired from the field of journalism. 

In a brief response on Twitter, he asked his critic to explain what they meant by the "political will" to lead RTM. 

As the director-general of the broadcasting department, he said, he would ensure that RTM reached maximum capacity in delivering stories that built and developed the community, including through the use of at least 30 capsule broadcasts or short videos, talk shows and news programmes. 

"Don't just talk as you please," he wrote on Sunday. 

He also invited his critic to visit him at his office in Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur, for a more detailed explanation of his work after eight months on the job. 

"I deplore people criticising without checking the facts first," he said. 

Other Twitter users defended Suhaimi, saying their experience of watching RTM now was very different although there was still room for improvement. 

"I am not a fan of RTM like I was when I was a kid," wrote @AlRashidZulkifli. 

"But lately, I feel like its broadcasts have been very entertaining. The information is all there, it's not boring like it used to be. Impressive!"

"I live in Edinburgh but I always watch RTMKlik," user Suhana Samsudin added, referring to the station's online application.