Pakatan Rakyat has today decided to reject the 10 minute airtime offer on Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) to air their manifesto.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said that the proposal makes a “mockery of the democractic system”.

“We asked for fair access to the media and a free media,” he said.

“If that is going to be given, then we will consider it,” he added.

The announcement comes hours after PKR itself rejected the proposal, and one day after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also announced his party would reject the proposal.

“For 23 hours they (BN) have the channel for themselves,  and only 10 minutes for us,” Anwar said.

NONE Earlier, PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad ( left ) said the party rejected the the proposal because it was a "poorly concocted political ploy".

"The 10-minute airtime offer is an insult to the intelligence of the rakyat," he said during a press conference at PKR headquarters today.

"Information Minister Rais Yatim is using this offer to validate fair access to the media, but actually it is not," he said.

“Media in a true democracy provides objective and just coverage in its news reporting. It is not intended to be the propaganda machine of Umno to force the party’s view on the people,” he added.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution criticised that the ruling coalition has dedicated airtime in the state-owned channel for most of the year and yet PKR is only afforded 10 minutes to air its manifesto.

Yesterday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had also said that the party rejected the 10-minute airtime offer from the government to air their manifesto.

The government’s decision, which was announced by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim last week, comes months after concerted pressure of electoral watchdog groups such as Bersih to provide free and fair access to the media for all political parties during elections.

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