Filed under: Astro Awani, broadcast, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, writing | Tags: bias, bias reporting, fat bidin, journalism, malaysia, media, new media, objectivity, solo journalism, zan azlee
I’m not an objective journalist
By Zan Azlee
Recently, people have accused me of not being objective in my journalism. In fact, I’ve had this accusation thrown to me many times over the years. But seriously, I’ve been accused of worse. Like in my college days, some people actually accused me of being a Limp Bizkit and Korn fan!
So let me set the record straight right now, here on my Astro AWANI column. I am not, I repeat NOT, an objective journalist! The only reason why I am not an objective journalist is for the fact that I do not see the need for me to be objective as a journalist.
I think that we need to get past the ‘he said this and he said that’ journalism because the public now are intelligent enough to know that full objectivity does not exist anyway.
Every soundbite or quote that a journalist chooses to include or exclude in a story is already a subjective decision. Every photograph or video footage that a journalist shoots and edits in or out of a story is already a subjective decision.
Many journalists who insist that they are objective aren’t aware that they are really just trying to portray a perception or image of objectivity. [Click to read the full article at English.AstroAwani.Com]
Filed under: Astro Awani, broadcast, directing, documentary, In The Heat Of Battle: The story of Lembah Pantai, internet, journalism, new media, video blog | Tags: 1malaysia, bangsar, barisan nasional, BN, campaign, ceramah, documentary, fat bidin, ge13, general election, interview, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, lembah pantai, malay, malaysia, malaysian spring, media, muslim, new media, news, nurul izzah, pakatan rakyat, PR, pru13, raja nong chik, solo journalism, umno, video journalism, vote, voters, web video, zan azlee
Remember ‘In the Heat of Battle: The Story of Lembah Pantai‘ which I did during the campaign and election period last week on AstroAwani.Com? Well, the TV version is all done – it’s a 5-episode mini series starting tonight (Wednesday, 15th May 2013), every night until Sunday (19th May 2013), at 9:30pm, on 501 Astro AWANI!
The entire 2-week campaign and election period condensed into 4 episodes of TV time… it doesn’t get better than that! It’s like being there without being there yourself! Hahaha!
Filed under: Astro Awani, broadcast, directing, documentary, In The Heat Of Battle: The story of Lembah Pantai, internet, journalism, new media, video blog, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, bangsar, barisan nasional, BN, campaign, ceramah, documentary, fat bidin, ge13, general election, interview, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, lembah pantai, malay, malaysia, malaysian spring, media, muslim, new media, news, nurul izzah, pakatan rakyat, PR, pru13, raja nong chik, solo journalism, umno, video journalism, vote, voters, web video, zan azlee
Part 9 – ‘A Malaysian Spring’ and ‘Report Card Day’ – you make the choice!
The second half of the campaign season started with a bang. On one side, the huge campaign machinery went into full gear and came up with an event fueled by much fanfare, while the other side relied on community-based people power.
Click to hear to view/read/watch/listen/smell the full story!
Filed under: Astro Awani, directing, documentary, In The Heat Of Battle: The story of Lembah Pantai, internet, journalism, new media, video blog, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, bangsar, barisan nasional, BN, campaign, ceramah, documentary, fat bidin, ge13, general election, interview, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, lembah pantai, malay, malaysia, media, muslim, new media, news, nurul izzah, pakatan rakyat, PR, pru13, raja nong chik, solo journalism, taxi, umno, video journalism, vote, voters, web video, zan azlee
Part 8 – Taxi!
While on the Lembah Pantai campaign trail, I bumped into two taxi drivers, James Sundram and Navanathan, who offered to tell me their story over coffee in a stall in Lucky Garden, Bangsar. Apparently, things still aren’t as hunky dory as it seems even after 1,000 individual taxi permits have been issued by the government.
Click to hear to view/read/watch/listen/smell the full story!
