Malay Mail steps up propaganda to convince Malaysians they live in a ‘New’ Malaysia

Malay Mail Online is in overdrive trying to convince Malaysians that they now live in a New Malaysia or Malaysia Baharu and that Malaysia was reborn on 10 May 2018 when the new Pakatan Harapan government was sworn in. This propaganda exercise is to counter the growing disillusionment of Malaysians who feel that nothing has really changed in the so-called ‘New Malaysia’ and that, in fact, some things have become worse. Malay Mail is hoping that the ‘feel good’ factor of the first 100 days, that has since been lost, can be reactivated.

Leslie Lau, Malay Mail Online

Every picture tells a story.

And in 100 photographs, Malay Mail hopes to recount the historic and eventful early months of the country’s first ever change of government on May 9, with the launch of a special pictorial today.

The title of our book, 100 Days 100 Pictures, needs little explanation. It is a collection of 100 specially curated pictures by Malay Mail photographers covering the events during the formative months of “Malaysia Baharu.”

From the celebrations on the streets to the swearing-in of the world’s oldest prime minister in the form of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, nearly every moment in the first few hours after May 9 still seems unbelievable for a country that had never before seen the government change hands.

“It is the wee hours of May 10 and I look around the office in a daze. It is not often you wake up in one world and go to sleep in another,” news editor Justin Ong writes in his essay “That night in the newsroom when we watched history happen” that is featured in 100 Days 100 Pictures.

For sure, some of the gloss has come off the new government as it is faced with the harsh realities of life and governance but, through this book, we hope to capture the drama and optimism of the first 100 days of the Pakatan Harapan government.

“Yes, history was made on May 9, 2018 when Malaysians went to the polls… and changed the government… The next 100 days proved to be just as momentous as that day,” Malay Mail Editor-in-Chief Datuk Wong Sai Wan reminds us in the foreword to 100 Days 100 Pictures.

It was indeed momentous. And eventful.

There were midnight police raids at the former prime minister’s house, boxes of jewellery and luxury watches and handbags were seized. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was also pardoned and released from prison along the way.

DAP representatives were actually in the Cabinet, Datuk Seri Amar Singh became a household name, and something else that no Malaysian thought possible happened: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was charged in court with corruption.

And another thing. The press appeared to have been unshackled as well.

“As journalists we document facts and events as they unfold. We now find ourselves able to carry out that role without being apologists for the ruling coalition,” assistant news editor Shazwan Mustafa Kamal writes in his essay “Living in (and reporting about) Malaysia Baharu” that is featured in 100 Days 100 Pictures.

It takes a brave person to predict what lies ahead for Malaysia as our noisy democracy jostles and debate over what shape our future should take.

At Malay Mail, we will continue to record history as it happens. We have done so for 122 years (we celebrate our anniversary today, by the way) and we will continue to report on Malaysia.

Our book 100 Days 100 Pictures is our gift, if you like, to Malaysians and acts as another record of one of our country’s most eventful times.

100 Days 100 Pictures was officially launched today by Lim Kit Siang, and will be available soon at all major bookstores. Watch this space as we will soon take orders online as well.