By The New Straits Times
June 2, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has asked journalists and the media to get their acts together to seek reform and improve press freedom.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department suggested that journalists propose solutions to replace existing media laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act, Official Secrets Act, Internal Security Act, Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act.
“The media should play its role in providing solutions rather than depend on politicians and the government.
“I am willing to engage with the media to hear them out and obtain updates and suggestions to assist in the reforms being sought,” he said at the National Press Club here yesterday.
“They have to get the engagement process going in a proper way. Sometimes it is the method, way or substance which is not right.”
Zaid, the de facto law minister, was invited to meet journalists and bloggers at a function calling for media freedom.
National Union of Journalists president Norila Daud called for the formation of a parliamentary select committee on media law reform and the enactment of freedom of information laws.
“This is a good beginning now that Zaid himself has provided us with an avenue to be heard. I hope editors and political appointees of various media organisations, as well as their stakeholders, will review their policies in tandem with our request for media reforms.
“Otherwise, we (the print media) will lag behind as compared with the electronic and Internet media in this era of globalisation. We don’t want Malaysia to get a poor rating on press freedom.”
The setting up of a select committee on media law reform was initiated by eight Pakatan Rakyat parliamentarians.
Earlier, police cordoned off Dataran Merdeka for a peaceful “Walk for Press Freedom”.