Press freedom at all time low, says global index

(FMT) – The level of press freedom in Malaysia has eroded and this reality is supported by the freedom of press index released by international organisation Reporters Without Borders.

According to the index,  freedom of press in Malaysia in 2009 was at its all time lowest. Malaysia had dropped to 39.02 points compared with 44.25 in previous year.

The drop is attributed to several measures by the federal government to suppress media voice.

This view was expressed by The Sun’s political editor Zainon Ahmad at a forum — “Is It Necessary to Regulate the Print Media in Malaysia” — organised by the National Union of Journalists yesterday.

In his talk, Zainon suggested the setting of a press council to supervise the media without interference by the ruling government.

Zainon said he had sent a proposal paper to former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he was in office but received no reply.   

According to Zainon, a press council’s role would be to oversee matters such as freedom of information dissemination, improving the quality of journalists and ensuring ethical reporting as practised in developed countries.

“The press council is not only meant to set out rules and policies but includes training of journalists about ethics and proper reporting practices,” he said.

The same forum also addressed the obstruction faced by the media when reporting certain cases.

No changes in 52 years

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