Monday, May 21, 2012

Malaysia's press freedom, indie journos, start a joke



Government "advisers" in a newsroom. I have a soft spot for the Centre for Independent Journalism. When Jeff Ooi and I were sued by a newspaper giant back in Jan 2007 (mine later became the first case of a newspaper dragging a blogger to court), it was the CIJ that initiated a campaign against the newspaper company. I can't say the same about a lot of my colleagues n the MSM back then, they were employees and they were friends of the people who were suing me, the same journos who recently got together in Kuala Lumpur to form a group to press for greater freedom for "independent" journalists. Hurrah! A new-found courage to fight injustices against journos, including against the police for beating up journos during the Bersih 3.0. Better late than never Still, I couldn't help wondering, where were they when their own newspaper and editorial bosses were beating bloggers up?

But I digress. What I wanted to do is draw your attention to a CIJ report on Press Freedom, as reported by the "financially indepedent (sic) state newspaper Selangor Times": 

.... Meanwhile, CIJ also credited the Selangor and Penang governments led by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for demonstrating a greater understanding of civil liberties, especially by introducing freedom of information laws.
However, the media watchdog noted that Selangor had two advisers, who vet its content before it goes to print, in financially independent state newspaper Selangor Times, .
“Whether Selangor Times will be able to maintain its independence will be a good indication of how a potential PR Federal government would behave if it came to power,” said CIJ in its report.
 (Editor’s note: The Selangor government does not interfere in the operations or editorial content of the Selangor Times.)

Read full story here.

The CIJ should have told it as it is. Since the last General Election in 2008, Lim Guan Eng has declared war against the MSM in Penang, especially NST and Utusan Malaysia. In Selangor, Khalid Ibrahim has set aside millions on a state-controlled media network. Anwar Ibrahim, Teresa Kok, Azmin Ali and many other Pakatan leaders have filed multi-million ringgit suits against journalists and their organisations in this country. Freedom of Information? What freedom of information?


The CIJ should not beat around the bush. These people promised us greater freedom and their state governments should now walk their talk. 


Still, I'd like to commend the CIJ. If not for their good work, we would not have known that the Selangor state government stations two "advisers" on the Selangor Times editorial floor to "vet its content before it goes to print".


And the Editor says the Selangor state government does not interfere in its operations or editorial content. He should listen to the Bee Gee's I Started A Joke.


 Long live Robin Gibb. 



26 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:08 pm

    Just look at the level of education and the "mistakes" made by Utusan and NST about the Aussie Senator's speech. What a joke that the papers have to print and say Minta Maaf. If get sue, where the Government is going to get the money to pay the injured party? It is from rakyat's income. Lucky all those bugger and tosai sellers complaining about their losses. Did they pay income tax and why Hasil Dalam Negeri don't go to these towkays but go after those makan gaji.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jasper Bloodstone7:17 pm

    Isn't it wonderful that none of the politicians and vested interests can control the Internet and the social media?

    This is "democratisation" of information in it's truest sense.

    Btw, congratulations to Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on his marriage to longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan.

    Not bad for a Harvard dropout (Zuckerberg) marrying a Harvard grad who also graduated from the UCSF medical school. Brains run in the family, for sure!

    Examples of "towering persons", eh?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous8:25 pm

    Dato,

    Pada satu malam ada seorang pencuri memasuki rumah dan berjaya mencuri barang barang kemas tuan punya rumah. Apabila dia hendak keluar dari rumah yang dia mencuri dia serempak dengan satu kumpulan Skim Rodaan Sukarela(SRS). Secara spontan dia menjerit "Pencuri, pencuri, pencuri, kejar dia" kepada kumpulan SRS maka dengan pantas kumpulan SRS mengejar mencari pencuri yang diarah oleh pencuri. Di dalam keadaan kelam kabut pencuri ini mengambil kesempatan menghilang diri dengan barang barang kemas yang di curi dan Kumpulan SRS sampai pagi tidak terjumpa pencuri yang di cari. artikel dato ini ada persamaan di dalam cerita ini

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:19 pm

    Rocky!

