Together with other state DAP leaders, I went to the Sin Chew Daily office in Seremban this afternoon to show our support and solidarity with our media friends. The arrest of Tan Hoon Cheng under the ISA although for only less than 24 hours was a black mark in our democracy. Media freedom and democracy goes hand in hand.
Media is the soul of the society. Without a free media, it is like a soulless society. Therefore, we must protect our rights to information and media freedom. DAP is committed in preserving the independence of the media and we vow that if PAKATAN takes over the federal government, abolishment of the ISA and other draconian laws are high on our agenda.
Although Hoon Cheng already freed from ISA, lets not forget that there are still many innocent citizens who are in ISA detention. Teresa Kok and Raja Petra are still inside and we shall never forget the HINDRAF 5 who are in Kamunting. Please continue to show your support and solidarity with them. Please continue to stand up to be counted to call for a more democratic and freer society in our beloved country. .
Monday, September 15, 2008
Protect Media Freedom!
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7 comments:
ISA is Idiot Security Act !!
The govt lost the plot when it used the ISA to detain Ms. Tan, YB Teresa and RPK. Ms. Tan has been released, let's hope you guys in the DAP will take action on her behalf against that "devil" Toyo and Utusan for accusing YB Teresa of doing something that she didn't do.
What The Story
～ Must Change ～
谁能拒绝 ， 天空没有边界
好奇不设上限 ， 没有句点的地平线
To All_Malaysia Citizen,
To ourself N The Country ,
We are Changing to Democratic,
People had right to live in Democratic National.
We must Change Our National.
Malaysia must Change.
Finish them(ISA,BN,UMMO)...
朦胧中，漆黑一片，四壁墙，离我很近。我望向天花板，十多只的壁虎，大大小小的爬在宽度不到六尺，高度才那么的四尺的天花板，不停的发出恐叫！我害怕！恐惧！床还好是软的，不是她(陈云清) 所说的硬床，我被惊醒！原来那唯一的软床，是我所躺着的床。
所谓若有所思，夜有所梦。从知道郭素沁被逮捕的消息到现在，我头脑都不曾离开对她的思念，我担心她的安危，害怕她精神上被虐待，更不愿看到她因此而放弃之我。也许你们会说我想太多，说我太傻太天真！我就是这样的一个人。试着把自己当作是某位正派代议士的岗位想一想吧！他们没有欠我们的，不要以为自己在选举投给了他们，就把他们给我们的一切都接受的理所当然，应分此的。他们也有情绪，也有无助的时候。你在吃饭，他们在开会，你在吃宵夜，他们在吃晚餐，也许还是午餐呢！你在睡觉，他们还在忙着。过年过节，一家团圆，有谁会想着他们是否也和你一样在享受着天伦乐呢？他们没有欠我们的，问一问自己，现在的你到底在做什么，想些什么，是在等待看事情的进展吧！天天追新闻，不满就和朋友聊聊就算，骂几了句也就吧！
是时候了，马来西亚的人民醒醒吧！当他们在这时候需要我们时，大家就得出一份力，为她-郭素沁祈愿，早日被释放。
再来个全民签名活动，要求释放被援引可以不经审讯就扣留的恶法内安法令来逮捕的人。
他们也是像你我一样，有家人，有家庭，的普通人民一个。不是吗？
朦胧中，漆黑一片，四壁墙，离我很近。我望向天花板，十多只的壁虎，大大小小的爬在宽度不到六尺，高度才那么的四尺的天花板，不停的发出恐叫！我害怕！恐惧！床还好是软的，不是她(陈云清) 所说的硬床，我被惊醒！原来那唯一的软床，是我所躺着的床。
所谓若有所思，夜有所梦。从知道郭素沁被逮捕的消息到现在，我头脑都不曾离开对她的思念，我担心她的安危，害怕她精神上被虐待，更不愿看到她因此而放弃之我。也许你们会说我想太多，说我太傻太天真！我就是这样的一个人。试着把自己当作是某位正派代议士的岗位想一想吧！他们没有欠我们的，不要以为自己在选举投给了他们，就把他们给我们的一切都接受的理所当然，应分此的。他们也有情绪，也有无助的时候。你在吃饭，他们在开会，你在吃宵夜，他们在吃晚餐，也许还是午餐呢！你在睡觉，他们还在忙着。过年过节，一家团圆，有谁会想着他们是否也和你一样在享受着天伦乐呢？他们没有欠我们的，问一问自己，现在的你到底在做什么，想些什么，是在等待看事情的进展吧！天天追新闻，不满就和朋友聊聊就算，骂几了句也就吧！
是时候了，马来西亚的人民醒醒吧！当他们在这时候需要我们时，大家就得出一份力，为她-郭素沁祈愿，早日被释放。
再来个全民签名活动，要求释放被援引可以不经审讯就扣留的恶法内安法令来逮捕的人。
他们也是像你我一样，有家人，有家庭，的普通人民一个。不是吗？
this piece is taken from a blog written by a former journalist Aziz Hassan at http://azizhassan.blogspot.com and I think it makes a whole lot of sense. Please publish this and debate over it.
