Archive for category Media
Who lied? Zam or Pak Lah?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Media on Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Who lied? Was it the Information Minister, Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin or the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi himself?
On Friday, 6th October 2007, speaking at the Gerakan National Delegates Conference, Abdullah called on “leaders, especially those in Barisan Nasional” to tell him the truth and to stop “be in a state of denial”.
He exhorted:
“Tell the truth, even if it is painful.
“The prime minister must have the courage and readiness to listen even to the worst stories, whether it is related to the country or himself. Never allow yourself to sink in a hole of denial and feel that everything is alright.”
Four days later, on Wednesday 10th October 2007, Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin summoned top media editors to a special briefing and in the name of the Prime Minister, laid down the law that
- Abdullah’s pledge to “hear the truth” does not apply to the media as it was restricted to Barisan Nasional leaders and government officials; and
- the Prime Minister’s repeated pledges to “listen to the truth” did not mean that the media have the green light to “practice unrestrained reporting”.
It is a reflection of the deplorable state of press freedom in Malaysia that no mainstream media had protested or written about Zainuddin’s violation of a free press, especially under a Prime Minister who had pledged greater openness, accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance!
In fact, Zainuddin’s summoning of the top media editors to direct them what to print and what not to print would be completely unthinkable in the past 50 years of the nation’s development, as no Information Minister would have such temerity to regard himself as the Comptroller-General of the Press. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah the new patron saint for “the truth that is not the truth”?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Media on Sunday, 14 October 2007
The Information Minister, Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin was among the Umno Ministers joining Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Prime Minister’s Hari Raya Open House at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.
When I shook hands with him, wishing him “Selamat Hari Raya”, I remarked that he has become the spokesman for “the truth that is not the truth”.
Zam knew I was referring to Friday’s Malaysiakini report “Zam to media: No need to tell PM the truth”:
Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin has told editors not to play up negative news because Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s pledge to “hear the truth” does not apply to the media.
Zainuddin said this during a one-hour meeting on Wednesday at the RTM headquarters in Kuala Lumpur with the country’s top editors.
The country’s information czar is one of two top government officials to hold meetings with the media top brass this week.
Yesterday, chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan in another meeting urged media organisations to avoid emphasising on news deemed negative against the government, such as the 2006 Auditor-General’s report.
According to sources, Zainuddin began the meeting by declaring that he would frequently meet editors to advise them about national issues.
However, he stressed that he would only “advise and not give warnings”.
The information minister claimed that he assumed the new role under the instructions of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Zainuddin then explained that Abdullah’s often repeated pledges of “listening to the truth” were only restricted to government officials and Barisan Nasional leaders so as to assist the cabinet in making decisions. Read the rest of this entry »
Quantum leap into abyss of media control and censorship – Will Pak Lah end up as “Predator of Press Freedom”?
Posted by Kit in Human Rights, Media on Tuesday, 21 August 2007
The Internal Security Ministry ban on mainstream media from reporting the Wee Meng Chee Negarakuku rap controversy marks a quantum jump into the abyss of media control, censorship and blackout completely unthinkable when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister 45 months ago.
Never before has one civil servant been vested with such powers as the Ministry’s Publications Control and Al-Quran Texts Unit senior officer Che Din Yusof, who had last month banned mainstream media from publishing reports discussing the unilateral, arbitrary and unconstitutional declaration by Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that Malaysia is an Islamic State driven by Islamic fundamentals and was and had never been a secular state — in total disregard of the Merdeka social contract and Malaysia Agreement publicly reaffirmed by the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic state.
Where are the MCA and MCA Youth wavers of the Malaysian Constitution only a few days ago to stand up for the fundamental rights of Malaysians, including freedom of speech and expression to protest at the latest denial of the basic human rights of Malaysians?
Were the MCA and MCA leaders behind the latest media ban to dampen the public anger at the failure of MCA Ministers in Cabinet to defend Wee Meng Chee against an orchestrated campaign by Umno and Umno Youth Ministers/leaders to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee despite a public apology?
It is shocking that as the country gets nearer and nearer to the 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations in ten days time, the Barisan Nasional government is shooting itself in the foot by creating one issue after another which make more and more Malaysians question the whole purpose of the official celebrations. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysian Parliament now the world’s No. 1 anti-bloggers Parliament?
Posted by Kit in Human Rights, IT, Media on Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Less than 24 hours of an assurance by the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that the government has not made a “special decision” to clamp down on bloggers, two pronouncements were made contradicting it and heralding such a clampdown.
One was made by Najib himself and the other by the “de facto” Law Minister, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz who declared a war against bloggers in the last sitting of Senate yesterday during the winding up of the debate on the Electronic Government Activities Bill 2007.