    Aren"t you going to follow Jamal Mat Yunos esok at Datuk Bandar office bidding tempat jual BURGER di hadapan rumah AMBIGA!!!???

    Mamat ni TOKEY Ikan Bakar Sekinchang!!!!

    Melayu-Melayu,,,,,nak tunjuk kuasa konon,,,,JANGAN Sampai kena BAKAR gerai dia cukup!!!!!!

    -LANCAP-

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:32 pm

    Rocky,

    Tak payah guna Nama "Jornalism" dimalaysia....

    Semua penulis berita adalah penulis yang telah diappropriated olih kerajaan Malaysia...

    Nasihat kepada pelajar yang ingin ambil kursus Journalism? Tak Payah

    Kutu Jalan pun lebih pandai dan Independent dari Rocky!!



    Pemerhati

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sad that another Gibb Brothers have left us. They made good music. May they rest in peace.

    But I didnt see that the joke was on me, lalala.

    Rockie, is it true that when Anwar was in the government, he controlled the NSTP group stables.
    From what I heard he will dictate "his editors" to ensure whatever he said is on the front page.
    My pal who worked in ST told me most times that sod got the front-page instead of Mahathir.
    Please confirm this. Also is Pak Samad his men like Kadir Jassin and Nazri Said (forgot his surname) in BH?
    Thanks.
    This to enlighten people who think Anwar is soooo democratic and oh so good fella.
    God forbid, he be PM and start muzzling the press. As it is now he is already a dictator without power.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous10:51 pm

    1.Yeah, I Started A Joke was and is still a great evergreen number and very much applicable in my comments today but dont quite fancy the Bee Gees' other numbers tho.

    2. As for that garbage news peddlar's mafia known as CIJ (Cocksuckling Independents' Jamban), lets just say that immoral people will sell their balls, arse and cunt to fill their empty stomachs, enuff said.

    3. And it is a sign of the times that the shitwipe known as the Selangor Times, is an independent arsewipe that is as dependent on cheapskate sensationalism as it is independent off gold-minted truth.

    4. Finally, off-topic but news worthy nevertheless, looks like the Indian government is pushing the envelope a bit closer to tearing. They must be pretty crazy stirring up shit with a White Paper on black money:

    http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/article3442625.ece

    hahahahahahahahahahahahaahhahahahahaha........breath.....hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha....breath....hahahahahahahahahahaha........hahahahahahahahahahahaha


    Warrior 231

    ReplyDelete
  8. i laugh when I saw the list of journos and "journos" pressing fro Freedom of The Press under this campaign for the setting up of Institute of Journalists. Hahahaaaa.

    Imagine the likes of Susan Loone calling for independent and bersih journalism and media. Isn;t she a card-carrying member of Keadilan and and openly supports and campaigns for Pakatan.

    And there's a joker - Ng Kee Seng who used to work for The Star and The NST. In fact not too long ago, asked for a job with NST, yes, rocky, laugh out loud. He was a news editor, no less. Now vocal against MSM and msm journos. While in msm, no voice.

    And this joker, Robind Rudra -- last job with NST. quiet. no voice. Yes yes...where was his voice when NST sued, Kali and the other clowns sued you and Jeff?

    Now, everyone wants to be relevant.

    What a joke.

    I looked at all those who signed the petition. Some of them so-called journos -- Who the hell are they?

    Gobind, Jahabar..Jahabar??? former NST and reuters? Machai to Kali. Where was he before GE March 2008? Quiet as a mouse.Whacking bloggers in cyberspace, probably?
    That was when malaysian insider was the online arm of Pak Lah's administration and the fourth floor boys. Malaysian insider was government media with news coming direct from the fourth floor.

    After GE 2008, it became decidedly anti-Najib.. Half or three-quarter of them from NST,
    and yes, boys and girls of MI -- where were you when the govt and your master Kali, were banging bloggers?

    T A K U T.

    The opposition parties and leaders were riding on bloggers and their popularity back then, before 2008. yeah yeah...gobind and the rest got their tongues squeezed by the cat.
    After Gobind left NST -- suddeny became a blogger and began whacking NST and msm.