Filed under: Astro Awani, directing, documentary, In The Heat Of Battle: The story of Lembah Pantai, internet, journalism, new media, video blog, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, bangsar, barisan nasional, BN, campaign, documentary, fat bidin, ge13, general election, interview, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, lembah pantai, malay, malaysia, media, muslim, new media, news, nurul izzah, pakatan rakyat, PR, pru13, raja nong chik, solo journalism, umno, video journalism, vote, voters, web video, zan azlee
Part 6 – Who has a more winnable campaign style?
Part 6 – Who has a more winnable campaign style?
Zan Azlee compares the campaigning style of Nurul Izzah Anwar and Datuk Raja Nong Chick Zainal Abidin. Whose do you prefer?
Click to hear to view/read/watch/listen/smell the full story!
Filed under: Astro Awani, directing, documentary, In The Heat Of Battle: The story of Lembah Pantai, internet, journalism, new media, video blog, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, bangsar, barisan nasional, BN, documentary, fat bidin, ge13, general election, interview, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, lembah pantai, malay, malaysia, media, muslim, new media, news, nurul izzah, pakatan rakyat, PR, pru13, raja nong chik, solo journalism, umno, video journalism, vote, voters, web video, zan azlee
Part 5 – The other side of the highway
In part 5, I follow the candidates as they cross the highway into the ghettos of Lembah Pantai to campaign!
Click to hear to view/read/watch/listen/smell the full story!
Filed under: Astro Awani, broadcast, directing, documentary, In The Heat Of Battle: The story of Lembah Pantai, internet, journalism, new media, video blog, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, bangsar, barisan nasional, BN, datuk saifuddin abdullah, documentary, fat bidin, ge13, general election, interview, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, lembah pantai, malay, malaysia, media, muslim, new media, news, nurul izzah, pakatan rakyat, pengundi hantu, phantom voters, PR, pru13, raja nong chik, solo journalism, umno, video journalism, vote, voters, web video, zan azlee
Part 4 – Hantu Rahimah Balik Rumah!
In part 4, I stumble upon a group of ‘phantom voters’ in Lembah Pantai. They spooked the hell out of me!
Click to hear to view/read/watch/listen/smell the full story!
Filed under: Astro Awani, broadcast, directing, documentary, In The Heat Of Battle: The story of Lembah Pantai, internet, journalism, new media, video blog, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, bangsar, barisan nasional, BN, datuk saifuddin abdullah, documentary, fat bidin, ge13, general election, interview, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, lembah pantai, malay, malaysia, media, muslim, new media, news, nurul izzah, pakatan rakyat, PR, pru13, raja nong chik, solo journalism, umno, video journalism, vote, voters, web video, zan azlee
Part 3 – It’s a three-cornered fight!
Part three of my multimedia project on AstroAWANI.Com is now live online! I follow the nomination day closely like it’s a cancerous tahi lalat on the back of my neck!! Nurul Izzah, Datuk Raja Nong Chik and Rusli Baba all three talk about their ‘message’! Hmm…
Click to hear to view/read/watch/listen/smell the full story!
Filed under: Astro Awani, broadcast, directing, documentary, In The Heat Of Battle: The story of Lembah Pantai, internet, journalism, new media, video blog, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, bangsar, barisan nasional, BN, datuk saifuddin abdullah, documentary, fat bidin, ge13, general election, interview, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, lembah pantai, malay, malaysia, media, muslim, new media, news, nurul izzah, pakatan rakyat, PR, pru13, raja nong chik, solo journalism, umno, video journalism, vote, voters, web video, zan azlee
Part 2 – Oh my! Just listen to our first world problems!
Lembah Pantai has a very diverse population, most noticeably is the income level. You have the low-income group on one side of the highway, and the high-income group on the other side.
For the candidates in Lembah Pantai, trying to bridge the gap between these two groups can be very challenging indeed because it is obvious that the two groups have different priorities when it comes to election issues.
In the upper class neighbourhood of Bangsar, which also has a more cosmopolitan population, the locals tend to harp on more global issues such as human rights, racial-based politics and freedom of speech.