Declaring that “The time for talk is over, now is the time to act”, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri said the government would be taking legal action against bloggers who flagrantly belittled Islam or the Yang di Pertuan Agong.
He said that apart from the three laws that could be used against the bloggers, the Internal Security Act, Sedition Act and Section 121b of the Penal Code, the government was also looking at formulating new laws allowing it to monitor and act against offending bloggers in areas not provided by these legislation.
Speaking at the Malaysian Press Institute Press Awards Night, Najib said the government was deeply troubled by the growth of “irresponsible” alternative media.
It is sad that the Senate yesterday was turned into an anti-bloggers forum marking an administration which is unable to live up to the 2004 general election pledge of an open, accountable and transparent governance.
Why was there not a single Senator yesterday to stand up to caution restraint, moderation, reason and sanity instead of allowing the blogging bashing to run full steam, with the Umno Information chief, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib who had lodged a police report against Raja Petra Kamaruddin, webmaster of the Malaysia Today news portal, singing an anti-bloggers duet with Nazri?
Has the Malaysian Parliament become the world’s No. 1 anti-bloggers Parliament?
Apart from taking action against bloggers for flagrantly belittling Islam or the Yang di Pertuan Agong, what are the other “offences” which would be regarded as fair play for the blogging clampdown? Read the rest of this entry »
Power-sharing in BN? Press freedom in Malaysia?
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Media, Politics, Religion on Sunday, 22 July 2007
Further confirmation that the government ban on the media from reporting comments on the “717 Declaration” of Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that Malaysia is an Islamic state driven by Islamic fundamentals and not and never had been a secular state is confined to Ministers, Deputy Ministers and political leaders from MCA and other Barisan Nasional component parties but not to Umno.
This was why it was reported yesterday
(1) Umno Youth leader Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein defied the “ban” when he arrogated to himself the role of an “elder” and publicly warned MCA leaders to stop making statements on Malaysia being a secular state; and
(2) Umno Information Chief, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib, distorted and rewrote constitutional history and developments to endorse Najib’s claim.
Today, Umno Youth deputy leader, Khairy Jamaluddin, has demonstrated that he is also not bound by the ban, which applies only to MCA Ministers, Deputy Ministers and national leaders and those from the other Barisan Nasional parties when Berita Minggu reported his speech on the subject, as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
Hishammuddin’s “no more statement that Malaysia is secular state” warning and power-grab by publications unit
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Human Rights, Media, Religion on Saturday, 21 July 2007
“Amaran kepada MCA – Hishammuddin minta henti kenyataan Malaysia Negara secular” — blared the Berita Harian front-page headline today, which carried the report by-lined Norfatimah Ahmad and Suzianah Jiffar as follows:
RANAU: Pergerakan Pemuda Umno meminta pemimpin MCA berhenti daripada mengeluarkan kenyataan yang mendakwa Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara sekular kerana tindakan itu tidak membawa manfaat kepada sesiapa.
Ketuanya, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (gambar)menegaskan polemik sedemikian tidak harus cuba diperbesar-besarkan oleh MCA kerana ia tidak membawa kebaikan kepada mana-mana pihak sebaliknya boleh memberi kesan negatif.
“Saya beri amaran kepada pemimpin MCA supaya berhenti membuat kenyataan sedemikian. Ingin saya tegaskan, saya bukan pemimpin naif yang akan membenarkan perkara ini berterusan. Amaran saya ialah berhenti membuat kenyataan,” katanya selepas merasmikan mesyuarat Umno Bahagian Ranau, di sini semalam.
Kelmarin, beberapa akhbar melaporkan Setiausaha Agung MCA, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, mempertikaikan kenyataan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Isnin lalu yang menegaskan Malaysia adalah negara Islam yang melindungi hak bukan Islam.
Ong antara lain dilaporkan berkata, kedudukan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara sekular terbukti menerusi pelbagai dokumen sejarah termasuk Laporan Reid, Suruhanjaya Cobbold dan keputusan Mahkamah Agung yang dibuat pada 1988.
Beliau berkata, status sekular Malaysia itu juga terbukti berdasarkan persetujuan dan kontrak sosial oleh pemimpin terdahulu seperti termaktub dalam pelbagai dokumen yang digunakan dalam proses merangka Perlembagaan Persekutuan.
Bernama yesterday also carried a similar report which appeared on New Straits Times online, as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
Caucus public hearing in BM – let IGP declare police have no objection to media coverage
Posted by Kit in Media, Parliament, Police on Friday, 13 July 2007
The Police should make clear that they are fully responsive to the people’s concerns about crime and the fear of crime by sending representatives to the third Parliamentary Caucus public hearing in Bukit Mertajam (at Jit Sin Chinese Independent Secondary School ) at 10 am on Sunday and declaring no police objections whatsoever to media coverage.
