Veteran newsman backs activist Hishamuddin over probe

 

Veteran newsman A Kadir Jasin said he will ‘take the government and its control apparatus to task openly’ through his writing.

PETALING JAYA: Veteran newsman A Kadir Jasin has voiced support for activist Hishamuddin Rais, who was recently investigated by the authorities over “offensive content” reposted on his blog, “TukarTiub”.

In a Facebook post, Kadir said he applauded Hishamuddin for his commitment to his struggle.

“I don’t think a few policemen and officers of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) rummaging through his files would cow him,” he said.

“I’ll join Hishamuddin and his band of brothers and sisters in pushing the boundaries of freedom and take the government and its control apparatus to task openly through my writing,” Kadir added.

It was reported last week that Hishamuddin spent three and a half hours giving his statement at the Brickfields police headquarters.

MCMC however said that Hishamuddin himself was not the subject of the ongoing investigation.

Instead, MCMC said the activist’s statement was recorded in relation to “offensive content” reposted on his blog.

“No arrests were made or any devices seized, and the investigation was completed at 6.45pm. MCMC stresses that any investigative actions against individuals are based on existing legal provisions,” the commission said.

Hishamuddin’s lawyer Zaid Malek was quoted by a news portal as saying that the commission’s officials had also searched his client’s home and made him hand over his username and password for a forensic analysis of his blog.

Kadir said that if journalists, writers and other creative people were united and fearless in testing the boundaries of freedom, they would succeed “far beyond making noises and issuing occasional protest notes”.

“But the pen will never be mightier than the sword if journalists and writers allow themselves to be cowed by the politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen and their apparatchiks,” he said. - FMT