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The talk show "What Say You" by government-run RTM2 was abruptly discontinued. Some said the programme was discontinued because its invitation of Teresa Kok as a guest has enraged a certain group of people. Some others said the programme allowed the airing of talks that shouldn't have been aired due to a technical lapse.
Information minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek said "What Say You" had been shelved because of its poor viewership, with only 170,000 viewers in each episode. Having said that, the programme which subsequently replaces "What Say You" has touched on the unpopular topic of local movies, and suspicion has been aroused whether the programme structuring has actually shored up the viewership during the same time slot. This is not the first time a Chinese call-in programme has been abruptly stalled. Two years ago, Ai-FM was also suffering the same fate of having its hosts in a popular call-in programme and the eventually the programme itself replaced, all done in the name of programme restructuring. It is indeed not easy to run a talk show in Malaysia, as too many topics have come under the so-called sensitive category. The hosts must handle their shows with particular care in order not to tread upon forbidden territories. The greatest thing about "What Say You" is that the talk show has allowed politicians from within and without the government to voice their opinions. Ong Tee Keat, Koh Tsu Koon, Liow Tiong Lai and Chew Mei Fun from the BN camp, as well as Tian Chua, Teng Chang Khim and Liew Chin Tong from Pakatan Rakyat, have all been invited to the show before. They were all given equal opportunities to voice up. This, coupled with the insightful views from non-political professionals, has allowed the audience to gain a more comprehensive scope of major issues. Moreover, "What Say You" has also invited non-Chinese who are conversant in the Chinese language to share their opinions, and this has allowed Chinese viewers to better understand how non-Chinese Malaysians perceive things. Sparks may be triggered if politicians from opposing camps are brought onto the same stage, but often accord is amicably struck on issues related to the bread and butter of rakyat. To be honest, government representatives invited to appear in the show often do so "at their own risk," as they will come under harsh criticisms of the audience. But then isn't this a perfect way to get the public opinions heard? Since the March general elections, public awareness on politics has soared, and similar talk shows begins to see tremendous rise in popularity. Government-run TV stations are different from private stations in that they shouldn't focus too much on viewership without taking into consideration their unique social obligations. When our TV stations have been packed with an overabundance of poor quality variety shows, there is this need to air programmes that will inspire the public and accentuate their wisdom. Viewership factors aside, running a live talk show is like walking on a tightrope. But even if the audience has come up with some very radical feedback, they should at least be seen as what people of a specific walk of life think and feel of certain issues. It is far wiser to permit an outlet for voices of dissatisfaction and then offer solutions to appease the rage, then to turn off the microphone and shut off all the unheard talks. (By YANG LIQIN/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily)
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The Blogs 
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Another feeble excuse by the "foaming in the mouth" Minister.
Also, so much for the empty rhetoric for reforming media by his boss. . ., PM Bodohwi!