RTM cannot be faulted over live coverage, adhered to SOP — Gobind
KUALA LUMPUR: Radio Televisyen Malaysia ( RTM) adheres to the standard operating procedure (SOP) by broadcasting live only the delivery of speeches by the prime minister in any event also attended by ministers and menteris besar.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo said this in a statement yesterday in a reply to a complaint against RTM raised by a minister’s aide over the live coverage of a recent event.
Lim Swee Kuan, an aide of Transport Minister Anthony Loke, had questioned if RTM was sabotaging the federal government after Loke’s speech at the 2019 Chinese New Year Open House was not broadcast last Sunday.
Gobind said that the RTM SOP stated clearly that when the prime minister attended an official event, only the delivery of the speech by the prime minister was broadcast live over RTM.
“As such, RTM cannot be faulted for not airing the delivery of speech of a minister and the menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan at that (CNY Open House) event as the prime minister had attended and spoken at the event,” he said.
Gobind said that despite the SOP, there was still room for the organiser of an event to discuss changes with RTM on the live coverage.
He said RTM did not do anything wrong in the event concerned and the live coverage was made in accordance with the needs of the organiser and the SOP. — Bernama