And this can be seen in the video above of a forum organised by Bangsar locals titled ‘Is Progressive Politics Possible in Contemporary Malaysia?’, which was participated by Pakatan Rakyat’s former Lembah Pantai MP, Nurul Izzah Anwar, and Barisan Nasional’s former Temerloh MP, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.
[Click to experience the full story at English.AstroAwani.Com]
*Log on to English.AstroAwani.Com as much as you can this GE13 period to see Zan Azlee’s regular multimedia presentation of ‘In the Heat of Battle: The story of Lembah Pantai’. Zan is spearheading Astro AWANI’s pioneer team of Solo-Journalists.
Filed under: Astro Awani, broadcast, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, video blog, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, bangsar, barisan nasional, BN, documentary, fat bidin, ge13, general election, interview, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, lembah pantai, malay, malaysia, media, muslim, new media, news, nurul izzah, pakatan rakyat, PR, pru13, raja nong chik, solo journalism, umno, video journalism, vote, voters, web video, zan azlee
Part 1 – Sup kambing satu!
The 13th General Election period has begun. And throughout the campaigning period, I will be focusing on the federal constituency of Lembah Pantai, which I feel is a nice sample of Malaysia and of the General Election.
There are the high profile candidates, the rich and powerful elite class, the middle class, the hard working class, all of the major races, long time locals and also the migrants from other parts of the country that have made this area their home.
Filed under: Astro Awani, broadcast, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, astro, awani, barisan nasional, election, fat bidin, journalism, Keadilan, kuala lumpur, malay, malaysia, margaret thatcher, media, new media, news, pakatan rakyat, pru13, sharizat jalil, tun mahathir, umno, violence, zan azlee
Oh no! I don’t have land to run on!
By Zan Azlee
After two years of waiting and guessing, it now feels like a dream that could just be taken away with a simple pinch. But I guess the 13th General Election is really going to happen. Nothing can beat the reality of walking the streets of Malaysia to see just how things are gearing up for the parties, the candidates, and of course, the people.
I’m a very positive and happy person. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I am never without a smile or a hearty laugh even in the most stressful of situations. Happiness and positivity is my philosophy in life. I need to have these elements in my life to be able to do my work, to interact with family and friends, and just to survive.
Now that the general election is here, I am happy and excited as this will be the third general election that I will be covering as a journalist, and the first as a voter (I know! Right?). Since the important dates were announced by the Election Commission, I have been in the field, deep in the heart of my constituency, Lembah Pantai, getting a feel of the surroundings.
One of the first stops I made was to the biggest and most striking ops centre in the area – Barisan Nasional – which is located on Jalan Bukit Bangsar. [Click to read the full article at English.AstroAwani.Com]
Filed under: Astro Awani, broadcast, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, corruption, documentary, fat bidin, iban, interview, journalism, malay, malaysia, sarawak, sibu, sijah ejut, taib mahmud, zan azlee
Who owns the Land of the Hornbills?
By Zan Azlee
One of the biggest eye openers for me this year is being a part of Astro AWANI’s programme Ceritalah Malaysia with Karim Raslan. Travelling around Malaysia, we got to hear the stories from Middle Malaysia (or what I like to believe is the true Malaysia, as opposed to Klang Valley Malaysians!).
One story which I feel deserves being told (over and over again) is the one about Sijah Ejut, the Iban tuai rumah (village head) from Sibu, Sarawak. And it is only apt that I this story get focused on now. This is especially so when allegations on corrupt Sarawak leaders are surfacing on how indigenous land is being sold for huge profits (utilising devious legal techniques to make even more profit!).
Sijah Ejut comes from a village just 30km from the town of Sibu. We met her in town, then took a drive with her to pay a visit to her village. And things got interesting as soon as the drive started.
Driving out of the well-developed Sibu, the roads are fine and the highway smooth. About 10 minutes out, the roads suddenly disappear and everything turns into gravel. Our sedan cars suddenly started suffering and we immediately regretted stinging on normal cars instead of renting SUVs or 4WDs to get us around. [Click to read the rest of the article at English.AstroAwani.Com]
Filed under: broadcast, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, agbimuddin kiram, askar, conflict, documentary, fat bidin, ic, islam, journalism, kiram, malay, malaysia, media, muslim, new media, news, project ic, sabah, sarawak, sulu, The Malaysian Insider, war, zan azlee
I see what IC
By Zan Azlee
MARCH 22 — Sijah Ejut is a true blue Malaysian. She is an Iban tuai rumah (village head) who has lived her entire life on the outskirts of Sibu, Sarawak. She has never been out of the country, and her ancestors have lived on the land for centuries. You can’t get any more Malaysian than that.
Yet, she only managed to register her citizenship and get an IC at the age of 27. And because of that, she couldn’t finish her schooling. She couldn’t even travel around freely because the police would stop and accuse her of being an illegal immigrant.
Sijah’s isn’t an isolated case. Almost the entire population of her village does not have ICs (or had trouble getting ICs) even though they are all Bumiputeras.
And imagine Sijah Ejut’s outrage now that she knows that one of Malaysia’s most wanted men, Agbimuddin Kiram, and the rest of his mob could have been among those given ICs and made Malaysian citizens? [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
Filed under: Arab Spring, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, internet, journalism, new media, video blog | Tags: 501 awani, arab spring, astro, astro awani, conflict, documentary, egypt, fat bidin, ikhwan, in focus, journalism, malaysia, media, middle east, morsi, muslim brotherhood, new media, news, solo journalism, tahrir square, tunisia, video journalism, war, web video, zan azlee
If you missed the first episode of IN FOCUS, which was on Astro AWANI 501, then you’re in luck! You get to watch it on NJOI AWANI’s YouTube page over and over and over and over and over again! The first episode sees me checking out how the street protest industry works in Egypt in Tunisia!
Filed under: broadcast, directing, documentary, film, internet, journalism, new media, video blog, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, 501 awani, astro, awani, ceritalah, documentary, fat bidin, interview, journalism, karim raslan, malay, malaysia, media, new media, video journalism, web video, zan azlee
Ceritalah Malaysia is the TV version of Karim Raslan’s long running newspaper column and book series where he travels the country speaking to ordinary Malaysians to get a sense of the true Malaysia. I used to read Karim’s writings more than ten years ago when I first started writing myself (funnily.. I haven’t read his stuff in quite a while now! muahaha!). But now we’re working together… and it’s pretty cool!
Produced by Zan Azlee and Karim Raslan for Astro AWANI (501). Every Monday nights, starting tonight, at 9:30pm (with repeats throughout the week).
Filed under: Arab Spring, broadcast, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, video blog | Tags: 501 awani, arab spring, astro, astro awani, conflict, documentary, egypt, fat bidin, ikhwan, in focus, journalism, malaysia, media, middle east, morsi, muslim brotherhood, new media, news, solo journalism, tahrir square, tunisia, video journalism, war, web video, zan azlee
Come the new year of 2013… I am producing and hosting a new documentary series called IN FOCUS every Tuesday nights at 8:30pm on Astro AWANI (501). It covers current and social affairs, local and international. Expect all the awesomeness, machoness and coolness of Zan Azlee… and others too, of course!
The first three episodes is all about the Arab Spring after two years have gone by. I go to Egypt and Tunisia (and cancelled Syria… not macho enough lah!). So don’t forget to watch the premiere first episode of IN FOCUS this Tuesday (1st January 2013), 8:30pm, on Astro AWANI (501)!
Filed under: Afghanistan, Arab Spring, broadcast, directing, documentary, DVD, film, GUIDE TO AFGHANISTAN: The Adventures of a KL-ite, I'm Muslim Too!, internet, journalism, lomokino, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, afghanistan, askar, bamiyan, bersih, city, conflict, documentary, fat bidin, film, insurgency, islam, journalism, kabul, kuala lumpur, lim chee wee, malay, malaysia, media, middle east, military, muslim, new media, ridhuan tee, solo journalism, taliban, terrorism, The Malaysian Insider, video journalism, war, zan azlee
2012 according to Google
By Zan Azlee
DEC 28 ― The year is coming to an end and it is time to look back and reflect upon the momentous events of the passing year. I thought it would be a good idea to look back at 2012’s top ten searches on Google… and that led to my website, Fatbidin.com!
