Ras Adiba Radzi is a television personality. As a broadcast journalist a decade ago, she was invited into the living rooms of most Malaysians to present the news  she is also an author-cum-poet and had recited a poem dedicated to the prime minister a few years back. The 34-year-old is also an avid adventure-sports fan and loves to cruise the city on her Harley-Davidson superbike.

One morning, about three weeks ago, the petite lass woke up in her apartment to discover that she could not move the lower part of her body. Semi-paralysed, she was rushed to a private medical centre.

She had been suffering from spinal injury as a result of an accident seven years ago. The injury was then aggravated in a mysterious assault two years ago.

On July 15, her former employer TV3 highlighted her condition in the prime-time news. In the slot, Ras Adiba appealed to the public for financial assistance, saying that she could never walk again unless she undergoes a corrective surgery in Australia. Ras Adiba estimated that she would need about RM300,000 for the surgery.

The next day, almost every newspaper carried the story and published pictures of Ras Adiba lying in her hospital bed, looking rather distressed.

Her plight even touched the prime minister, who paid her a visit at the hospital and told her that she will have no problems raising the money needed.

The premier's visit coupled with the daily media coverage of Ras Adiba's sorry condition brought the desired effect. In less than a week, she managed to collect more than the necessary amount — the final figure stood at RM392,000, almost RM100,000 more than she needed.

Polishing the Harley

Ras Adiba flew to Sydney, Australia accompanied by her aunt on July 23, and at the moment she is undergoing several tests before a date could be fixed for her surgery.

In one of her last interviews with the local media before flying off, Ras Adiba said she can't wait to come back fully recovered and polish her Harley Davidson, which she revealed was a gift from the Johor royalty.

Meanwhile, also in this month, another plea for public donation was made for 14-month-old Sofea Qhairunnissa Ali who is suffering from potentially fatal liver complications.

Her parents need RM265,000 for a surgery that could be done in local hospitals and must be done in the next two months. To date, the total amount of public donation contributed for her cause stands at a little more than RM50,000.

What does this tell us? That it's easier for a well-known person such as Ras Adiba to get the public to fund her surgery so that she could walk again than getting the same public to help save the life of the young child?

There are no ill intentions toward Ras Adiba by highlighting these issues. In fact, one would wish her all the best in seeking treatment for her ailment in Australia.

However, questions do arise on the morality behind such appeals by famous personalities like Ras Adiba, for public donation.

A form of cronyism

In essence, the result of the highly successful donation drive for Ras Adiba could be attributed to cronyism. There is no disputing that a large chunk of money that was donated to her came from corporate and high society figures.

Ras Adiba was fortunate to have the premier legitimising her plea for public support and as a result, corporate figures and others who want to be seen sharing the premier's concern, started trotting into Ras Adiba's room in the hospital — ready with cheques and press photographers in tow.

This is where the issue of morality comes in. One would not be wrong to think that Ras Adiba would first dispose of all her assets and then seek out donations to top up the amount needed. Instead, we learnt that she had only sold her car for RM10,000.

Also, the donating personalities too would have thought about giving their donations to a more needy cause, perhaps for a life-and-death case like Sofea's. But why did that not happen? Who's to be blamed for this?

Perhaps no one. In Ras Adiba's case, she needed the money and there were willing parties to give. It's simple transaction between two conceding parties.

As for the benevolent givers, maybe it was the free publicity plus a spot in the premier's good books. Perhaps they wanted to help a damsel in distress.

Breaching ethics

But there is another party that played a major role in this whole incident — the press. Without the daily media coverage, Ras Adiba would not have managed to collect the amount at all.

It is in this respect that the other question comes in. Was Ras Adiba, who is a contract sports journalist for TV3, breaching any journalistic ethics by making use of the media for her own purpose?

Among the journalistic circle, many — especially those who have strong beliefs on industry ethics and how it should be upheld at all times — would argue that Ras Adiba was guilty on this score.

For them, she had manipulated the media for her own gains and in turn had allowed the media to manipulate her situation for 'human interest' stories.

It's very unfortunate that the more needy cases like Sofea's and many others do not make a good 'human interest' story material for the media that could in turn bring in the much anticipated public fund. Perhaps it's because the others do not have a long list of credentials like Ras Adiba. Or perhaps, they don't have the prime minister visiting them. Or maybe because they are just not Ras Adiba Radzi.