More on the "Asia Media Summit 2004"

Apparently, this "media summit", which is unlikely to focus on the importance of press freedom, is organised by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Malaysia, and News World Asia.

The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) is a regional inter-governmental organisation servicing countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in the field of electronic media development. It is hosted by the Government of Malaysia, which is not known for its liberal views on press freedom, to say the least.

The summit is sponsored by Petronas, whose advisor is of course former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who made it to the Top Ten Enemies of the Press listing compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists for three years. The other sponsor is Malaysia Airlines.

This summit appears to be largely establishment-oriented with little room for alternative voices, and obviously not really interested in press freedom issues, which are so important in this part of the world.

Adds blog visitor Chong: "The local press will just highlight the "Bolehland" of press practice that is an icon for all developing countries. Malaysia's benchmark for press freedom is the less free environs which are a-plenty in the Third World, and that's what the nation's leaders and so-called journalism practitioners will sing: praises to themselves and their political masters.

"Of course our representatives are heavyweights carrying Tan Sri and Datuk appendages in front of their names but without any worthwhile publications on the press, its role and responsibility and other more important topics.

"Might as welll call it a PR and Tourism Summit!"