    Oh come on, Gobind..

    Now that the opposition parties seem stronger, these once irrelevant and pengecut journos have suddeny found a voice, and er...courage, to speak up about Press freedom. hahahaaa.

    And they all work for Selangor Times.

    What a joke.

    So, here's the thing -- to these so called journos for freedom of the press -- as long as you are MSM (and they were all MSM), you aint free and independent, But if you're anti- govt and work for opposition party organs, hey, you're independent and free, My ass.

    you can fool some people, yeah...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bru,

    police brutality against journalists?

    those photographers and journos who were whacked -- were they clearly identified as "media" or were they also protesting and covering the event?

    If they did wear their identification clearly and were mistaken as part of the crowd, then, okay -- it depends on where you were and, really the entire circumstance and climate of the situation. occupational hazard but the journos/photographers have a case.
    But if they were not wearing any identification and were not where they should be (there are special rules when covering events like this),then the police could not make a distinction between you and the rest of the crowd. Police everywhere in the world beat up RIOTERS. peaceful protesters don't get roughed up, But in some parts of the world, they do.

    nobody in their right mind condones police brutality. but after the barricades were broken and the crowd looked so hungry and angry -- well, crap happens.

    it would otherwise have been a pretty peaceful assembly although anyone could predict that with a crowd that big, there was bound to be trouble. and there was.

    so, blame the police?

    ReplyDelete
  10. ganesh9:11 am

    the CIJ should stand for what it is supposed to be - centre for INDEPENDENT journalism.

    it is clearly taking sides -- it looks very anti-government. anti-BN. and anti-msm.

    we all wish the MSM can be more balanced in their political reporting.

    But, folks -- get real. that's the way the cookie crumbles. at least, they don't pretend, nor hide that fact. they are pro-establishment.
    So what. that's their stand.

    Anwar Ibrahim knows how it works.

    remember, Anwar Ibrahim found nothing wrong with the BN, nor Umno. He attempted to topple the Umno president and BN chairman to be the PM, altho that's not how it works). He wanted to be president of the party that he -- since his fauiled attempt - now calls a corrupt party. If he had succeeded in toppling Tun Dr M -- he was going to lead Umno...and we doubt he was going to "clean" it up.

    Like Rocky, I digress.

    All these jokers and journos, some of them getting a high writing online with dubious reputation -- syiok sendiri and syiokkan kawan-kawan -- fighting for freedom of the press. Makes me wanna puke.

    I can guess who would be sponsoring the Institute of Journalists.

    Imagine people like G Danapal talking about ethics of journalism?

    Mana ada credibility-lah?

    ReplyDelete
  11. mrs gibb9:12 am

    Long live Robin Gibb!

    ReplyDelete
  12. it is a joke, dear rocky.

    all these has-beens of journalists who never made an impact as journos and mind you -- dulu makan gaji dengan MSM -- suddenly discover that there's life after MSM. just by being anti-MSM.

    they're not like you, Sir.

    I remember way back in 2006 when you left the Malay Mail after kalimullah got you out by making the Malay Mail into a college teenybopper paper that made you irrelevant in the new structure. of coruse, you had the last laugh.
    that new Malay Mail went down shamefully.

    where were those compatriots, those who are now screaming "freedom".

    you had no choice. so you began life as a blogger. and caught everyone;s attention. became a monster...and got kalimullah's ass pricked many times. so he sued you.


    anyway to cut the story short. as we all know kali thru ECM libra is now supportive of the DAP. so, no prizes for the right guess what all this is about.

    Freedom of the prss, my foot!

    ReplyDelete
  13. mun ho9:21 am

    we must all be blind if we don;t see the CIJ as being NOT independent. It is not independent. it is supportive of Pakatan.

    CIJ was below the radar before your NST's and the four jokers' legal suit against you, bro.

    Come on, when you wre in BT or Malay Mail, have you heard of them? No one had, actually.

    They jumped on that opportunity when you were sued. They capitalized on it.

    Most of the opposition politicians did. And the NGOs, like Suaram.

