The media, social responsibility and the govt

Abdullah Badawi's observation that greater media coverage on cases of sexual violence would spur the public to stand up against such criminal activities is interesting. Indeed, we think the media can help in this direction.

If the argument is stretched to its logical conclusion, then Abdullah should also agree that if the media are given wider freedom, they can also help the government and the people to stem the rising tide of corruption among politicians, civil servants, among others.

More than that, free media can also function as a desperately needed check and balance in a fettered democracy like ours. In other words, the government of the day can be made accountable to the electorate via the media. Additionally, government ministers would be able to listen to the truth in the form of feedback from ordinary Malaysians.

In this respect, we welcome Transparency International Malaysia president Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim's comment that his group would consider asking the government to come up with a Freedom of Information Act. He said this would allow the public the right to information that affects them personally.

"We cannot have transparency if we put everything under the Official Secrets Act. When there is no transparency, there is no accountability," he said.

The call for a Freedom of Information Act is the first of five demands in the Charter 2000 press freedom manifesto.