Friday, February 13, 2015

Malaysia defends Press Freedom while most of the rest of the world declines: World Press Freedom Index 2015


RSF is Charlie Hebdo
"Press freedom ... is in retreat on all five continents," RSF declared, claiming its indicators were "incontestable". 
Malaysia, which ranked 147th in 2013 in terms of press freedom, did well to maintain that position in 2014, according to the 2015 Index released by the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontiers this week. This will be viewed as an achievement if one notes that the trend globally saw the Press in most countries, including the US, losing more and more freedom. Of course, the openly pro-Charlie Hebdo RSF had Islamist terrorists such as Islamic State and Boko Haram to blame for the sorry state; refer Drastic Decline in media freedom worldwide.
Readers can click h e r e for details of the Press Freedom Index 2015. 
p.s. The "incontestable" bit is more than a bit laughable, though. I continue to be amazed and fascinated at these people: they put Brunei as having a freer Press than its more newsy neighbours like the Philippines, Indonesia Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia! [see my posting in 2013 h e r e). 
But at #121, Brunei is nowhere near Timor Leste! (#102). The US, in comparison, was #49, not a lot freer than Papua New Guinea (#56). 

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:22 pm

    In the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2014, Singapore is ranked 10th, the US 19th and Malaysia 35th.

    Can we conclude that the rule of law is better observed and enforced in Singapore and the US than in Malaysia?

    Is the rule of law more important than press freedom? Foreign investors seem to think so.

    What's the point of having press freedom if the rule of law in a country is either weak or deliberately flouted?

    ReplyDelete
  2. drMpower7:54 pm

    Anon 3:22

    i see that coming. expectedly. now that the Press Freedom ranking maintained, you moved the goalpost as you see fit. i tell u what, when u ask:

    press people, they say press freedom index is most important

    justice people, they say justice index is most important

    law people, they say law is most important

    politicians, they say politics is important

    investors, they say investment is important

    business people they say raping money is important

    the Lim family, they say DAP is important and DAP ruling malaysia is important

    to be honest i dont care about whatever index or ranking or whatever, as long as this country feels save, food is on table and enough, the kids go to school learn something good for them, my parents enjoy their last days, and we doing quite good living to our fullest.

    and ah, since this Press Freedom showed maintained the ranking, does this mean whatever cries about attack on press freedom by those bastardds are just .... lies?

    see people of malaysia, yet come to power also start to lie big time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous10:32 pm

    Anon 7:54 pm

    I fail to see what you are driving at.

    Do you want to correlate the top 10 countries for press freedom with the top 10 countries for the rule of law?

    Incidentally, it is that the country should be safe, not feel save(sic).

    The rule of law, and how it is enforced (fairly and transparently) is a big part of feeling safe in a country.

    Do you dispute that?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous12:04 am

    And yet the gestapo is sooo afraid of cartoon books....

    ReplyDelete
  5. /// as long as this country feels save ///

    Yes, this country needs to be saved - from self destruction.

    I don't fee safe.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous3:19 pm

    Nothing great bout 142 and bunched together with most of Africa not to mention Sillypore at 153.
    But still Thailand Indonesia & Philipines better off.

    So its nothing to brag about.

    ReplyDelete
  7. charleskiwi5:44 pm

    I agreed with your have just said about press freedom in this part of the world, period. But it does not apply in your blog, when a blogger has anything derogatory to say or call the repugnant & avaricious Mahathir, you will not hesitate to have it deleted ! Isn't blogging a limited part of the press of press freedom !
    One other question, why are there, non stopped, so many 'unkind remarks and comments' being said, asked, expressed and written about the self claimed that his policies are 'perfect' ?
    And if the repugnant & avaricious Mahathir get to look at the hundred of thousand mourners, including Najib, who came to mourn the passing of the PAS leader. Wouldn't his heart be filled with envy that the late PAS leader is getting ? If the funeral was held in KL I am sure the entire traffic would have to be stopped. You can't said of that when this half breed gets the call of his maker. One thing for sure I and million of Malaysians will surely be celebrating and jumping with joys of his passing. Best of all despite of the firing of the crackers being banned in this country many will still be fired.
    Finally please remember only the good dies young and one regret is that the one leaving this good earth will not be able to take with him even a single cent with him. But one thing is the atrocious one will be remembered longer than a good person. Whatever it is he will always be remembered to be the one who has brought Malaysia to the shambolic state that Malaysia is in to day. He single handedly successfully destroys a paradise that took a few good leaders years to build. It will take a courageous or several dedicated men to rebuild Malaysia back into a paradise that it used to be.

    ReplyDelete