But he asked this question of us journalists:
“It’s about gumption. And commitment. Are you prepared to face the consequences?”
And he made this statement:
“I see only one group editor present here today”.
Only Wong Chun Wai, the Editor in Chief of The Star, had the gumption, it seems. Azman Ujang, the GM of Bernama was there, too, but he’s no longer an Editor even though he’s still a journalist at heart.
The others mainstream editors* are playing golf, too lazy, very contented, afraid, or probably didn’t even know what the NUJ, NPC, CIJ, WAMI, BENAR and All-Blogs were up to today.
To the journalists from mainstream media who turned up and walked after the talk today, I salute you.
* Steven Gan of Malaysiakini came, but he’s not what the minister meant when he talked about “mainstream media editors”.