Akademia Fantasia overwhelms the debate on the revival of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in Malay newspapers, lamented a top editor.

Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd Editor-in-Chief A Kadir Jasin said Malay newspapers are more engrossed with making money and increasing their circulation.

This has gone to the extent of neglecting their role in shaping the thinking of the Malays, he added.

According to him, the newspapers were now more interested in sensational news and no longer published thoughts and ideas.

"The Malay newspapers these days carry pages for the sake of competing to raise their circulation and garner advertisements and not to promote the spirit of nationalism," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

Kadir, who is the former chairperson of Bernama, said this when presenting a working paper at a seminar on The Role of Malay Newspapers in the National Agenda in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The veteran newsman said Malay newspapers were inclined to emulate the electronic media in providing news of a contemporary nature and did not stimulate progressive and aggressive Malay thinking.

"We can notice the trend of stories on Akademi Fantasia overwhelming the debate on the NEP," he said.

Readers not interested

Mior Kamarul Shahid, part-time lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science at Universiti Malaya, said readers, particularly youngsters, no longer preferred to read serious issues in the newspapers and that this phenomenon had to be overcome.

He said those at the helm of Malay newspapers should play an important role in publishing information that was critical.

"But those in charge of these newspapers prefer to play it safe in publishing opinions, especially in the field of politics, to safeguard vested interests that will stunt the mentality of the Malays," he said.

The seminar, organised by the Malaysian Association of Former Berita Harian Journalists (PBWBHM) and the Kelantan Malay Journalists Association, was held to stimulate development of the mind and knowledge in students, academics and media practitioners.

Also present at the seminar were PBWBHM President Dr Alias Mohamed and Head of Universiti Malaya's Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Prof Dr Hussain Mohamed.