KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — Broadcast station Awesome TV yesterday said that its report exhorting Malay voters to turn out in droves during Polling Day or risk being overrun by ethnic Chinese voters was manipulated by those with political interests.

In a statement, it labelled some of its critics as those who are against the Bumiputera agenda.

"Some parties with political interests, especially those who are not supportive of the Bumiputera agenda, have manipulated Berita 7:57's objective to become racial on social media," its spokesman said.

"Awesome TV sees this manipulation as malicious towards Awesome TV that is attempting to get voters to be responsible in exercising their voting rights."

It also denied that Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd and Koperasi Amanah Pelaburan Bhd (KPAB) are its investors.

"Awesome TV is fully owned by private companies Awesome Media Network Sdn Bhd dan Awesome Broadcasting Sdn Bhd," it said.

Trading as Awesome TV, checks with the Companies Commission of Malaysia showed that Awesome Network is owned by Awesome Broadcasting (55 per cent of shares), AP Holding Bhd (30 per cent), and Datin Ezzan Zalilah Zulfadzli (15 per cent).

Awesome Network's directors include Ezzan, Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah — the popular celebrity known as DJ Dave, Datuk Mohamed Ilyas Pakeer Mohamed, his son and Awesome TV chief executive Datuk Adam Mohamed Ilyas, and Awesome TV managing director Johan Mohamed Ishak.

Awesome Broadcasting is fully owned by Adam.

AP Holding is an investment holding entity chaired by Mohamed Ilyas, who among others founded KPAB and still serves as its executive chairman.

KPAB's website also names Adam as one of its directors.

Ezzan is Adam's wife, and also Awesome TV's content unit director.

Yesterday, Awesome TV had earlier downplayed accusations of its newscasters taking a racial tone by saying its intention was to inform Malay voters that the new government may not be to their preference and affect their welfare if they do not vote.

It said if Malays do not vote, then a government not of their preference shall rule Malaysia to the detriment of their welfare.

In the video clip that has since gone viral, Awesome TV's Berita 7:57 newscasters had called for Malays to vote in GE15 if they did not want "other races” to gain control of political power, basing their comments on a study which showed that 80 per cent of its ethnic Chinese respondents intend to vote.

In its latest statement, Awesome TV again insisted that if Malaysians, especially the Bumiputera, do not vote, then the risk that a government that does not take care of their welfare getting elected "is obvious".

Awesome TV was already under fire in May this year for the use of racial tone with its reporting of Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd and Sapura Energy Bhd.

It had then accused Securities Commission (SC) executive chairman Datuk Syed Zaid Jaafar Albar of failing to help Bumiputera companies out of financial troubles, and initially falsely labelling him as a non-Malay.

It was also recently embroiled in several accusations of not paying content producers and talents, which it had denied.

Awesome TV can be watched on broadcaster Astro, and also for free nationwide.

Focus Malaysia reported that Berita 7:57 falls under the head of news operations Sofwan Mahmood, formerly Media Prima Bhd group general manager.