COMMENT | Control of media ownership has long been an important component of political manoeuvring and power struggles in Malaysia.

To control the media is to control a powerful instrument of propaganda: it enables one to disseminate one’s own narratives while attacking political opponents through negative coverage or even fabricated information.

For this reason, changes in shareholding or senior management within major Malaysian media conglomerates, such as Media Prima Berhad, often serve as a barometer of political contestation within Umno.

Control media, control the party

Looking back to 1993...