Charter2000 Media Statement
A Blow for Media Freedom if Star buys Nanyang Press
Charter 2000 views with concern recent news reports that suggest that Hume Industries may be selling its controlling stake in Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd, the publisher of Chinese-language dailies Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press, to Star Publications.
These reports are of concern as the Chinese language press has been known for relatively independent reporting that has at times embarrassed the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a ruling coalition partner, and the government. This more independent reporting is in stark contrast to the Star, a solidly pro-establishment English daily, controlled by Huaren Holdings Sdn Bhd, the MCA's investment arm. We question the motive for any sale of Nanyang Press, if the media reports on the deal are accurate.
Charter 2000 calls for the democratisation of the media in its first principle, which states that the media must not be the monopoly of political parties and commercial interests allied to them.
Instead, the Charter states that "an adequate legal and economic framework must be established to facilitate and reinforce universal access to and ownership of alternative, participatory, democratic, independent media."
The political and civil rights especially those related to the guaranteeing of open discussion, debate, criticism and dissent are central to the process of generating informed and considered choices. These processes are crucial to the formation of values and priorities and can help in assessing and finding solutions to social, economic and political problems.
The Charter also notes that in recent years, "the media have become increasingly corporatised in tandem with greater control by political and economic interests. With the drift towards markets and profits, the interests of sections of society who fall outside the elite's sphere of influence have been increasingly neglected and stifled."
It is therefore crucial to allow for a multitude of independent media to provide for alternative channels for expressing the aspirations of an economically and socially diverse and plural society.
We therefore call on Hume to carefully weigh all factors, including the larger interests of media freedom, before making any decision to sell Nanyang. We also hope that other organisations, including the National Union of Journalists, will raise their voice in defence of media freedom, which appears to be increasingly threatened.
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In principle, we are against the monopoly of the media by political parties and commercial interests. We are also concerned about the diminishing space for independent reporting. Even slightly critical or independent publications may find themselves shut down or gobbled up by pro-establishment individuals, firms, or political parties.