Shabery Cheek continues to woo bloggers

If Zainudin Maidin is still the Information Minister, there's no way bloggers will get any recognition from the Government. But his successor, Ahmad Shabery Cheek, is a different person altogether - younger, more IT savvy, and not bogged with baggages of the past. Certainly not a goblok.

This was proven a couple of nights ago when he invited bloggers to a forum at Iptar, RTM's training institute on the Angkasapuri hill. I was told the bloggers had much to say during the forum, which was also attended by several professors and media practitioners from RTM.

Shabery himself moderated the forum with papers presented by blogger Ahmad Talib, aka Pahit Manis and one academician Azhar. In the audience were well-known bloggers like Rocky Bru, the Scribe, Ancient Mariner, Kuda Kepang, Dunia Tiger, Jalan Sudin and few others.

Hanafiah Man and Rosli from Agenda Daily were also there.

It seems that the forum participants were quite happy with the open and free discussion. One suggestion made by one of the participants was well received. It seemed that Shabery was asked to give media accreditation to bloggers, thus giving them a chance to cover assignments like other media practitioners.

For all that Shabery has done in his open engagement with bloggers, I doubt if he has enough clout to do that! Imagine Rocky Bru attending a PC and asking Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on when he's passing the baton to Najib Razak! Or the Scribe grilling Shahrir Samad on domestic trade policies, especially the increase in food prices and what not! Imagine too Jalan Sudin stalking Rafidah Aziz or Shahrizat Jalil on Wanita Umno matters.

Journalists on the local beat no longer ask tough questions when facing ministers, be they BN ones or those from Pakatan Rakyat. That's why these bigwigs no longer fear, or respect, local journos. Which is why Shabery won't be allowed to dish out media accreditation to bloggers.

The likes of Kalimullah Hassan and Anuar Zaini, through their business associates Wong Chun Wai and Hishamudin Aun, have seen to the demise of the hard-hitting journalism in Malaysia. Khalid Mohd and Yong Gemok at Utusan and Bernama are wage earners and are just as restricted in their work.

Shabery is not your ordinary BN minister. He's smart. He's a politician first and last. Since he knows that the mainstream media are being discredited, Shabery is doing two things which will benefit him most.

He's trying to reestablish RTM's credibility (where he has complete control of operations) and woo the bloggers, who are fast gaining popularity and acceptance by the general public. In this way, Shabery no longer need the main newspapers to pursue his personal and political agenda.