Malaysia’s Press Freedom ranking on a free fall
Posted by: Din Merican on: October 23, 2008
October 23, 2008
During the Asia Economic Forum organised recently (October 13-16, 2008) by the University of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, I told my Cambodian audience that their country made tremendous progress since 1998 when the last band of Khmer Rouge guerillas in Pailin surrendered to Royal Government of Kingdom of Cambodia. I was particularly struck by degree of freedom, and free market policies of Cambodian leaders. I attributed their progress and stability in part to freedom of the media.
It also reflected the confidence that Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen in himself and the capacity of his party, The Cambodian Peoples’ Party, to lead his country into the 21st century era of globalisation and information revolution. Dissent and criticisms are accepted because the Cambodian people are prepared to learn from, and emulate the best. Malaysia, I added, is not the best, at least not yet. As a result, I was not qualified to offer any advice.
At the risk of being branded a “traitor” in my own country for daring to criticise the Malaysian government in a foreign country for its lack of democracy, failed media and other socio-economic policies and programmes, I said that it was refreshing and enlightening for me to be in Phnom Penh, a city by the great Mekong, even if it was just for a few days.
This stance of the Royal Government of Cambodia is in stark contrast to the UMNO-Barisan Nasional led Malaysia, a country which claims to have become one of the most economically advanced in ASEAN. In Malaysia, the media, I added, has to be licensed, controlled—some are owned by the political parties in power— and monitored by a government that is now increasingly unsure of itself, and scared of its own shadow.
Press freedom is curtailed and Malaysians in general are scared to speak their minds as they feel intimidated by strident actions of government against its critics and members of civil society. Those who dare to speak and write are incacerated in gaol. I alluded to the fact that one of Malaysia’s top blogger, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, and others have been kept under detention without trial for exposing for corruption and abuse of power by the government, its agents and its cronies.Many other brave Malaysians have been detained by the Malaysian Police under the draconian Internal Security Act for dissent.
I am vindicated to read that Cambodia, Timor Leste, Indonesia and Thailand are ahead of Malaysia (see below) in the worldwide press freedom ranking index released today by Paris-based watchdog Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF, Reporters Without Borders).
When will we as both as country and as Malaysians ever learn that free media and freedom of speech and expression are the foundations of democracy? We are poor as a people when we cannot criticise our leaders when they richly deserve to be taken to task for failed policies, wasteful spending of taxpayer ringgits, rampant corruption and blatant abuse of power.
Economic growth, as conventionally measured in real GDP per capita or as a percentage of real GDP, is meaningless when our country is bereft of core human values which include respect for our own dignity (and self-worth). We need people who can think, act with conviction and stand up for what is right if we seek to create a united Malaysia.—Din Merican
Malaysia’s press freedom ranking on a free fall
October 22, 2008
Malaysia crashed into the bottom quarter of 173 countries in the worldwide press freedom ranking index released today by Paris-based watchdog Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF, Reporters Without Borders).
In the latest 2008 ranking, Malaysia fell eight spots to 132. Last year, it was placed 124th while in 2006, it was at 92.
According to the index, Malaysia was placed fifth among 10 Southeast Asian countries after Timor-Leste (65), Indonesia (111), Thailand (124), Cambodia (126).
“In the face of mounting criticism, the government of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi reacted with a crackdown,” lamented RSF, referring to several incidences last year.
It said that the mainstream press made no attempt at balance remarks by the authorities attacking the organisers of two major demonstrations last year which were led by election reform movement Bersih and Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).
“The Internal Security Ministry asked some media on three separate occasions in November not to report on unauthorised demonstrations.
“Thus a march on Nov 10 calling for free and transparent elections passed off without any coverage, apart from online, including by the daily Malaysiakini, which also revealed in June (2007) that the authorities had ordered radio and television not to allow too much airtime to the speeches of opposition leaders.”
UNMO-linked NST ticked off
RSF also ticked off UMNO-linked New Straits Times for abruptly halting the columns by two independent-minded writers.
“Officially for technical reasons, the columns written by Zainah Anwar, promoting the rights of women, and another by Amir Muhammad disappeared within five days or one another.
“Zainah had headlined her last piece, ‘Let’s give freedom a good press’. Amir Muhammad, a respected film-maker and writer, had broken one of the country’s taboos by rehabilitating communists who fought for independence in the 1940s.
“He posted on his blog the uncut versions of his articles, which were regularly re-written by the daily’s management.”
The press freedom watchdog also said that the management and former managers of NST sued bloggers Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Attan for “defamation”, after they posted articles “demonstrating that some news and editorials in the daily lacked objectivity”.
Bloggers threatened by ISA
RSF added the attacks against bloggers continued last year. “Abdullah had called bloggers ‘liars’ while (last) July, (then) law minister, Nazri Abdul Aziz, said the government would not hesitate to resort to the Internal Security Act (ISA) to punish them.”
Popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, who was eventually detained under ISA last month, was interrogated by the police in July last year after he posted criticism of the king.
“Nathaniel Tan, a blogger and member of the opposition PKR was held in custody for four days, apparently because of a link from his blog to a website hosting news termed as an ‘official secret’ relating to a corruption case implicating (then deputy) internal security minister, Johari Baharum.”
The press freedom watchdog also cited two cases of journalists being threatened, one of whom was beaten up by unknown men.
Photo-journalist R Raman of the Tamil-language Malaysia Nanban was left in a coma after being assaulted by two thugs in his office in Johor Baru.
Meanwhile, his colleague, M Nagarajan, received a phone call threatening to kill him if he continued to write articles about poor conditions in the schools.