sorry i did not link the article. here it is, from http://azizhassan.blogspot.com. Please, there's no such thing as freedom of the Press. Freedom comes with great responsibility. Question is, how responsible are we in conveying our messages?
by aziz hassan
THE debate over the continued existence of the Internal Security Act has taken an interesting twist, with de facto Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim saying that he basically doesn't agree with it except when it's used only against terrorists and is prepared to resign over this decision to break ranks with the government.
In declaring his position at a press conference yesterday Zaid also said that he didn't want to make it any more difficult for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and would try and meet the boss soon. Zaid stopped short of saying that he would resign immediately but indicated that he was prepared to be sacked from the Cabinet. I'm of the view that if Zaid feels strongly enough about this he should bring his resignation letter along when he goes to see Pak Lah. No ifs, not buts.
Let's not forget that it was Zaid who suggested that fellow minister and Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin should resign if he didn't agree with the PM.
I am one of those who accept the ISA as a necessary evil. Some people I know, a few of whom I count as friends, have been detained under this preventive law but I'm against it being abused and misused for any other other purpose except in matters affecting public order and national security.
Ideally people should be brought to court to be charged for an offence but the situation these days is made more difficult with cyberspace around. As we all know there is no way anyone can stop a blogger or a website operator who is so determined to proceed with an agenda the person believes strongly in. The recent brief and unsuccessful attempt to block the news portal Malaysia Today from being accessible to the public is a good example.
Let's look at this possibility of the ideal scenario. A blogger writes something seditious and is then charged in court. The trial may take years before it reaches a conclusion. Make it three years. He then appeals against his conviction. You have the Court of Appeal and finally the Federal Court. All in all the entire process may take five years -- and that's a short time by our standards. Many cases take six to 8 years, or longer in a few instances.
While the case is pending the blogger continues to write seditious articles on race and religion. The people get very jittery and restless, police intelligence indicates that trouble is brewing and if not checked, may result in a riot. What should the authorities do? Charge the blogger again and again while the unrest worsens?
Which is when the ISA comes in. Not an ideal situation when you talk about the rule of law but does anyone has a better option?
As a former newspaperman who was there for something like 25 years in various capacities with four daily newspapers and a couple of magazines I'm not ashamed to declare that I believe in self-censorship and do not believe in absolute freedom of the press.
The press in any country operates within the confines of the laws of that country. A newspaper is governed by the same laws that govern citizens and residents. If it is seditious for someone to raise certain issues then it is also seditious for a newspaper to report what that person has said. If a man has slandered another then the newspaper that reports it can also be named a party to a legal suit. That's how it works.
Which means that the freedom of the press is no different from the freedom allowed to be enjoyed by the people.
But while the police must have their reason to detain Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the ISA, the fact that she was held for less than 24 hours has caused many to question what it was all about in the first place. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar yesterday told a press conference on Saturday that Tan was taken into custody because her personal safety was under threat. If indeed that was the case why was she picked up about dinner time and released the following day, just after lunch?
Such an explanation would only be acceptable if someone responsible for the threat had been picked up during the time Tan was being held by the police but we haven't been told of such an arrest. Not surprisingly Syed's remarks have since been making the rounds as a joke to be savoured by all.
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