'BBC is not any more independent than what British interests will allow it to be. This is a very clear illustration of that.'

BBC's HARDtalk denies bowing to Putrajaya

Lover Boy: The BBC is run by a bunch of merry-Andrews to claim that a pending defamation where RPK (Raja Petra Kamarudin) was involved is subjudice. It is a known fact that RPK is in exile in the UK.

On the contrary, I feel it would be great for the BBC to interview RPK, and then to be fair, interview information minister Rais Yatim or perhaps DPM Muhyiddin Yassin. Get someone who can speak decent English - this is a rare commodity after seeing MACC's top prosecutor in action in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.

The defamation case is a civil action, and if RPK is not going to defend it, they can take judgment in default. Really, RPK does not give two hoots about it. What is subjudice in Malaysia does not apply to UK. Yes, BBC is shown in Malaysia, but hey, Malaysia is a free country - Umno chaps need not tune in to BBC if they do not want to.

Anonymous: BBC is not any more independent than what British interests will allow it to be. This is a very clear illustration of that. There is a long history of Malaysian defence purchases from the British defence industry and PM Najib Razak has been instrumental in many of those purchases and there are many influential members within the British power elite who would want not to see this relationship ruffled.

Talk about subjudice is just convenient. These are considerations before a decision is made to go ahead with a personality, not after. All this is happening after the impending interview was highlighted in the media - showing the manipulation behind to kill it - plain and simple. BBC is no different than any junk media organisation, only it parades itself as a torch bearer of democratic values - but in truth it is just another instrument of control for the international elite.

ISA@Penyu: Well, who else to blame if not BN if BBC backs down on merits of its own? There is a group of people who, even if a cow knocks into their car, will blame the BN. That's the group that should be answerable for the press decay that's happening.

Unconvinced: BCC, you mean to say you have not doing enough research on Raja Petra Kamarudin before the invitation to HARDtalk? What a lame excuse when you can get all the 'research material' from Malaysia Today and Wikipedia (which you have done so).

And after you have done your so-called 'research', you decided not to proceed with the HARDtalk interview because if you did, it may cause you legal trouble? What a lame excuse.

Al Tugauw: Since when have matters of ‘subjudice' and contempt of a Malaysian court obtained extra-territorial jurisdiction that even the United Kingdom is subject to? Malaysia really boleh this time. This at a time when most Malaysians themselves have gone beyond mere contempt of court and are into total contempt of the Malaysian judicial system itself, or whatever is left of it.

Multi Racial: Whichever way you look at this, BBC's Hardtalk credibility has gone down. They invited RPK and now they gave an excuse to cancel it. As for Malaysians, we now know power and money is not just confine to our border but also beyond. My suggestion to BBC is to rename the show as BBC SelectiveTalk.

William: Sorry Malaysians, I don't think you guys understand the BBC. The BBC isn't scared of Malaysia or even the British government itself. The BBC is a beacon of impartiality, nothing like it exists hardly anywhere else in the world. Most British trust the BBC more than we trust the government or the monarchy. And with good reason.

Even the choice of who is head of the BBC is a closely watched issue in the UK, and the public gets very annoyed if any political party tries to influence the BBC. And remember, UK political parties only get between five to 15 years before they are thrown out and replaced by the opposition, so they tend to stay mostly honest.

The BBC is worried about contempt of court. That is, some court case may collapse if the BBC documentary is seen to have pre-judged the outcome. So probably, this is some court case against the Malaysian government, where the case is likely to collapse if the BBC publishes the documentary and reveals the facts too early before they are revealed in court.

Steve Oh: Why censor the whole interview when you can leave out the offending bit if indeed it is subjudice? BBC's explanation is unconvincing and its decision must surely have harmed its reputation. Disgruntled Malaysiakini readers could write to them and let them know.

Ray Tek: I'm not gonna blame BBC, it will just be like crying over spilled milk. RPK, it is all up to you now. We have lost BBC. The only option left is to declare everything you know, every proof you have, and perhaps WikiLeaks...

Yobama: Yes, I think BBC is afraid of a backlash from the BN government, which wants to hide many things from the world, when in fact the whole world is already in the know. The cost of litigation can be substantial, even for the BBC. Why take the risk? The Malaysian government may even ban the BBC from being aired in Malaysia. Malaysia boleh , what!

Ong Guan Sin: What a lousy excuse from the BBC. The very nature of the HARDtalk programme surely attracts all sorts of potential trouble, including political and legal ones. Do you believe that the BBC management didn't prepare for such trouble when they gave the go-ahead to start the programme?

To say that having Raja Petra Kamarudin on the programme may lead to contempt of court is to say 'let us shut down HARDtalk now'. Shame on you, BBC.

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