KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Malay Mail was rated as the most balanced among newspapers covering Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal against his sodomy conviction, media watchdog Centre for Independent Journalism said today.

In an analysis of reportage on the opposition leader’s appeal hearing at the Federal Court, CIJ found Malay Mail to be more neutral than the New Straits Times, The Star, Utusan Malaysia, and Sinar Harian that were also observed.

“CIJ monitored the sources that were quoted by the media, as well as whether the news was positive, negative or neutral towards Anwar,” it said in a statement today.

“Of the print media, The Malay Mail appeared the most balanced in its coverage with 33 per cent positive, 28 per cent neutral and 39 per cent negative.”

Second most balanced of the dailies was Sinar Harian (48 per cent positive, 11 per cent neutral and 41 per cent negative), while New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia were rated the least balanced with 56 per cent and 54 per cent in negative stories, respectively.

Of the three Internet news outlets monitored, Malay Mail Online’s reporting of the case was measured at 58 per cent positive, 19 per cent neutral and 23 per cent negative. The others observed include Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider.

According to the CIJ, it classified a news item as positive if it covered submissions by Anwar’s defence team.

Neutral reports were defence submissions that contained prosecution rebuttal, while negative articles were those on submissions by lead prosecutor Tan Sri Muhd Shafee Abdullah that did not also carry the defence’s response.

CIJ explained that its monitoring of the appeal was prompted by allegations of political conspiracy and selective prosecution of the opposition leader.

The media watchdog observed the appeal from October 28 to November 8, covering the entire period of the appeal up to the defence’s closing submissions.

The Federal Court is currently considering submissions in Anwar’s challenge of the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn a lower court’s decision to acquit him of the charge.

The High Court had in 2012 acquitted Anwar of the 2008 charge but the appellate court ruled on March 7 this year that the trial judge had erred when rejecting the DNA evidence produced in the case.

If Anwar fails to reverse his five-year imprisonment sentence and conviction in the Federal Court, he would lose his seat as the law bars anyone fined RM2,000 or imprisoned for one year from serving as a lawmaker.