Charter 2000 Media Statement
Charter 2000 seeks endorsement from NUJ and other unions
To mark World Press Freedom Day this year, Charter 2000, a Malaysian citizens' media initiative, is pleased to release the Malay and Chinese versions of its media freedom charter. All three versions, including the English version, can are now available at this site: http://www.malaysia.net/aliran/charter/charter2000.html
The charter provides a brief background to the media situation in Malaysia, outlines guiding principles, and contains the following basic demands:
- the enactment of a Freedom of Information Act.
- the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), the Internal Security Act, the Official Secrets Act, the Sedition Act and all other repressive laws. In particular, the government must cease to require publishers and printing firms to obtain licences to publish.?
- the establishment of a truly independent self-regulated media council whose members should comprise editors, journalists, government and opposition representatives, human rights activists, lawyers and representatives of the public. (To achieve meaningful self-regulation, however, repressive laws must first be repealed.)?
- the cessation of abuse and manipulation of publicly owned media (such as Radio Television Malaysia) by the ruling coalition. We demand accountable, independent, publicly owned media with institutionalised safeguards.
- the reform of public and private media to ensure greater professionalism and high ethical standards while promoting justice, freedom and solidarity.
Thirteen groups have so far endorsed the charter, including major groups like the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC), a federation of trade unions from almost all major industries and sectors with some 500,000 members. We will now approach the major unions affiliated to the MTUC to seek their respective endorsements as well - a process which we hope will raise workers' awareness of the importance of press freedom. Another key endorser is the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA), which has 12 affiliated state consumer associations. We will also be seeking endorsements from prominent individuals including journalists, editors, and academics.
We are particularly interested in obtaining the endorsement of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), whom we have already approached. The NUJ, as the official union of the journalists, must surely share the concern of so many ordinary journalists over the state of media freedom in the country. In 1999, ordinary journalists submitted a petition to Home Minister Abdullah Badawi, calling for the repeal of the PPPA. Close to 1,000 journalists have already signed the petition - a commendable effort - though sadly, there has been no official response so far.
The NUJ's endorsement of Charter 2000 would provide a timely boost to the struggle for greater media freedom in Malaysia. We are prepared to put the charter on the discussion table and engage in dialogue with the NUJ in the hope that the union will eventually provide its endorsement.
Dr Mustafa Anuar and Anil Netto
Charter 2000 coordinators
2 May 2002