The Malaysian people cannot be blamed for concluding that the reason the second public hearing of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance on “Fight Rising Crime” in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday became a “closed session” which did not allow media reporting, which was a departure from the first public hearing in Johor Baru last Sunday, was because of police pressure.
This is not conducive to the police regaining full public confidence in its mission to fight and reduce crime and the fear of crime.
The Police should welcome opportunities such as the public hearings of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance to allow the people to speak their minds and adopt an open and positive attitude to public criticisms about the failings and failures of the police in its task to reduce crime and the fear of crime.
These criticisms are made not because the people are anti-police and want to indulge in police bashing, but because the people, like the Royal Police Commission which was formed by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in one of his early initiatives when appointed to the highest office in the land 44 months ago, want to have a world-class police service which is efficient and professional enough to make the streets, public places and the privacy of homes safe and secure for citizens, tourists and investors.
Malaysians want the Police to be their friends and protectors and are prepared to give the Police all assistance and support to wipe out the country’s notoriety in crime and fear of crime, which former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam admitted a few days ago is a major disincentive for foreign investment. Read the rest of this entry »
Two greater maturity developments on occasion of 50th Merdeka anniversary most welcome
Posted by Kit in Media, nation building, Parliament on Wednesday, 4 July 2007
Two developments showing greater maturity of Malaysians on occasion of 50th Merdeka anniversary is most welcome as it is time that the government and leaders move away from narrow sectarian approach towards a more nationalistic and broadminded approach on issues which should transcend race, religion, class or political differences to create greater national unity.
The two developments are:
- The announcement by the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim that all parliamentary constituencies in the country will receive RM30,000 each for activities to celebrate the country’s 50th years of independence;
- The directive by the Minister for Energy, Water and Communications Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Chairman Dr. Halim Shafie to withdraw his letter barring private television stations from broadcasting speeches by members of the opposition.
It will be very sad if on the nation’s half-a-century nationhood, Malaysian public life is still moored in narrow sectarian divisions on every issue including those which must transcend race, religion, class or partisan politics.
Both Rais and Keng Yaik are to be commended for showing that they are prepared to make a beginning to take a Malaysian nationalistic approach rather than narrow sectarian one, and to show that there are issues where all can come together as Malaysians. Read the rest of this entry »
Pak Lah rejects 8-year press freedom memo by 1,000 journalists?
Posted by Kit in Human Rights, Media on Monday, 2 July 2007
The speech by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to the Mass Media Conference 2007 last Friday is more significant for what he omitted than what he said.
Eight years ago, when he was first appointed Home Minister, some 600 journalists in Malaysia which in the subsequent year grew to over 1,000 journalists, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on May 3 presented a memorandum to him calling for the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act and other repressive laws fettering the development of a free and responsible press.
Abdullah had given a solemn undertaking to the Malaysian journalists that he would give their memorandum serious consideration.
Eight years have passed and Abdullah has still to respond directly to the 1999 memorandum on press freedom which has the support of over 1,000 journalists.
The Mass Media Conference 2007 on Friday is most disturbing for more reasons than one. In particular, the conference was organized by the Internal Security Ministry which seems to reflect an increasingly intrusive and invasive government role in the sphere of mass media.
In his eight years first as Home Minister and later Internal Security Minister with direct responsibility over the media, the arsenal of repressive instruments and laws fettering media freedom had been left intact, whether Printing Presses and Publications Act, the Official Secrets Act, the Sedition Act, the Internal Security Act or the Police Act.
At any time, these repressive instruments and laws could be resorted to and re-activated. There has been no move whatsoever towards new legislation to create an environment which fosters greater openness, accountability and transparency like the Freedom of Information Act and Whistleblowers Protection Act. Read the rest of this entry »
Media blackout/self-censorship under Abdullah as bad or even worse than under Mahathir
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Media on Sunday, 10 June 2007
The media blackout or self-censorship of unpleasant or unfavourable news under the Abdullah administration is getting as bad or even worse than the 22-year Mahathir premiership.
The latest example is the blackout in the local media of a survey by the Singapore American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) released on Friday that executives of United States companies in Southeast Asia say corruption is a “major impediment” to doing business in five countries in the region, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Singapore was the only country in the survey where corruption was not considered a major issue.
The lack of predictability and stability in government regulations were also major concerns for American companies doing business in ASEAN countries. Read the rest of this entry »
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