[updated: 00:21 / 18 April 2008] DAP Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang: Popular Tamil daily, Tamil Makkalosai, has been suspended for a week by none other than the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar himself for giving too much coverage of Pakatan Rakyat news. With immediate effect, Tamil Makkalosai will not appear in the streets until next week, awaiting the fate of its appeal to the Home Minister. Is this the first sign of repression and crackdown on human rights and the little space opening up in the printed media after the March 8 “political tsunami”? It is clear that the decision to stop the publication of Tamil Makkalosai, which is still awaiting for its KDN this year, has got the “green-light” from the Cabinet meeting this morning. Why did the Ministers, particularly from Umno and other Barisan Nasional component parties, particularly from the MIC, who have promised to end their subsidiary and subservient role in Cabinet , agreed to such a repressive measure as to immediately close down Tamil Makkalosai?
[updated: 16:50 / 17 April 2008] DAP Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran: The ban on Makkal Osai is shocking not only because Home Ministry bureaucrats arrogantly refused to give a reason for the ban, but it comes at a time when the people have clearly indicated through the March 8 polls, that they want a new Malaysia where press freedom is a central pillar.The banning of the paper indicates the Umnoputras who dominate the federal government and bureaucracy have not learnt a lesson from Makkal Shakthi or people’s power shown on March 8. The ban is also unacceptable because it is against fundamental liberties guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. The officials who made this unfair and unjust decision must be made accountable for their action. They must either defend their decision or be sacked. All democracy lovers in Malaysia are shocked by the ban. The newspaper had given fair and free coverage to all political parties – opposition and government in a manner that had won praise from its readers and the Indian community at large. I urge the government to immediately restore the publishing license of Makkal Osai not just because the future of the employees are at stake but also to tell the world that we are a civilized nation and practice freedom of the press. With this ban i feel worse things are waiting to happen like further crackdown by the government? I will vocally raise this matter in Parliament to ensure the paper’Ss license is restored without delay. I will also campaign for the abolition of the need for newspapers to have publishing licenses. The Printing Press and Publication law is undemocratic and against the interest of the people and has been used by the ruling Umno party to instill fear and curb freedom of the press. It must be abolished. Worse for Malaysia this anti-press freedom action comes when Malaysia is at the bottom rank of the World Press Freedom Index. In the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index 20072007 Malaysia plunged 32 notches, a sad indication of the repressive atmosphere under the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
[updated: 16:50 / 17 April 2008] DAP Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran: The ban on Makkal Osai is shocking not only because Home Ministry bureaucrats arrogantly refused to give a reason for the ban, but it comes at a time when the people have clearly indicated through the March 8 polls, that they want a new Malaysia where press freedom is a central pillar.The banning of the paper indicates the Umnoputras who dominate the federal government and bureaucracy have not learnt a lesson from Makkal Shakthi or people’s power shown on March 8. The ban is also unacceptable because it is against fundamental liberties guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. The officials who made this unfair and unjust decision must be made accountable for their action. They must either defend their decision or be sacked. All democracy lovers in Malaysia are shocked by the ban. The newspaper had given fair and free coverage to all political parties – opposition and government in a manner that had won praise from its readers and the Indian community at large. I urge the government to immediately restore the publishing license of Makkal Osai not just because the future of the employees are at stake but also to tell the world that we are a civilized nation and practice freedom of the press. With this ban i feel worse things are waiting to happen like further crackdown by the government? I will vocally raise this matter in Parliament to ensure the paper’Ss license is restored without delay. I will also campaign for the abolition of the need for newspapers to have publishing licenses. The Printing Press and Publication law is undemocratic and against the interest of the people and has been used by the ruling Umno party to instill fear and curb freedom of the press. It must be abolished. Worse for Malaysia this anti-press freedom action comes when Malaysia is at the bottom rank of the World Press Freedom Index. In the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index 20072007 Malaysia plunged 32 notches, a sad indication of the repressive atmosphere under the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
[updated 16:44 / 17 April 2008 : MIC CWC member S Murugesan: The Home Ministry must provide reasons for the ban. The ministry must be very careful and weigh things properly before taking such drastic action. They should not curtail freedom of expression unless it infringes the law and threatens national security. In the absence of any valid reasons, the ban should be lifted. I am saddened that a paper has been banned especially since Makkal Osai has a big readership among the Indian community.]
[updated 12.55 / 17 April 2008 : Syed Hamid Albar said, Makkal Osai license not renewed because the Tamil daily contravened some of the Home Ministry's guidelines]
Kuala Lumpur: The Home Ministry has decided not to renew the publication permit of Tamil daily Makkal Osai. The newspaper's general manager S.M. Periasamy said that they were informed of the decision by a telephone call from the Home Ministry Wednesday morning. "When I went to the ministry to check if this was true, they handed me the letter rejecting the renewal of our licence," he said. The letter did not state any reasons for the rejection. It is understood that the newspaper's owner, former MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam, met with Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar to appeal the decision. The newspaper also had its permit suspended for one month last August for publishing a picture of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette in one hand and a can of beer in the other on its front-page. The photo had a caption quoting Christ as saying: “If a person repents his mistakes, heaven awaits him.” Makkal Osai or “The People’s Voice” was published as a weekly newspaper for 15 years before it became a daily in December 2005. It is an offshoot of Tamil Osai which ceased operations in 1990 following a management dispute. It has a circulation of 52,000 currently and employs about 100 people. Source: The Star
No comments:
Post a Comment