Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim has likened RTM to the unappreciated first wife following the emergence of a number of private television stations in the country.

He made this comparison in response to the comment made by Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali that RTM was "syok sendiri" (fascinated with itself), during the winding-up of the debate on the ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.

"RTM has existed longer than some of the honourable members here and I remember when there was a problem in Kedah and so forth, RTM was our source (of news).

"But the situation now is like being married to more than one woman, so the first wife is said to be no longer 'smelling sweet'. I think RTM still smells sweet and when the time comes for the general election and so on, its fragrance is even sweeter for the nostrils of the honourable member for Pasir Mas," he said.

Rais ticked off

At this juncture, a displeased Zuraida Kamaruddin (PKR-Ampang) interjected, asking Rais to withdraw the RTM-first wife comparison as she deemed it insensitive towards women.

She said as a minister holding the culture portfolio, Rais should avoid using such an analogy as it touched on women personally. "The minister should be more sensitive," she added.

Rais said he had no bad intention and just wished to state that RTM was an old institution that had contributed a lot to national development and that it needed to improve.

He said among the measures to be taken to improve RTM was recruiting private television broadcasting practitioners to serve RTM, having younger programme hosts and producing more interesting local programmes.

The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow.

- Bernama