By Lim Guan Eng, Secretary General of the DAP
Malaysian media activists have proven they will not be cowed but steadfastly oppose curbs of press freedom by BN and the Inspector-General of Police’s(IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar abuses of power, by hounding harassing and humiliating TMI’s publisher and senior editors. Last night’s spirited vigil by many young journalists outside the Dang Wangi police station was a spontaneous action by the media circle showing no fear of the oppressive powers seeking to restrict press freedoms through high-handed and arbitrary arrests.
DAP commends the efforts of the lawyers who manage to secure the release of The Malaysian Insider managing editor Lionel Morais, Bahasa news editor Amin Iskandar and features and analysis editor, Zulkifli Sulong, by persuading the magistrate to reject the police remand applicaton. Unfortunately TMI CEO Jahabar Sadiq and The Edge publisher Ho Kay Tat remain detained overnight pending their remand hearing.
The overwhelming outrage at the arrests of TMI senior executives, not just from international bodies but also ordinary Malaysians, is heartening. Any mistake made must be accounted for, but the punishment meted out must also be proportionate to the offence. For journalists, a retraction and apology followed by fines from defamation suits should suffice. This is international standard practice, any further harsher punishment such as police arrests, is a gross attempt to stifle freedom of expression and the press.
The IGP will regret his arrogance and public disdain for reason, justice and right cause of action. Such false pride will eventually lead not only to his downfall but also BN. Already angered by the financial shenanigans such as the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal and the hardship caused by the imposition of GST today, the public can see through the dirty tactics of BN to divert public attention from BN’s poor governance and failed economic policies.
DAP lauds the 5 TMI senior officers as heroes of press freedom who want to shine the light in Malaysia, as Plato said, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
