KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — A study by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) suggested that Malay language dailies surveyed prior to the 14th general election carried articles that were pro-government and were slanted in particular towards the Barisan Nasional (BN).

The same study also showed the opposite to be true for the vernacular Chinese newspapers.

UKM’s study showed that slightly more than half of Utusan Malaysia reports were pro-government (50.5 per cent), while the same tone was only prevalent in around two in ten of reports in Nanyang Siang Pau and Sin Chew Daily (16.5 and 15.5 per cent, respectively).

Berita Harian (BH) was the outlier with around the same prevalence of pro-government reports, at 17.5 per cent.

In comparison, around four in ten reports by the two Chinese dailies were anti-government (41.3 and 36.5 per cent), compared to 19 per cent in Utusan, and merely 3.2 per cent in BH.

The most prevalent non-neutral stance among the Malay dailies were anti-Opposition (37 per cent for BH, and 37.3 per cent for Utusan).

In comparison, the most prevalent stance for Nanyang was anti-ruling parties (35.1 per cent), and pro-Opposition (68.6 per cent).

Among the four, BH had the least neutral reports (10 per cent), while Nanyang had the least balanced reports (3.1 per cent), or reports that quoted both sides.

More than half of Utusan’s report had quoted BN sources. Interestingly, six in ten of BH reports quoted Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s sources.

PH sources were quoted the most in Sin Chew (61.5 per cent), while Parti Amanah Negara was most quoted in Nanyang (44.4 per cent).

The study led by UKM’s School of Media and Communication Studies Associate Professor Chang Peng Kee reviewed news reports from dailies in three languages over the 12-day period between April 29 and May 10. Nomination Day was on April 28 and Polling Day was on May 9.

The findings were presented at a post-GE14 analysis by the International Islamic University Malaysia’s Electoral Studies Research Unit at its campus here.

The results for English language dailies were not presented today.