Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was told to drop criminal defamation charges against journalists from news organisation The Edge if he truly upholds freedom of the press as claimed.
In a statement today, the Pakatan Harapan presidential council pointed out that Ismail Sabri’s assurance contradicted the charges against the journalists and allegations of political interference in the media.
“In the past few days, we read reports surrounding the New Straits Times (NST) group editor, where various quarters including journalists alleged there was political interference in the appointment.
“This is regrettable. Harapan takes the position that political parties should not interfere in the affairs of media organisations, particularly as we are witnessing.
“We also regret that the government, via the deputy public prosecutor, slapped two journalists from The Edge with criminal defamation charges in court,” they said.
The presidential council demanded the government withdraw the criminal charges. They said the parties implicated may mount civil defamation lawsuits instead.
They also said the media plays an important role especially in providing a check and balance to the government and ensuring transparency.
“Therefore, Ismail Sabri’s assurance needs to be expressed not only on the lips, but he should also walk the talk,” they said.
The statement was issued by PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil, Amanah communications director Khalid Samad, DAP publicity secretary Teo Nie Ching, and Upko information chief Joisin Romut.
Yesterday, Ismail Sabri said the government has never interfered in newsroom operations and will never do so.
This came amid alleged political interference in NST, which announced on Tuesday the appointment of veteran journalist Farrah Naz Karim as the publication’s group editor effective today.
The prime minister kept mum on the appointment and also declined to comment on the criminal defamation charge against The Edge’s former editor Ahmad Azam Mohd Aris, saying he had no information on both matters.
‘Charges will spook investors’
Meanwhile, Amanah’s Sepang MP Mohamed Hanipa Maidin reminded the Ismail Sabri administration that its decision to slap journalists with criminal defamation charges would reflect badly on itself.
The former deputy de facto law minister said Putrajaya is showing itself to be an oppressive government to investors.
“The government may only see these two journalists as a mere criminal prosecution… What they may fail to realise is that the investors’ fraternity is viewing the existing criminal indictment as oppressive persecution.
“Being journalists of The Edge, we may safely conclude that they belong to the elite group of journalists. Readership of this newspaper has been the corporate community,” he said.
Hanipa said he believes there are many foreign investors who refer to The Edge before deciding whether to invest in the country or not.
He said the “unprecedented and mind-bogging prosecution” would be a devastating impact on the investors’ community.
“We may argue that criminal and civil defamations share common objectives. Nevertheless, we should never be oblivious to this truism, i.e. the upshots of the criminal and civil defamation are poles apart.
“After all, we don’t send any civil defamer to prison. And how to get rid of a criminal record if any ordinary people, let alone journalists, are convicted of criminal libel?” Hanipa asked. - Mkini
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