Prompted by the curb on Harakah, it is sprucing up its paper
online despite low computer ownership in the country
NEWS ANALYSIS
By BRENDAN PEREIRA IN KUALA LUMPUR
THE government's decision to restrict the publication of the
Parti Islam newspaper is pushing the Islamic fundamentalist
party into the world of Internet television, where
interviews with party leaders and special reports will be
telecast around the clock.
For the past few months, the party has been publishing a
daily online version of Harakah, but a rap on the knuckles
by the Home Ministry is changing the way it views the new
media.
It is now pushing itself further into the Internet age not
only in making Harakah more attractive on the net, but also
in entering the world of Internet TV.
More resources are expected to be poured in, following
government restriction on the paper which has been allowed
to publish twice a month instead of twice a week.
But embracing new technology is one thing, reaching an
audience who bought 360,000 copies of the tabloid twice a
week is another.
In Malaysia, only 11 per cent of the population own
computers, while the Internet penetration is 5 per cent.
The Straits Times understands that PAS thinks it can solve
this problem by going into the personal computer business.
It is planning to sell computers at attractive prices.
Says Harakah editor Mr Zulkifli Sulong: "We have to focus
more on the Internet. But there is no money in the
Internet."
The hardcopy version of Harakah has been a cash cow for PAS
since the sacking of former Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim.
Within 18 months, its circulation climbed from 80,000 to
360,000 and advertisements shot up.
Still, government officials say that PAS should count its
blessings. The consensus among many Umno ministers and
Barisan Nasional members was that Harakah permit should be
withdrawn.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, however, felt
otherwise.
His position was that Harakah should be treated like any
other paper and should only be punished for flouting the
publishing laws.
A Home Ministry official said that several past and present
deputy home ministers, like Datuk Megat Junid Megat Ayob,
had warned Harakah publishers not to sell it to the public
and be factual in their reporting. He added:
" Every one of the ministers was ignored. They were pushing
the limit all the time. We have decided that enough is
enough. There will be no special treatment. "
A report that upset many in the government appeared just
before the general election in November.
Harakah alleged that the Kuala Lumpur Tower was unsafe and
marked out spots in a photograph to show where the cracks
were.
Later, it was proven that the report was false and the
'cracks" highlighted was the wiring along the tower.
He said: "Not one false report or factual mistake was
corrected. We are just putting them on notice that they must
be held accountable."
Most people believe that the move to restrict Harakah was
anchored on politics.
"By imposing such a restriction, the government ... is
telling the whole world that it is afraid of the growing
influence and impact of Harakah, " said Dr Chandra Muzaffar,
deputy president of Parti Keadilan Nasional.
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