PAS: Avoid slanderous and slanted reports on Sg Limau

SG LIMAU As Sg Limau gears up for a 12-day campaign period starting tomorrow which is nomination day, PAS is bracing itself for a waves of negative attacks from the mainstream media.

Despite owning a media organ, Harakah, which also has an online version, PAS warns of biased coverage in what they describe as "BN media".

Such media organisations have often been accused of unfair coverage, most recently by media watchdog Committee for Independent Journalism, in its analysis of the 13th general election which concluded on May 5.

While thanking the media, especially federal government owned RTM for coverage, Sg Limau PAS election director Mahfuz Omar (right) urged the media to be fair to the party and its campaign.

"We want a peaceful and harmonious by-election as that is the situation in Sg Limau," Mahfuz said at a ceramah last night to announce the party's candidate Mohd Azam Samat, 37.

Azam, a religious school co-curriculum assistant coordinator, will take on BN's Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, 52, a former university lecturer, in a straight fight on Nov 4.

"That legacy was left by former Sg Limau assemblyperson and former Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak," he added, in front of scores of journalists, photographers and videographers last night.

Living in peace and harmony

Mahfuz said even though there are differences between PAS and Umno, the people here live peacefully and harmoniously with each other, like a family.

"So, please... the media especially RTM, do not turn the lives of the Sg Limau voters upside down," he urged, with loud applause from the 1,000 odd crowd which gathered in Sg Limau Dalam.

Mahfuz said if the media does not give all parties fair coverage but instead present reports which are slanderous, the environment in Sg Limau during the by-election campaign would be "tense".

Also present at the ceramah were PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, his deputy Mustafa Ali, DAP senior leader Lim Kit Siang and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.

The Malay-dominant Sg Limau seat, set in a rural zone between Alor Setar, Kedah's capital, and Sungai Petani in the south, fell vacant when incumbent Azizan Abdul Razak died on Sept 26.