As former top journalist, Zainuddin Maidin should have blazed the path and expanded space for greater media freedom. Instead he has done the reverse.

Although the instruments of repressive media control are with the Ministry of Internal Security, it is Zam as Information Minister who presented the public face of the Barisan Nasional government of such media control. In fact, he is the Barisan Nasional ideologue for media control and censorship.

Last year, Zainuddin was awarded the Eminent Journalist (Tokoh Wartawan) in appreciation of his contribution to journalism in the country.

Who gave away the award to him? None other than the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak during the Malaysian Press Night 2006 organised by the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) in November last year.

I do not know how Zainuddin dared to accept the award of Tokoh Wartawan when he has become the “Predator of the Press” as the government’s chief hatchet man to suppress press freedom in the country.

In the last few days, there are already several cases of the screws being tightened to throttle press freedom and the fundamental constitutional right of freedom of expression of Malaysians.

Only yesterday, top editors of Tamil and Chinese dailies were hauled to a 90-minute meeting in Putrajaya for the latest dose of brain-washing — not not to highlight stories and photographs relating to the Hindraf rally on Nov 25 and on all other matters involving the coalition.

Malaysiakini today, under its report “Ministry clamps down on Hindraf coverage” stated:

“We were basically told not to give prominence to Hindraf,” said an editor, adding that Tamil-language dailies were specifically mentioned for their coverage of the rally.

At the same time, the editors were also told not to publish news that would put the police and the government in a bad light.”

Malaysiakini yesterday reported that several presenters — including some popular ones — had been punished for supporting Hindraf.

It is learnt that seven radio DJs of Minnai FM had been punished, including two presenters working on contract.

This is from the Malaysiakini report – The severe action was for either taking part in the Hindraf-organised rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25 or for giving prominence for the rally and Hindraf on air, added the sources.

Among those sacked or suspended are popular DJs K Meenakumari, K Sillalee and V Jamuna. The latter was a hugely popular contract presenter.

State-owned Tamil radio station Minnal FM has been urged to lift the suspension imposed on several presenters over their alleged involvement in the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally.

Media watchdogs Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and the Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) have called for the lifting of the suspension as they were concerned that suspected involvement in the rally had been used as a basis to suspend the presenters.

Their joint statement said: “The action taken against the presenters only creates the perception that the government is intolerant (of) the democratic rights of its employees.”

The groups said the suspension indicated that Minnal FM viewed as an offence, the involvement of its staff in their personal capacity in public assemblies.

The joint statement said: “CIJ and WAMI would like to stress that freedom of assembly is a right guaranteed under the Federal Constitution and the radio presenters should not be discriminated against the right due to their professional relation to the government.”

Then there is the ridiculous case reported by Malaysiakini of the song Seloka Cak Kun Cak nyanyian bersama Tan Sri SM Salim dan M Nasir kena gam kerana terlalu banyak menyebut perkataan ‘bersih’!

Ini kerana lagu tersebut sering diputarkan ke udara tetapi sejak akhir-akhir ini, ia tidak kedengaran lagi, sehingga menimbulkan persoalan di kalangan orang ramai.

Lagu tersebut ciptaan M Nasir, dengan senikatanya ditulis oleh Seth.

On November 10, there was a 40,000-strong turn-out for the BERSIH gathering in support for electoral reforms for clean, free and fair elections. The Bersih initiative was so successful that the authorities seem to have developed a phobia for the word “bersih”, as in the sudden coldness towards the song Seloka Cak Kun Cak.

Bahagian yang dikatakan tidak senangi itu ialah bahagian korus lagu tersebut yang berbunyi:

Kulitnya bersih, hatipun bersih
Budi yang baik hatinya pengasih
kulitnya bersih, hatipun bersih
memikul belati tiada yang memilih

Jadikan bersih, hatipun putih
Berkata benar bermulut fasih
Jadikan bersih, hatipun putih
Biarlah khazanah pintu terpilih

Secara keseluruhannya, lagu tersebut menceritakan sejarah kegemilangan orang Melayu pada suatu ketika dahulu.

Is the government so insecure that it is now afraid of the word “bersih” that a clamp has to be imposed on the song, Cak Kun Cak?

(Opening Speech when introducing RM10 salary-cut motion for Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin in Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday, 5th December 2007)