It’s the job of the media to ask tough questions, not just the ones you like, Redzuan

KL, 26 June: I thought only desperate politicians liked to blame the media to get out of whatever shit hole they have dug up for themvelsves. 

Well, some of these politicians are putting on different hats and hiding behind non-governmental organisations to attack everyone who does not agree with them or whom they do not agree with, including the media.

Ridzuan Abdullah, the president of the deregistered NGO called Ikhlas, has just taken the blame-the-media game to the next level. He isn’t just blaming the media for his predicament, he’s accusing them of sleeping with his enemy! See FB link https://www.facebook.com/ehailingdotfm/videos/1920511945427435/?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&fs=e

The other day, Ridzuan had called for a press conference to air his and Ikhlas’s grievances with a local construction and infrastructure company. At the press conference, Ridzuan was asked by the reporters present about the status of Iklhas, the so-called  non-governmental organisation that he was using as a platform to attack the company.

Ikhlas had been deregistered on 24 Nov 2022 by the Registrar of Societies. Ridzuan himself reportedly was charged with filing fraudulent claims with Socso to obtain incentives from the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 Program totalling RM378,000. He was alleged to have submitted documents with inaccurate salary information. The charges against Ridzuan were made under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.

Ridzuan took umbrage with all these relevations.And called those reporters (or the media they represent)  “talibarut” (lackey) of the company that he and his NGO were targetting.

For someone who unabashedly bragged that “I’ve been involved in NGOs for more than 20 years”, Ridzuan has demonstrated a shocking lack of understanding of - and regards for - what we reporters and media do. 

Well, bad news buddy, it’s the reporter’s jobn to ask questions and check and double check to make sure that they are reporting facts.

When you call for a press conference, you better have the  answers to their questions. Facts, please, not mere allegations. We don’t want to be sued for defamation.

Reporters are not assigned to attend your press conference so that they can admire your 20 years of NGO work, rub shoulders with your buddies, drink your coffee and eat your kueh, or collect door gifts. 

They have a job to do. 

They ask questions. Sometimes, tough questions. 

Who, when, what, where, why and how.

So, instead of helping him take down his enemy, the press conference backfired. The media turned their focus on Ridzuan and Ikhlas, instead, dug up his past, and asked interrogated him and his NGO instead of asking questions about the company that they were trying to take down.

Read: Ikhlas deregistered three years ago - FMT

In his anger and desperation, Ridzuan  uploaded what looked like a home-made video to attack the reporter or reporters who had asked him those tough questions at the press conference.

In the video, he accused them of being “tali barut” or “lackey” of the company that he and his Ikhlas buddies (who faithfully made up the prop for the home-made video and chipped in here and there) were trying to take down.

More than 40 years in the media , I’ve had great regards for NGOs and the people who lead them. But over the years, we read about and witnessed some kind of decline: more than a couple of them and their office bearers have been dragged to court for indiscretions and misdemeanours. 

Legitimate NGOs are keeping their distance. Read  “We didn’t know: PPIM drops Ikhlas after learning NGO was deregistered.”

And, no surprise, desperate politicians like Ridzuan lurk somewhere behind all this.

Read also: C4 links NGO impropriety to regulatory, oversight gaps - Daily Express;

Air Asia’s 50% one-off discount for media practitioners to visit Asean

Is it good journalism to accept?

Kuala Lumpur, 18 June: Lots went on at last weekend’s Hari Wartawan Nasional: Yong Soo Heong, my old friend and long-time advisor to the National Press Club, was named the Tokoh Wartawan Hawana 2025; arwah Rozaid Rahman - we covered the labour beat together during our early reporting years - was post-humously honoured by his peers, too; Anwar Ibrahim announced a RM30 million fund to help the local media live with his namesake AI; and the founding board members of the Malaysian Media Council, four decades in the making, were named.

And Air Asia announced that it was offering a 50% discount to media practitioners in the country, all 12,000 of them, to fly to any of the 57 destinations in Asean. It’s a one-off thing, done in conjunction with Malaysia’s chairmanship of the 10-nation Southeast Asian grouping.

“Orang nak berbudi, kita harus berbahasa,” was my opening phrase when the reporter from Bernama called for my response to the discount for journalists. Read his article here.

The recap my main points: 1. Thank you, Air Asia 2. We lowly-paid journalists appreciate it, maybe now some of us can make that dream trip to Singapore 3. I would rather if AA make it cheaper for Malaysians to fly within the country (air fares to Kuching and KK during Hari Raya can be more expensive than flying to Sapporo).

Of course, there’s the ethical question of whether journalists should accept such an offer. 

So I asked ChatGPT: Is it good journalism to accept the offer? And this is the answer I got:

Generally, no — it is not considered good journalism for journalists to accept a discount from an airline or any company they might cover. Here’s why:

1. Conflict of Interest Accepting discounts can create a perceived or actual conflict of interest. The public might reasonably question whether the journalist can report objectively on the airline if they’re receiving a benefit from it.

2. Journalistic Ethics Codes Most major journalism ethics codes — such as those from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) or Reuters — advise strongly against accepting gifts, discounts, or favors from sources or companies:

• SPJ Code of Ethics: “Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts.”
• Reuters Handbook: “Do not accept any gift, however modest, or any hospitality that might appear to compromise your integrity or objectivity.”

3. Credibility and Trust Journalism relies on public trust. Accepting special treatment, even something as seemingly minor as a discount, can undermine a journalist’s credibility, especially if it’s not disclosed

When Might It Be Acceptable?There are a few narrow exceptions, and even these require transparency:

• Press trips: Sometimes journalists are invited on sponsored trips (e.g. by tourism boards or airlines). If accepted, the ethical practice is to fully disclose the sponsorship in the resulting reporting.
• Incidental discounts: If the discount is available to the general public (e.g., a promotional fare anyone could get), it’s less problematic — but transparency is still best.

Bottom Line Accepting discounts from an airline — or any subject of coverage — is usually inappropriate unless:

1. It’s clearly disclosed;
2. There is no ongoing or expected coverage of that company;
3. It doesn’t compromise, or appear to compromise, journalistic integrity.

But that’s ChatGPT. My colleagues at the Malaysian Media Council should discuss this, it’s a good starting point to the great workload that awaits them in the days to come. But if any of the young reporters out there were to ask me, I’d say go for it. The Air Asia’s offer is a one-off and it’s something you didn’t ask or beg for. If it’s offered to the media out of the good hearts of big boss Tony Fernandes and his generals Fareh Ishraf and Benyamin Ismail, it’s good manners on our part to express our appreciation.  

We are not obliged to accept it. And if you do, you’re not obliged to write rosy things about the experience. And I’m sure Tony, Fareh and Ben do not expect you to.

Disclaimer: Tony and I have known each other since last century. When he learned that I was flying to Kazakhstan for a holiday late last year, he kindly offered me a 50 per cent discount. Air Asia X had just started to operate the Kuala Lumpur-Almaty route. I thanked him profusely, the offere meant a lot to me. However, I paid the full fare for myself and my wife.