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Radio attacks on parties banned

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OPPOSITION parties will not be allowed to 'say negative things about any leader or party' in political broadcasts for the coming general elections.

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The Ministry of Information revealed the restriction when it announced the rules under which the opposition would be allowed to use radio during the nine-day election campaign, which begins on Saturday. An opposition request for television air time has been turned down.

The ministry's Parliamentary Secretary, Fauzi Abdul Rahman, said that 'for convenience' opposition parties would be required to record their political messages before they were aired on radio.

He said their broadcasts would be free as 'part of the Government's effort to uphold democracy'.

Mr Fauzi said speeches of all political leaders would be translated and broadcast in several languages. Opposition speakers would be permitted to talk about their manifesto, aspirations and ideology.

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However, they would not be allowed to say negative things about any leader or party, touch on the sensitivity of any race or religion or raise other topics which could 'disrupt the country's peace and stability', Mr Fauzi announced.

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