Charter2000 Media Statement
World Press Freedom Day: A call for greater media freedom
For media freedom to flourish, it is not only the PPPA that needs to be repealed; all other repressive laws such as the Internal Security Act, the University and University Colleges Act, the Sedition Act, and the Official Secrets Act have to be abolished. We reiterate our call for the enactment of a Freedom of Information Act to widen the space for media freedom in the country.
At the same time, we call for the cessation of abuse and manipulation of publicly owned media (such as Radio Television Malaysia) by the ruling coalition. We call for accountable, independent publicly owned media with institutionalised safeguards.
We strongly oppose any attempt to further curtail media freedom in the country under the guise of making existing laws "more relevant" to the Information Technology era. Ironically, this ominous recent hint of tighter control comes at a time when various quarters have called for the creation of a media council to enable the media to regulate themselves.
Charter2000 supports in principle the concept of an indepedent media council. Such a council must be truly independent and similar to those found in countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. The council should reflect the views of a broad spectrum of society and its members should comprise media personnel, government and opposition representatives, human rights workers, lawyers and representatives of the public. The media council should act on all complaints and disputes involving the media, protect the media from interference from those with vested interests, and provide access to marginalised groups.
We are however opposed to the setting up of a media council at a time when oppressive laws are still in place. Such a council would be a toothless tiger or worse, end up as another official instrument of control over the media. A media council would be meaningless in the current climate when Malaysians, including Internet webmasters, contributors, and columnists, have been detained under the ISA for expressing themselves. Charter2000 calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
The government must realise that greater media freedom will not only benefit government critics. If there is greater freedom to report events, the government too would stand to gain in the long run as the credibility of official news agencies and the mainstream media would be bound to improve. Indeed, if ordinary Malaysians and marginalised groups find that they are able to air and to read critical views in the mainstream media, they will be less likely to resort to street demonstrations and large rallies to express themselves.
Finally, we salute all those journalists, publications, and websites in Malaysia who have not surrendered their conscience and integrity and continue to courageously report and comment on the news in these difficult times.
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To mark World Press Freedom Day 2001, Charter2000, a citizen's media initiative, calls on the Home Minister to heed the call of almost a thousand journalists who have petitioned the government to repeal the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA).