This Information Ministry Explanation Doesn't Make Sense.

The following is a report in the NST regarding why foreign dramas on TV are more popular than local ones.

Foreign telenovelas such as the recently concluded Indonesian drama “Bawang Putih, Bawang Merah” are more popular than local ones because they based their theme on the supernatural, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Information Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Noriah Kasnon said as an official media, Radio Televesion Malaysia (RTM) did not resort to airing such telenovelas because it had a social responsibility of developing the people’s mindset and nurturing good values.

“RTM is more inclined to show dramas that educate the public, instill a positive spirit and high moral values to motivate society to do better,” she said when responding to a question from Datuk Ismail Abdul Mutalib (BN-Maran) who wanted to know why foreign soap operas were more popular than local ones.

The 108-episode “Bawang Putih, Bawang Merah” is an adaptation of a folklore in the present day revolving around two teenage girls where evil at first overcomes good until a fairy godmother intervenes.

***** Pardon me if I sound a little silly. If the Information Ministry as it claims, has a "social responsibility of developing the people’s mindset and nurturing good values" by discouraging local dramas with a supernatural theme, then why the devil (pun intended) is it allowing foreign 'telenovelas' of the very same genre to be telecast here? Does the ministry honestly feel that just because the Indons produce a drama that highlights the supernatural or glorifies a toyol and it is shown on channels other than RTM then it is OK? That only our own productions have an effect on our simple-minded people who watch these shows?

Apart from the high sounding 'educate, instill and motivate' hype by RTM, the main reason why the foreign shows are popular is because they are at least a little interesting while in comparison our mostly low quality dramas are simply too boring, repetitive, devoid of ideas, have not really changed or improved in the last four decades and the acting leaves much to be desired. Sorry, but that's the way I see it.

The monopoly enjoyed by certain production houses also adds to the less than impressive standard of the local dramas. Some time ago the Information Minister said that he would end the monopoly but whether he has succeeded or not I don't know. Another drawback is of course that national malady of ours, race politics. And the less said about that the better.
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