    You knew elizabeth wong before your suit? no, right?

    The CIJ has no credbility and credentials to talk about independence of the media or of journlaists for as long as it is supportive of Pakatan.

    any idiot can see that.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rafeez9:37 am

    all those has-beens trying to be relevant. and in cahoots with opposition parties.

    some names come to mind -- Gobind (ask NST/Star journos about him), Susan Looney (campaign against BN and Najib), and some Selangor Times reporters...

    Independent?

    Selangor Times financially independent?

    Define financially independent?

    do some digging..
    Kiss my ass!

    ReplyDelete
  15. JohnD9:40 am

    Yo bro -- those indie journos ....most of them are Pakatan Rakyat bloggers, card carrying members of political parties, politicians masquerading as journos and campaigners for Pakatan Rakyat.

    ReplyDelete
  16. http://keris7lok.blogspot.com/2012/05/nkp-umno-kampar-mengamuk-lagi-dap-jadi.html

    care to put your comment on my blog mr bru?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous12:38 pm

    hahahahaha mereka sahaja yg betul..mereka sahaja yang alim..mereka sahaja yang telus.. mereka sahaja yang mengamalkan demokrasi.. dan mereka sahaja yang akan masuk syurga..

    yang lain-lain yang bukan dari penyokong mereka PLEASE BOOKED A PLACE IN HELL FOR YOURSELF..

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous1:33 pm

    Rocky, pasal Selangor Times kau bising.

    Tapi pasal TV3, Utusan Malaysia dsb., yang coverage-nya seluruh Malaysia (compared to Selangor Times coverage) kau taknak bising pulak.

    What is this? Why "pick and choose"? Do you mind answering this?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous3:36 pm

    Mark Zuckerberg gonna regret his marriage

    should have drawn up a pre-nup protecting ALL his assets against THAT wife

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jasper Bloodstone1:35 pm

      Why? Do you have something against Mrs Mark Z aka Priscilla Chan?

      Since they got married in California, which pretty much invented prenups, I am reasonably sure that Mr Z and Ms C already had a prenup signed before they got married.

      In any case, this Mrs Z is no wallflower - a grad of Harvard and UCSF Medical School and a pediatrician in private practice.

      No dropout, she!

      Delete
  20. muthu4:10 pm

    anon 1:33PM:

    Oi..bodoh...TV3, NST, Utusan -- tu semua tak ada berpura2-lah. Memang diorang media establishment. Dah lama dah establish. Ada sejarah lah. Anwar Ibrahim pun gunakan TV3, NST, Utusan...biasa..memang tak boleh di nafi. Tak ada siapa nafi.

    Nak kutuk buat apa. Diorang taka balance cerita politik, Biasa saja. Esok kalau Anwar control media prima, sama saja. Kalau hang nak idamkan Press Freedom di mana semua media tak berpihak sesiapa, hang idam lah sampai mati....

    ReplyDelete
  21. Bru let me get tis1

    annon1:33 = lembu
    Hoi gua tau lembu memang bodoh tapi jangan lah jerit tak tentu hala pulak nanti org kata kau tak de OTAK.....tu lebih teruk dari lembu......BACA dan paham dulu baru komen....pakai OTAK ...kau adakan....

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous5:25 pm

    hahahaaaa... ada Ah Beng sebuk nak menyindir pasai yahudi boy kawin cibai hodoh.Gah sangat lah tu. Man, that is one helluve fugly beard! Anything for a few Bsssss more :))

    ReplyDelete
  23. majnun11:15 am

    most of those indie journos are really indie -- let's see they are probably writers for online portals and that's about what they do. and being young, fire in their bellies, and waaah -- everything about govt wrong. and i seriously think that they don't think and are so gullible. so they buy all those propaganda from pakatan wholesale. i mean, they don't think that pakatan leaders ar also, you know...same same.. maybe worse.

    they write for online, waah, terror journalist and can crap here and there.

    oh well...this is a free country,

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous9:24 pm

    hahahaha

    not a dropout eh? just a typical chingkie regurgitating bookworm

    ReplyDelete