Explain media meddling, NGOs urge Najib
By B Nantha Kumar, Free Malaysia Today
A coalition of 10 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are demanding that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak explain allegations that his administration was undermining the professional judgement of media practitioners in the choice of topics, angles and news sources.
Alluding to several incidents including the latest involving NTV7 editor Joshua Wong and TV2’s Mandarin edition editor Chou Z Lam, the NGOs in a memorandum to Najib demanded his assurance that there will be no more meddling in media matters.
Present at the press conference today were representatives from Writers Alliance for Media Independence, Centre for Independent Journalism, Civil Rights Committee of KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Bersih, Suaram, cartoonist Zunar & “Gedung Kartun” Group, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, Centre for Policy Initiatives, Research for Social Advancement and New Era College Progressive Front.
In a statement issued today, the coalition noted that Malaysia was currently in the bottom 30% of the countries in respect to press freedom.
“According to Freedom House’s ranking, Malaysia’s record in the past eight years is appalling. From being in 71st place in 2003, we have dropped to 142nd this year out of 195 countries in the world.
“Even among Asean countries, we trail far behind East Timor, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and even Cambodia that all poorer than Malaysia,” the statement noted.
The coalition also demanded that several immediate steps be taken to ensure press freedom before the next World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2011.
