Get real, Suhakam; don't take us for a ride

So Suhakam has taken the ‘initiative’ to set up a print media complaints committee. Bad move, guys. It sounds like a back-door attempt to set up the jinxed – and already rejected - Malaysian Media Council in the present oppressive climate.

If you recall, independent journalists, Charter 2000, Initiatif Wartawan and even the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) had shot down the proposal to set up such a council at this time, mainly because they felt that repressive laws and regulations that hindered press freedom should be repealed first.

What’s more, some of the establishment personalities behind the move to set up Suhakam’s print media complaints committee do not exactly inspire confidence.

Come on, guys, everyone knows that the real problem in Malaysian journalism is the pressure – unseen, but often felt – on journalists and editors to refrain from reporting the frank and brutal truth. Dissent and critical reporting is frowned upon; instead, self-censorship prevails. Everyone know that what ails Malaysian journalism is the concentration of media ownership in the hands of ruling political parties and business entities friendly to the powers-that-be.

No wonder Malaysia is only ranked in 104th place in the latest press freedom ranking list issued by the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF).

We applaud the National Union of Journalists’ president’s principled stand in criticising this Suhakam proposal. We sure don’t need another Code of Ethics – as if that is the panacea for all our journalistic woes.

In fact, the NUJ already has an excellent code of ethics adapted from the International Federation of Journalists Code. It is worth reproducing:

1. Respect for truth and for the right of the public to truth is the first duty of the journalists. To defend the freedom of the Press, to deal with the professional conduct of its members and to maintain high ethical standards in journalism.
2. In pursuance of this duty he will defend the twin principles: freedom in the honest collection and publications of news; and the right of fair comment and criticism.
3. The journalist reports only in accordance with the facts of which he knows the origin. He will not suppress essential information of falsify documents.
4. He will use only fair methods to obtain news, photographs and documents.
5. Any published information which is found to be harmfully inaccurate he will do his utmost to rectify.
6. He will observe professional secret regarding the source of information obtained in confidence.
7. He will regard as grave professional offences the following: Plagiarism; Calumny, slander, libel and unfounded accusations; The acceptance of a bribe in any form in consideration of either publication or suppression.
8. He recognises in professional matters, the jurisdiction of his colleagues only; he excludes every kind of interference by governments or others.

Note that item 1 of the Code stresses respect for the truth and the defence of press freedom. Sigh, if only editors and journalists in Malaysia could be allowed to live up to these ideals.

Suhakam is going about it the wrong way. We don’t need a new committee to pile on more pressure on our hapless journalists. What Suhakam should tell us is how it intends to broaden the space for press freedom and to encourage journalists to report the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It needs to tell the government in no uncertain terms that press freedom should be upheld and that repressive laws must be repealed - NOW. If the government is not willing to listen, then what is the point of being Suhakam commissioners when your views are consistently rejected or fall on deaf ears? Might as well resign.

The last thing we need from Suhakam is more committees – especially one that would allow certain personalities to realise their ‘cherished’ dream of a Malaysian Media Council, which most thinking journalists and press freedom activists have already rejected in the current repressive climate. Get real, please, Suhakam, and don't take us for a ride.