Packed press conference - but media blackout!

On 27 May 2004, the Penang Office for Human Development held an important press conference with other civil society groups in Penang to highlight the systemic problems that facilitate the torture, abuse, and exploitation of migrant workers in Malaysia.

The conference room where it held its press conference was packed with media people including television crew.

The POHD spokesperson spoke eloquently about the problems migrant workers face and why they are so vulnerable and easily exploited and abused.

It was pointed out that four years ago, the media went through a similar hoo-ha about migrant workers but when the media frenzy subsided, nothing much had really changed.

The POHD also released a comprehensive press release, highlighting the main areas of concern to migrant workers. The press release drew from the expert opinions of lawyers, civil society representatives, human rights groups, women's crisis centre, employment agents - all of whom were represented at the press conference.

Reporters asked lots of questions, they scribbled furiously on their notepads, they asked for statistics. The camera crew taped the proceedings and camera flashes popped...

But surprise, surprise, apart from The Malay Mail, the media on the whole failed to report what transpired at the press conference. By and large, the press conference was almost blacked out in the media. What a strange world - a packed press conference and then, hardly anything reported in the media. Main-main ke?

It looks like the media are contented to report on individual cases of abuse/torture of migrant workers but they are unwilling to report on the systemic problems that allow such horrific incidents to occur.

Is it because our politically controlled, corporate media have a vested interest in allowing the status quo to continue - a situation that leaves migrant workers easily exploited and views them as little more than a source of cheap and readily available labour?