Give Fair Access To Opposition, Media Forum Told

May 04, 2008 19:21 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama)

The mainstream media, especially state-owned radio and television stations, must give fair level of access to views and programmes of the opposition and people who have different views with the government, a media forum was told Sunday.

The Bar Council's Human Rights Committee deputy chairman Andrew Khoo Chin Hock said the government-owned radio and television stations were in fact "people-owned" and the government was only managing it and as such, it should give space for differing views.

In every election such as the March 8 general election this year, about 48 per cent of the popular votes went to Pakatan Rakyat and other opposition candidates and hence, the voice of the people who had supported them should be respected, he said.

In Britain, he said, if the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) interviewed a ruling party member of parliament, it will also interview an MP from the opposition to get a balanced view on the issue at hand.

"Do we actually hear the views of the other side here (in the broadcasting media)... maybe only at a certain time like during a Parliament session," he told a forum to mark Press Freedom Day Saturday organised by the Centre for Independent Journalism.

About 100 people comprising media watchers, bloggers, students and the public attended the forum.

Andrew said if Malaysia really wanted to see an independent and free press, journalists must be brave and bold in exposing the truths in the people's interests and the media must also move away from practising self-censorship.

Kuala Lumpur Young Lawyers Committee chairman H.R. Dipendra said there was a possibility of the government limiting the influence of the alternative media as this could be seen from the attacks on bloggers.

Stressing that there must be "responsible journalism", he said there should be concerted efforts to defend press freedom in the country.

He said there should be a strong defence funding locally so that there would be access to funding when a media company was sued and they could defend themselves in a better way.

Dipendra also told the forum that the problem with the mainstream media was that "they assume the Malaysian public is naive but they (the public) are not".

Speaking at the forum, Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching said the Freedom of Information Bill 2008 that the Pakatan Rakyat was trying to push through in parliament would not be an easy passage.

Teo said she and Pakatan Rakyat hoped Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs would lend their support to get the Bill approved for the people's interests.

The Bill aims to enact the Freedom of Information Act to replace the Official Secrets Act 1972. One of the basic principles of the Freedom of Information Act is the right to have access to information.

Today's event, an initiative called "Benar Civil Society Initiative" (Truth in Reporting) was held to promote truth in reporting.

Co-organiser SV Singam said they would organise "Minggu Benar" from June 1-7, saying the civil society could only raise concerns and offer support to various issues but any changes had to come from within the journalist community.