Media Council Curtailing Press Freedom
WHAT'S the idea of setting up the Malaysia Media Council (MMC) when it was rejected during Rais Yatim was Minister of Communications and Multimedia in 2010? Most media practitioners then agreed that it will not benefit anybody and against the free media practices in the country.
The MMC will also set up a backward step to Malaysia's 'freedom of media' and 'freedom of speech' in the country. Furthermore, it equates Malaysia to the communist regime of North Korea, sosialist Baath party during Saddam Hussein in Iraq and many ex-communist nations during East Europe's communism.
So, why now?
The Opposition will be most hit by the ruling of news on mainstream media. It will curtail whatever critics and adverse comments from finding a space in the newspapers, television and Internet. News portal owners will have to 'get approval' from the Council first before publishing news from the opposite side.
What intrigues me is, had the mainstream media owners rejected the idea about ten years ago, why didn't the reject it now? Afraid maybe? Somebody squeezing their balls?
And what do they meant with 'taking care of the media and media practitioners' when they have no rights whatsoever to highlight the plights of the Opposition and the people? Similarly, the rakyat will find themselves tuned back to the era of post-Independence where the government had to vet every single news for subversive elements?
I am not totally against the move if it is meant to benefit everybody but the fact that only eight media representatives invited to the first meeting next week with Eddin raises some doubts over the sincerity of the Pakatan Harapan in upholding Freedom of Press and Freedom of Speech it once avowed before the 14th general election.
This is what we describe as media-control where arm-flexing methods will be imposed on journalists and social media practitioners alike. Thos who criticise the government will have their posting blackout on FaceBook and other channels.
Another boiling question is, why when pro-UMNO newspaper Utusan Malaysia is let to demise before the MMC makes track?
This may be the right answer to it!
Let's wait...
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