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Is It Ethical For BENAMA Reporter Who Was Part Of The Melaka State Government Delegation To Go For The Controversial RM 1 Million Junket At Public Expense To USA And Dubai To Give A Positive Spin For The Controversial Round-The-World Trip

Press Statement
 by Lim Guan Eng

(Melaka, Tuesday): BERNAMA, our national news agency should explain whether it is ethical for the BERNAMA reporter who was part of the Melaka State government to go for the controversial RM 1 million junket at public expense to the USA and Dubai to give a positive spin for the controversial round-the-world trip. In its 30th January 2005 article, BERNAMA reporter Mohd Zabidi Osman had given a glowing account of the working visit with unspecified benefits to Melaka. 

However Mohd Zabidi failed to mention that he was also part of the 23 member delegation that went around the world from 5-19 January 2005 visiting Hawaii, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans and Miami before transiting in London and Dubai to return to Malaysia. Bernama must state whether Mohd Zabidi’s trip was sponsored by the Melaka State government at public expense or privately paid for by Bernama.  

If this trip is sponsored by the Melaka State Government, this gives rise to doubts whether such reporting is unbiased and impartial, especially whether he was influenced by a trip given exclusively only to Bernama journalist and not to other journalists. By failing to mention that its journalist was part of the delegation, is there not a conflict of interest when issues of public importance and interest are involved?   

According to the itenarary obtained by me, other members of the official delegation included Melaka State EXCO member Datuk Poh Ah Tiam and his wife as well as Datuk Mohd Ali’s three children, Mohd Ridhwan bin Mohd. Ali, Wan Nadzirah binti Mohd Ali and Muhammad Hamka bin Mohd. Ali. The rest are made up of other state government officials, two contractors undertaking the RM 92 million Melaka River beautification project and two reporters from Bernama.   

Throughout the ‘working visit’, the delegation only has one confirmed official function with the Lt Governor of the Hawaii state, James R Alona Jr. Other scheduled ‘official visits’ are to Pearl Harbour, the San Antonio riverwalk, the French Quarters, Millionaires Row in New Orleans, Everglades National Park in Miami and the Houston Medical Centre. The delegation will also visit other tourism spots such as the Waikiki beach, Hanauma Bay Lookout and Hawaii’s famous landmark, the Diamond Head.

Instead of a direct flight back to Malaysia, the delegation will instead transit at Dubai and spend about two and half days (Jan 16 and 17) although no official function is scheduled. On the first day at the UAE capital, the delegation will go on a city tour. On the second day, they will visit three popular places - the Internet City, Media City and the Palm Island. Throughout their two weeks in the US and Dubai, the 23 delegates are arranged to stay in posh hotels like Hilton Hawaii Village Beach and Spa, as well as Hotel Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa.  

As a responsible news agency Bernama that believes in fair, impartial and unbiased  reporting, Bernama should have the courage to publicise my criticisms that this RM 1 million junket do not fulfill principles of public accountability and transparency.  There    8 important questions of public interest that BERNAM should but fails to address:-

  1. Why is Datuk Mohd Ali afraid to reveal the cost of the trip estimated at RM 60,000 per head or almost RM 1 million in public funds for this “working” visit?

  2. Is this not a holiday disguised as a working visit when there are only official appointments on 3 days out of 15 days with the remaining 12 days being taken up by sight-seeing and shopping.

  3. What type of working visit is this when there is only one confirmed official   meeting with the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii and two tentative meetings, one with the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the other with the San Antonio City Hall?;

  4. If this trip is intended to promote tourism. why are both Melaka State EXCO for tourism Datuk Amid Nordin and the Deputy EXCO for tourism Datuk Chua Peng Siong not part of the delegation?;

  5. Why are Datuk Poh Ah Tiam’s wife, Datuk Mohd Ali’s school-going children listed as official delegates even though they are below 21 years of age?;

  6. Why is a private company, SMAS Travels Sdn Bhd, awarded this RM 1 million around the world trip and not a state government-owned company MAIM Travels Sdn Bhd;

  7. Why was Bernama and not other newspapers reporters and journalists chosen for this trip?; and

  8. What is the necessity of spending RM 1 million and the type of long-tem benefits to the people of Melaka, apart from the short-term benefits to the 23 member delegation who enjoyed the trip?

The failure of Bernama to respond will only belie Bernama’s objectives of fair, impartial and unbiased reporting and confirm suspicions that it is a mere propaganda arm of the BN government.

(1/2/2005)

* Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary-General