Arresting the search for Truth?

Aliran is concerned about a recent commentary in the New Straits Times calling for the detention of “errant” journalists working for the foreign media under the obnoxious Internal Security Act. The commentary, written by a certain “Abdullah Tan”, has caused some uneasiness among Malaysians who cherish justice and freedom of expression.

The call to use the ISA on journalists is clearly contemptuous of the very notion of civil society, democracy, debate and dissent. A perceived untruth in the foreign media should be countered with a persuasive argument; it is irrational and unsophisticated to propose that the ISA should be used to clamp down on biased reporting in the foreign media

If being “sensationalist” and disregarding fair-play are sins that the foreign media have allegedly committed, then the local mainstream media, particularly the New Straits Times, have a lot of soul-searching to do, given the irresponsible and unprofessional way they covered the Anwar issue recently.

The New Straits Times should urgently clarify if the controversial commentary reflects its editorial stand on ‘unfair’ foreign media reporting. If it doesn’t, it would be viewed by many as the first media organisation in the country, if not the world, to advocate a clampdown on the quest for truth and justice.

At the very least, the New Straits Times should declare to its readers and other concerned Malaysians if it has decided to stop pretending to be a real newspaper.
 

Aliran Executive Committee
10 October 1998