Free Malaysia Today bias reporting

The recent reporting by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) exhibits a clear bias by labelling the landowner's representative, Tamim Dahri, and his team as a "mob." This characterization is not a factual report but a deliberate act of framing that sets the stage for a "trial by media."

The term "mob" carries inherent connotations of violence, irrationality, and illegality. It dehumanizes the individuals involved, stripping them of their legal standing as property owners acting within their rights. This label preys on emotion and prevents the public from engaging in a rational analysis of the situation. Crucially, this narrative only works when the full context of the 28-year history is deliberately omitted.

Corrected Timeline & Omitted Facts:

To understand the true story, one must look at the full timeline, which FMT failed to report:

1. 1998: The land in question was legally acquired by the owner. This marks 28 years of legal ownership.
2. 2018: A contractor hired by the landowner was obstructed from beginning work on the site. A police report was filed regarding this obstruction. This marks the beginning of 8 years of unresolved complaints.
3. 2021: A formal eviction notice was served to the occupants. The response from the temple committee included an acknowledgment that they were aware they were on private property. They also allegedly attempted to involve politicians to legitimize the illegal structure.
4. 2022: The landowner formally referred the matter to the local council (PBT). The council's response was clear: resolving the issue of illegal encroachment was the landowner's private responsibility. The police were also kept informed through local committees.
5. 2022 - 2026: Four more years passed with no enforcement, no resolution. The construction of an orphanage project was halted, and the illegal encroachment became normalized.
6. 2026 (The Incident): After 8 years of exhausting all formal channels—police reports, legal notices, negotiations, and council referrals—the landowner legally appointed a representative via a formal Letter of Appointment to exercise their property rights. It was this legal representative who was then labelled a "mob" by the media.

The Collapse of the "Mob" Narrative:

The media's biased narrative was further dismantled by the High Court. The court reviewed the arrests and overturned the remand order issued by a magistrate, ordering the immediate release of Tamim and the others. This judicial decision confirms that there was no solid basis for the accusations of violent, unlawful assembly. The court's ruling fundamentally contradicts the image of a violent "mob" that the media attempted to create.

Conclusion: A Failure of Journalism

FMT's reporting is a textbook example of biased framing. By surgically removing 28 years of legal context—the legal ownership, the police reports, the formal notices, the institutional failures—and focusing solely on the events of a single day, they have created a false reality. The narrative protects institutional failures while painting the aggrieved party as the villain.

This raises a fundamental question: if police reports, legal notices, negotiations, and referrals to authorities over 8 years are not considered sufficient process, then what is the purpose of property law? The Constitution's guarantee of the right to property becomes meaningless if it can be nullified by a biased media narrative.

This is not journalism; it is a dangerous manipulation of public anger. By framing a legal representative exercising a documented property right as a "mob," FMT has attacked the very foundation of justice and the rule of law.