Harassment of journalists is a concern in the country.
Constant interferences are imposed by the authorities to journalists and editors through warning letters and other forms of intimidation. In 2007, police detained a Malaysiakini journalist who reportedly asking a police officer for information in an anti-price hike protest, he was held in custody for two days and charged with ‘obstructing a police officer’. In 2008, a Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng created ‘history’ when she was dramatically arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA), and held for questioning for 16 hours.
And now a senior producer of RTM2’s Galeri Mandarin Nasional, Tan Ean Nee is axed, joining her ex-comrade Chou Z Lam who has his contract terminated in May this year. This development has been apprehended as a plan to eliminate all the senior producers of the said documentary programme. Tan’s documentary has focused on the long-drawn protest by the residents of Rawang New Village’s against the construction of high-tension cable towers by the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (picture).
Gloomy future
This situation not only endangered the profession of the journalists, it has also posed vulnerability to the educators particularly the mass media lecturers in carrying out their daily teaching.
How the lecturer should responds when a student questioned the uncertain future in the media? How do the lecturers position themselves in this situation? How to teach journalism in a country where journalism is under political pressure? The students see the lessons of ethic and freedom of press with skepticism, while they see their senior being intimidated from carrying out their duty and responsibility.
The number of professional journalists will decrease in the country if this fragile and limited press freedom is let to continue. Although the fate of our journalists is not as bad as in some neighboring countries where journalists are kidnapped, tortured and even killed, but journalism is proved to be a difficult and unsecured profession from day to day.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly stipulates that, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Our own Federal Constitution provides each citizen with the right to freedom of speech and expression, but it does not guarantee the freedom of press.
In Malaysia, we have an arsenal of restrictive laws to limit the freedom of expression and information in the media. The 1984 Printing Presses and Publications Act require all publishers and printing firms to renew their permit on a yearly basis, subject to the Home Ministry’s approval. Then we also have the Broadcasting Act 1988, the Official Secrets Act, the Sedition Act and many others that used to impose constraints on the press, and any ‘misbehavior’ is punishable by several years in prison.
Fear is gripping the country and that people may stop speaking up, moreover without an aggressive and independent journalism, the country will not be able to produce a productive generation. Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. In the long run, we will produce a robotic society and not a free society.
The journalist represents a powerful voice in presenting the truth to the public — their job is to provide information to the public on matters of public interest. But the government rips off the civil rights and liberties of the people; they have also robbed our people of their freedom and fundamental rights.
Malaysians now probably familiar with the name Joshua Wong, former producer of Editor’s Time who resigned from the NTV7 in April 2010 following his dissatisfaction with the alleged political interference by the Prime Minister’s office and the Prime Minister’s wife. His resignation puts the public attention on how corrupt the stifled system has become. We are severely short of credible talk shows on current affairs and socio-political issues; instead, the citizens are overwhelmed with the entertainment and reality shows.
In the post-Soeharto era in Indonesia, the print media is no longer required to have publishing and printing permits. While Malaysia, as a much advanced state, the publishers must apply for yearly publishing and printing permits. Journalists are constantly being watched and the news are continuously being filtered and censored.
With the deteriorating of media climate in the country and oppression driven by the government, it is difficult for journalists to make an effective stance unless they are willing to risk their career. Therefore, when we talk about journalism education, there is a need to be ready to defend freedom of speech and not as the mouthpiece of the government.
For the journalism graduates, a career full of challenges is awaited. For one that the journalism graduates must know — they are not the slave of the state.