10. Ridhuan Tee Abdullah
Number ten could be one that has given me the most pleasure this year. I disagree with everything this academician, TV host and writer ― whose real name is Tee Chuan Seng ― says. We had a brief heated exchange in our respective columns (his is in Sinar Harian), from which I emerged victorious.
9. Kabul
Being the gloriously brave war journalist and adrenaline junkie that I am, I went to Afghanistan to shoot a documentary. After a decade of war and after the Taliban, it’s quite a surprise that the country is still getting media coverage.
8. Bersih 3.0
This has to be one of the lowest points of the year. I witnessed things that I don’t ever want to witness in Malaysia again. The police were brutally attacking demonstrators and even journalists like a bunch of street thugs ― after they removed their nametags, of course. But the spirit of Malaysians that gathered, now that was a high point.
[Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
Filed under: Afghanistan, Arab Spring, book, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, GUIDE TO AFGHANISTAN: The Adventures of a KL-ite, internet, journalism, new media, photo essay, press | Tags: 360 celcius, afghanistan, conflict, cover, documentary, fat bidin, interview, journalism, magazine, media, new media, solo journalism, The Malaysian Insider, war, zan azlee
“Yeah pops… I’ve been on the cover of magazines too!”
I’m on the cover of the Dec-Jan 2013 issue of 360 Celcius magazine! You’ve never heard of the magazine, you say? Well, neither have I, until recently! Hahaha! This is like the upteenth time I’ve been on the cover of a magazine/newspaper over the years. I wonder what is with the obsession they have with good-looking guys like me! Muahaha! (Click on the images above to read the article)
Filed under: Arab Spring, broadcast, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: arab, cairo, conflict, democracy, demonstration, documentary, egypt, fat bidin, gaza. palestine, islam, israel, jasmine revolution, journalism, media, middle east, morsi, muslim, new media, news, protest, solo journalism, The Malaysian Insider, tunisia, zan azlee
Lessons from the Jasmine Revolution
By Zan Azlee
DEC 7 — My last stop in my Arab Spring documentary tour was Tunisia. It also happens to be the first country in the Arab region to start revolting and became the inspiration for the rest of the countries like Egypt, Syria and Yemen.
The story, if you’re not familiar, has become the stuff of legend. A young fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, in the small Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid set himself on fire in protest.
He was tired of how he was being treated by government officials who were always confiscating his goods and asking for bribes. He died of his injuries.
This caused an uproar amongst the citizens in the small town. The authorities turned violent when attempting to quash the uprising. The news spread and soon the whole country demonstrated.
The urban citizens in the capital Tunis who had always been more economically privileged soon realised how their government had been treating the rest of the country.
Once the whole country was united in solidarity, the revolution became strong and the dictator President Ben Ali was forced to flee the country and now resides in exile in Saudi Arabia.
What is interesting for me is that two years have passed since their revolution, and out of all the Arab Spring countries, they are the ones with the most successful new democratically-elected government. [Click to read the rest of the article at The Malaysian Insider]
Filed under: broadcast, directing, documentary, film, internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: arab, cairo, conflict, democracy, demonstration, documentary, egypt, fat bidin, gaza. palestine, islam, israel, journalism, media, middle east, morsi, muslim, new media, news, protest, solo journalism, The Malaysian Insider, zan azlee
A passion for documentaries
By Zan Azlee
NOV 30 — Shooting documentaries in the Middle-East isn’t for the faint-hearted; there is the harsh natural environment and, of course, the volatile political situation in the region. Still, I find myself in the region (as I have many times before) shooting a documentary about the Arab Spring. My first stop is Cairo, Egypt.
The first day I arrive and start shooting, a piece of broken concrete thrown by the police hits a protestor standing literally right next to me. His injured and unconscious body was carried to safety by fellow protestors while I stood there thinking that three feet of empty space was what kept me safe. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
