Kuala Lumpur - Government- owned television stations RTM1 and RTM2 will continue to uphold Bahasa Malaysia as the national language, the Dewan Rakyat was told Thursday.
Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said broadcasts over RTM1 were done only in Bahasa Malaysia and English while RTM2 broadcast programmes in foreign languages for a small percentage of airtime.
"RTM2 broacasts foreign language programmes in small percentages, that is 1.9 per cent in Bahasa Indonesia and 0.4 per cent in other languages like Spanish, the Filipino language, Korean, German, Thai and others.
"This is to give a choice to viewers and to provide knowledge about the cultures of others," he said during the winding-up debate on the Mid-Term Review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan for his ministry.
He said for news broadcasts, what was important was news value including inviting opposition members of parliament for discussions and the like.
Ahmad Shabery, who only needed four-and-a-half minutes for his speech which was not interrupted, said the government`s policies were also stated by other agencies in his ministry and was not the sole responsibility of RTM.
"We are aware there are those who deny that government policies benefitted them but we will provide information. For example on the fuel price and the like as well as getting feedback to be forwarded to leaders," he said.
Source: http://www.bernama.com.my (July 10, 2008)
