World Press Freedom Day (Malaysia)

On this coming 3rd of May is the World Press Freedom Day.

World Press Freedom Day is an annual and global event dedicated to press freedom. What is press freedom? Press freedom is a guarantee by the government of free public press for its citizens, and extending to journalists, even bloggers. With respect to governmental information, the government chooses which materials are revealed to the public and which materials that should be protected from disclosure. The purpose of this is to protect national interest as to conceal matters of sensitivity and controversy. Sadly, in Malaysia, much is being concealed from public interests despite continuous appeals from the public for the government to be as transparent as possible.


Personally, I believe strongly in the freedom of the press. Its a sad thing that our national newspapers which we know are controlled by our government reveal very little information about what is REALLY happening in our beloved country today. Political issues are almost NEVER revealed, even if revealed, the view is totally biased. For example, our national newspapers are pro-BN. This blinds some of our Malaysian eyes especially for people who don't have internet or are not very well informed about the political state of our country. This then leads to totally IMPERFECT information and the voters vote blindly with IMPERFECT information which is what BN wants, so that they can get their majority of voters from there. I believe that most people who vote for BN know little about what they do or just aren't bothered or are misinformed.

This then brings me to stress the importance on the freedom of the press to allow all Malaysians the access to transparency and knowledge about what is happening in this country: politically. Without freedom of the press, one should feel like this:

or



UNESCO says:

Press Freedom contributes to Empowerment
In order for citizens to engage in public debate and to hold their governments and others accountable, key elements of living in a participatory democracy, citizens must have access to free, pluralistic, independent and professional media. The idea that communication and dialogue between different members of society will occur naturally cannot be taken for granted, and the media provide a means of access to information and igniting dialogue.

The role of community media
Even though many media outlets have made provisions for audience participation and have therein become more accessible to the people they serve, nowhere is accessibility and specificity of purpose so well defined as with community media. Currently radio is the most widespread form of community media in the developing world because it is cheap to produce and to access, can cover large areas, and overcomes illiteracy.

Access to information
Information can change the way we see the world around us, our place in it, and how to adjust our lives in order to maximize the benefits available through our local resources. Fact driven decision-making can significantly alter our political, social and economic perspectives. The right to access information can be interpreted within the legal frameworks that support Freedom of Information as it applies to information held by public bodies, or in a wider sense to encompass both access and circulation of information held by other actors, where it becomes intrinsically linked to Freedom of Expression.

SO, be an activists for the freedom of the press:



For more information: Click here