mySinChew: World Press Freedom Day — Lim Sue Goan

mySinChew: World Press Freedom Day — Lim Sue Goan

Malaysian Insider, MAY 3 —
Many people celebrate the annual Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day but the “World Press Freedom Day” on May 3 has no commercial value at all. No one, except for media practitioners and non-government organisations (NGOs), will care about it or try to understand the significance of celebrating it.

In addition to meeting physical needs, including food and clothing, human kind also pursue for more noble goals, allowing a more perfect life for the country and communities. It is where the value of “press freedom” lies.

However, those in power have always been trying to suppress press freedom in order to safeguard their interests. Meanwhile, media practitioners have been defending and fighting for freedom. It is a never ending struggle.

Without public support, media practitioners alone will not be able to defend it. Therefore, the public must back the media and demand a greater freedom from those in power. If the public does not have such an awareness and make requests, those in power will not take the initiative to give it and freedom of the press will become narrower and narrower.

In Malaysia, the violation of press freedom is mainly in two forms, namely in terms of administrative and judiciary, not including politicians of various levels.

There are many laws to restrain the press freedom of Malaysia, including the Printing Presses and Publishing Act, Official Secrets Act, Internal Security Act and Sedition Act. But we have very little laws to protect press freedom.

In addition to reduce the intervention of administrative power, the government should make law to protect press freedom, just like various acts in foreign countries that uphold coverage rights.

In the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, it says: “Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...” Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, pointed out in 1786: “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” Former President of the United States Richard Nixon also resigned because of the Watergate reports.

Similar laws can also be found in other countries and regions. For example, the European Union has also made laws to protect press freedom based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Argentine Supreme Court also pointed out before that freedom of the press is a very important provision in the Argentine Constitution. Written in the Hong Kong Letters Patent, no law made by the Hong Kong Legislative Council shall violate the freedom of the press.

In Malaysia, courts do not give the media enough of protection, too. During the 90s of the last century, the media used to be over self-restrained because of the unlimited compensation amount for libel lawsuits.

When the government is implementing the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) and New Economic Model (NEM), freedom of the press should not be neglected. Otherwise, the country will never be able to become an advanced country.

Politicians are talking about more human rights but they have forgotten that freedom of the press is also one of the human rights.

The media are making the same request on May 3 every year, but year after year, when will their request be fulfilled? — mysinchew.com

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.