Demands for fair media after decades of control hypocritical

COMMENT | In Malaysia, the line between comedy, fibs, ambition, and outrageous claims is often blurred - and the applause that follows can feel less like approval than polite laughter.Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s boast that Malaysia could one day host the World Cup deserves a place in the third volume of Amir Muhammed’s “Politicians Say the Darnedest Things”.Before watching the Argentina-Spain World Cup final on Monday morning, Zahid declared: “Hopefully, by then, the Malaysian team will be among the World Cup participants representing Southeast Asia.”The national news agency, Bernama, covered the event, and both print and electronic media picked up its report - prompting grounded responses from those in the know.While Zahid may not...