KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — Radio Free Sarawak (RFS) began transmitting on Monday with the words, “This radio is different from others: government radio, ruling radio, privately-owned radio. This radio... will bring you hot, hot, hot, hot stories that will not be broadcast on... government radio.”The London-based station sees itself as a source of “alternative” news for Sarawak residents, particularly those in the interior who lack access to independent media. Its broadcast is also available online at www.radiofreesarawak.org
“The folks in the interior have been fed with monotonous one-sided views from the ruling parties — if at all they can receive the TV and radio transmissions. So they need another avenue — and Radio Free Sarawak intends to fill in this gap,” its producers said in a statement.
Political pundits, however, remain undecided on what impact Radio Free Sarawak will have on Barisan Nasional’s (BN) hold over Sarawak given the station’s limited profile and on-air time.
Merdeka Center director Ibrahim Suffian said that while RFS was a “really novel way” to reach out to Sarawakians, he was unsure of its impact on the general population.
“It represents another channel for voices that are critical of the government and a lot of it depends on how well they can disseminate their frequency,” he said.
In addition to making itself known, much of the station’s future success will depend on the nature of its programming and whether the station could extend its broadcasting hours, Ibrahim added.
Currently, RFS goes on air for only one hour in the early morning, with a repeat broadcast in the evening.
“Certainly, it is another way for voices of dissent to chip at BN there,” Ibrahim said.
An official from a non-governmental organisation who declined to be named similarly said the success of the station depended on it expanding content and securing sufficient funding.
“[The] setup definitely costs something so it also depends on the kind of support the public may give to them,” he said.
“It helps if people to give feedback to the radio (station) so that they can reflect the usefulness of the broadcast.”
He added that the station has so far been received positively by the online community but cautioned that this represented a “very limited segment” of the Sarawak population.
Political analyst Dr Ong Kian Ming, who felt RFS was targeted at the Ibans, said the station will not have much impact on next year’s state election as any shift by that community towards the opposition camp will have deeper causes.
“I do not think it will be enough to make a significant impact on the overall election results,” he said.
“If the opposition wants to do well in these areas, it will be part of an overall swing in the Iban vote, regardless of whether or not there is a Radio Free Sarawak.”
The UCSI lecturer said radio was one of the few ways the opposition can reach those living in the interior with their “anti-BN message” as it was cost-effective.
However, he said RFS will have more impact in semi-urban areas where Iban voters were more exposed and BN majority was “marginal”.
The Malaysian Insider
17/11/10
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