The bauxite madness in Kuantan is actually a showdown between the federal and state governments, says environmental policy researcher Chung Yi Fan.

He referred to the New Straits Times coverage of the bauxite issue as an example, claiming that the Umno-controlled media only mentioned the Pahang government in its reports.

This, Chung noted, can be seen as the daily trying to shift any perception of blame for the environmental disaster entirely onto the state government's shoulder.