A joint appeal by Aliran, Hakam and Suaram
Defend Freedom Of Expression!
Aliran, Hakam and Suaram jointly appeal to all concerned Malaysians to support urgently and generously the nation’s only independent newspaper, malaysiakini.com in its hour of need.
Background
As all Malaysians would be aware, the police raided Malaysiakini’s office on Monday, 20 January 2002. The police’s excuse for the raid was its investigation into an allegedly seditious letter carried by Malaysiakini on 9 January. The investigation itself followed a police report against that letter, bearing the name of ‘Petrof’, which was lodged on 17 January by UMNO Youth.
The police had demanded the identity of the letter-writer. The editors of Malaysiakini refused to comply on grounds of protecting the confidentiality of sources and letter-writers. At the end of their 5-hour ‘visit’ to Malaysiakini, the police removed nineteen (19) computers and servers from Malaysiakini’s office.
Why Raid Malaysiakini
Launched in November 1999 as an online daily newspaper, Malaysiakini occupies a unique place in our society. It is not owned by any big corporation, not affiliated to any political party, and not beholden to any vested interests.
Alone of all the daily newspapers, Malaysiakini has been non-partisan, critical, honest and courageous. Moreover, its website has provided a free, uncensored and public forum for numerous columnists and letter-writers. Consequently, only Malaysiakini has scrupulously upheld the right to freedom of expression and the right to a free press in this country.
Visitors to the Malaysiakini website, who now number over a hundred thousand daily, value Malaysiakini for its daily coverage of ‘only the news that matters’.
No other newspaper in this country supports and encourages the vibrant debates that are a regular feature of Malaysiakini. Those debates, which feature a broad spectrum of public opinion, as they should, are critical to our better understanding of issues of public interest. The news reports, columns, editorials and letters carried by Malaysiakini have gone a long way in keeping our society and citizens informed.
They have together encouraged worldwide participation in public communication and discourse essential to maintaining democracy. in particular, the letters provided the views of countless readers and their airing served as an effective barometer of grassroots opinion and sentiment.
Most of all, by reporting news that is elsewhere manipulated and truths that are consistently suppressed, Malaysiakini stands as a symbolic and real alternative to the tightly controlled and servile mainstream media.
No an Isolated Action
Thus, and along with many other Malaysians who have voiced their protests, Aliran, Hakam and Suaram consider that the police raid on Malaysiakini and their seizure of Malaysiankini’s computers and servers was not meant to facilitate a simple police investigation of alleged sedition.
We consider the police raid to be an attempt to cripple Malaysiakini and prevent their continued functioning as an alternative news provider that is not beholden to commercial, political or other vested interests.
The police raid on Malaysiakini cannot be lightly taken as an isolated attack on a small and financially strapped company running a news service. The raid was a deliberate assault on all Malaysians’ fundamental right to know ‘the news that matters’, to be honestly and properly informed, and to have an uncontrolled channel to contribute to public discussion and debate.
Ultimately that raid is an attempt to dismantle a cornerstone of our much diminished democracy.
Hidden Agenda
Visitors to Malaysiakini know that the editor, Steven Gan, and his brave colleagues have consistently practised a noble and professional brand of journalism that is contrary to the dictates and desires of the Barisan Nasional.
Despite owning, controlling and monopolising access to the official and commercial organs of the mass media, the Barisan Nasional can hardly persuade Malaysians that the media in this country operates freely and fairly.
Before Malaysiakini’s arrival, the Barisan Nasional could pretend that there was no alternative to its mass media.
After the advent and great success of Malaysiakini, the Barisan Nasional’s pretence is hollow.
Forced on the defensive, knowing that even a small but honest online daily has broken its monopoly of ‘news’ and ‘information’, the Barisan Nasional government has periodically tried to undermine Malaysiakini’s viability.
The journalists of Malaysiakini are not accredited as such and are often excluded from official events and press conferences. Although Malaysiakini operates legally without a newspaper permit, many government and ruling coalition quarters have issued warnings against an alleged ‘abuse of freedom’ over the Internet.
In the light of those warnings, and of previous police ‘visits’, the recent raid on Malaysiakini must be seen as a move by certain political elements who wish to cripple or even close down Malaysiakini.
Many who have expressed their disgust at the raid on Malaysiakini have speculated that it has been carried out with the aim of denying alternative views given that the next general election may not be that far away.
The raid of 20 January 2003 is an admission that the Barisan Nasional can no longer tolerate any source of honest, investigative, critical and free news.
Otherwise, how is it that the police acted on UMNO Youth’s report of alleged sedition so quickly when numerous other complaints, especially against the Barisan Nasional politicians, end up with ‘no action taken’?
When the Democratic Action Party (DAP) lodged a police report against UMNO Youth for carrying seditious material at the latter’s website, did the police pounce on UMNO Youth and cart away their computers?
If someone were to make a police report that any of the major newspapers owned by the Barisan Nasional parties or their allies had published a seditious article, will the police uncompromising seize all their computers and servers and leave them unable to function?
Complaints have been lodged against some television channels before. Did the police ever consider confiscating broadcasting equipment to force the stations off the air?
The answer to every one of those questions is a simple ‘NO’.
The freedom of Malaysiakini is our freedom.
Our answer to the police raid on Malaysiakini must be a clear ‘NO’ as well.
‘NO’ to intimidation. ‘NO’ to harassment. ‘NO’ to the suppression of the freedom of the press.
Hence we must rally around Malaysiakini NOW. We must rally behind Malaysiakini in the way that can most effectively restore and advance the operations of an indispensable symbol and site of freedom of expression.
We have a duty to ourselves and our nation to stand by the courageous and honest journalists and personnel of Malaysiakini who strive so hard for so little to give us so much ‘news that matters’.
Don’t allow ouselves to be kept ignorant, uninformed or misinformed. Defend Malaysiakini now. Strengthen it as a viable, independent, uncensored, and publicly accessible forum.
Support Malaysiakini Now And Generously
Let us all help to restore and consolidate Malaysiakini. Let us contribute generously to Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd or subscribe to Malaysiakini. (for details, refer to malaysiakini.com)
By that simple action, which is part of all that is noble in our culture, we show our contempt for those who only have contempt for our rights.
By rendering that effective assistance we shall also show Steven Gan and his courageous and honest colleagues at Malaysiakini that Malaysians care about professional and dedicated journalism.
That way, we demonstrate to everyone everywhere that ‘all the news that matters’ cannot be bought or suppressed.
Malaysians DO care!
This joint statement is endorsed by
the following organisations:
| |||||||||||||||||