Posted by: Din Merican on: October 23, 2008
October 23, 2008
During the Asia Economic Forum organised recently (October 13-16, 2008) by the University of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, I told my Cambodian audience that their country made tremendous progress since 1998 when the last band of Khmer Rouge guerillas in Pailin surrendered to Royal Government of Kingdom of Cambodia. I was particularly struck by degree of freedom, and free market policies of Cambodian leaders. I attributed their progress and stability in part to freedom of the media.
It also reflected the confidence that Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen in himself and the capacity of his party, The Cambodian Peoples’ Party, to lead his country into the 21st century era of globalisation and information revolution. Dissent and criticisms are accepted because the Cambodian people are prepared to learn from, and emulate the best. Malaysia, I added, is not the best, at least not yet. As a result, I was not qualified to offer any advice.
At the risk of being branded a “traitor” in my own country for daring to criticise the Malaysian government in a foreign country for its lack of democracy, failed media and other socio-economic policies and programmes, I said that it was refreshing and enlightening for me to be in Phnom Penh, a city by the great Mekong, even if it was just for a few days.
This stance of the Royal Government of Cambodia is in stark contrast to the UMNO-Barisan Nasional led Malaysia, a country which claims to have become one of the most economically advanced in ASEAN. In Malaysia, the media, I added, has to be licensed, controlled—some are owned by the political parties in power— and monitored by a government that is now increasingly unsure of itself, and scared of its own shadow.
Press freedom is curtailed and Malaysians in general are scared to speak their minds as they feel intimidated by strident actions of government against its critics and members of civil society. Those who dare to speak and write are incacerated in gaol. I alluded to the fact that one of Malaysia’s top blogger, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, and others have been kept under detention without trial for exposing for corruption and abuse of power by the government, its agents and its cronies.Many other brave Malaysians have been detained by the Malaysian Police under the draconian Internal Security Act for dissent.
I am vindicated to read that Cambodia, Timor Leste, Indonesia and Thailand are ahead of Malaysia (see below) in the worldwide press freedom ranking index released today by Paris-based watchdog Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF, Reporters Without Borders).
When will we as both as country and as Malaysians ever learn that free media and freedom of speech and expression are the foundations of democracy? We are poor as a people when we cannot criticise our leaders when they richly deserve to be taken to task for failed policies, wasteful spending of taxpayer ringgits, rampant corruption and blatant abuse of power.
Economic growth, as conventionally measured in real GDP per capita or as a percentage of real GDP, is meaningless when our country is bereft of core human values which include respect for our own dignity (and self-worth). We need people who can think, act with conviction and stand up for what is right if we seek to create a united Malaysia.—Din Merican
Malaysia’s press freedom ranking on a free fall
October 22, 2008
Malaysia crashed into the bottom quarter of 173 countries in the worldwide press freedom ranking index released today by Paris-based watchdog Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF, Reporters Without Borders).
In the latest 2008 ranking, Malaysia fell eight spots to 132. Last year, it was placed 124th while in 2006, it was at 92.
According to the index, Malaysia was placed fifth among 10 Southeast Asian countries after Timor-Leste (65), Indonesia (111), Thailand (124), Cambodia (126).
“In the face of mounting criticism, the government of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi reacted with a crackdown,” lamented RSF, referring to several incidences last year.
It said that the mainstream press made no attempt at balance remarks by the authorities attacking the organisers of two major demonstrations last year which were led by election reform movement Bersih and Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).
“The Internal Security Ministry asked some media on three separate occasions in November not to report on unauthorised demonstrations.
“Thus a march on Nov 10 calling for free and transparent elections passed off without any coverage, apart from online, including by the daily Malaysiakini, which also revealed in June (2007) that the authorities had ordered radio and television not to allow too much airtime to the speeches of opposition leaders.”
UNMO-linked NST ticked off
RSF also ticked off UMNO-linked New Straits Times for abruptly halting the columns by two independent-minded writers.
“Officially for technical reasons, the columns written by Zainah Anwar, promoting the rights of women, and another by Amir Muhammad disappeared within five days or one another.
“Zainah had headlined her last piece, ‘Let’s give freedom a good press’. Amir Muhammad, a respected film-maker and writer, had broken one of the country’s taboos by rehabilitating communists who fought for independence in the 1940s.
“He posted on his blog the uncut versions of his articles, which were regularly re-written by the daily’s management.”
The press freedom watchdog also said that the management and former managers of NST sued bloggers Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Attan for “defamation”, after they posted articles “demonstrating that some news and editorials in the daily lacked objectivity”.
Bloggers threatened by ISA
RSF added the attacks against bloggers continued last year. “Abdullah had called bloggers ‘liars’ while (last) July, (then) law minister, Nazri Abdul Aziz, said the government would not hesitate to resort to the Internal Security Act (ISA) to punish them.”
Popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, who was eventually detained under ISA last month, was interrogated by the police in July last year after he posted criticism of the king.
“Nathaniel Tan, a blogger and member of the opposition PKR was held in custody for four days, apparently because of a link from his blog to a website hosting news termed as an ‘official secret’ relating to a corruption case implicating (then deputy) internal security minister, Johari Baharum.”
The press freedom watchdog also cited two cases of journalists being threatened, one of whom was beaten up by unknown men.
Photo-journalist R Raman of the Tamil-language Malaysia Nanban was left in a coma after being assaulted by two thugs in his office in Johor Baru.
Meanwhile, his colleague, M Nagarajan, received a phone call threatening to kill him if he continued to write articles about poor conditions in the schools.
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