Freedom of the press is the key to our democracy

民主行动党砂州宣传秘书黄培根说，在新闻自由与民主前提下，该党甚关注诗巫警方与传媒之间的紧张关系。 他说，在警方也许会采用官方机密法令对付采取警方新闻的记者事件曝光之后，经引起了公众人士极大的反弹，假如警方真的严正利用官方机密法令对付记者，这将是新闻自由的终结，也是马来西亚民主的结束。

他说，传媒是社会的支柱，正如汤玛杰菲逊的名言：“我们的自由（权）依据在新闻自由上”以及瓦尔特（Walter Cronkite）的“新闻自由不仅对民主是重要的，它就是民主”。 他说，1972官方机密法令（OSA）是马来西亚的一条禁止被列入官方机密资讯的揭露，它是源自于英国的官方机密法令。 他说，官方机密法令广受抨击，认为减低了政府的透明度，将新闻变成了另一种的政府宪报，而它的执行标准亦受到置疑。

我国新闻不自由 “我们发现到许多的资讯与文件受到官方机密法令的保护，而无法让公众人士获知，在2006年，我国的新闻自由在世界194个国家的排名中名列141，落在香港（65），印度（81），菲律宾（89）及泰国（107）之后，官方机密法令经使我国的地位被列其中一个不自由的国家。” 有关法令的部分内容是：被鉴别为高度机密、绝对机密的文件与资讯可经过联邦部长或州务大臣或首席部长或授权的官员列入机密。同时有关文件必须是关于国家安全、国防与国际关系。

“如果我们进一步了解这条法令，我们会发现官方机密法令不能够用作来抵制新闻，除非有关文件或资讯在法令之下被鉴别为机密。” “难道传媒采访诗巫的犯罪新闻，危害到国家安全与外国关系？如果我们回头看传媒与警方之间的冷淡关系，我们看到没有任何新闻违反法律。当然，我们了解黑帮问题在国会中被揭露出来之后，警方所面对的巨大压力，但是警方是否也指责那些翔实报导的传媒呢？”

传媒是警民桥梁 总警长丹斯里哈出慕沙多次强调，公众与警方合作是打击罪犯的要素，而寻求公众的合作，行动党相信，传媒在彼此间的合作上扮演重要的角色。 他说，我们无法想像，有朝一日，当传媒杯葛警方新闻，而运用他们本身的方式获取新闻，会使社会变成一种怎样的现象，就因为警方仇视新闻界。

他说，行动党相信诗巫的传媒具有高度的专业精神来获取新闻与资讯。 他表示，警方与传媒之间的良好关系需要在公众利益之下继续的维持，行动党希望警方在未来不要在未经授权的情况之下，对传媒发出警告，而须将传媒当作是警方的朋友看待。

Below is the original post in English:-

DAP is very concerned with the tense relationship between the Police of Sibu and the media. The front page coverage of the whole episode had received much criticism and concern from the general public especially when the police issued the warning that the OSA might be used against the press. If indeed the police are serious in using the OSA against the press for reporting the news, then that would be the end of press freedom and indeed the end of democracy in Malaysia.

The press is the pillar of a society, as the following famous quotes show;
“Our liberty depends on freedom of the press and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
-Thomas Jefferson
“Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.”
-Walter Cronkite

The Official Secrets Act 1972 is a statute in Malaysia prohibiting the disseminating of information classified as official secrets. The legislation is based on the Official Secrets Act of the United Kingdom.

The OSA has been criticized as reducing government transparency and made the press into another Government Gazette and its implementation has been questioned for the classification standard. We have seen many information and documents been withheld from the general public through the use of the OSA. The Global Press Rankings 2006 ranked Malaysia at 141 out of the total of 194, behind Hong Kong (65), India (81), Philippines (89) and Thailand (107). The OSA surely contributes much towards our nation’s status as one of “not free” nations.


The act defines an "official secret" as:
“ ...any document specified in the Schedule and any information and material relating thereto and includes any other official document, information and material as may be classified as 'Top Secret', 'Secret', 'Confidential' or 'Restricted', as the case may be, by a Minister, the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister of a State or such public officer [as may be authorised to classify such documents by a Minister, Menteri Besar or Chief Minister]. ”
The Schedule to the Act covers "Cabinet documents, records of decisions and deliberations including those of Cabinet committees", as well as similar documents for state executive councils. It also includes "documents concerning national security, defence and international relations".
If we take a closer look at the act, we can see that the OSA cannot be used against the press until such time that a certain document or information has been “classified” as ‘Secret” as defined in the act.
Is press coverage of the crimes’ news in Sibu a threat to the national security and foreign relations? If we look at the standoff between the police and the press in Sibu, we would be able to see there was nothing to the nature. Of course we understand that the police has been under tremendous pressure earlier when the triads issues were brought up in the parliament and received front page coverage in the national dailies. But should the police point their fingers at the press for truthful reporting?
The IGP Tan Sri Hassan Musa has stressed many times that the cooperation of the general public with the police is the key to crime fighting and has praised the general public for their support and we believe that the press plays the key to this cooperation. We can’t imagine the day when the press boycotts the news of the police or goes their own ways in informations gathering or news reporting because of the police’s perception of the press as their enermy.
DAP trusts that the press in Sibu has been very professional in gathering information and news reporting. The press has on numerous time assisted the police in disseminating information to the general public that were found helpful to the general public as well as the police. The good relationship between the police and the press should continue for the interest of the general public and we hope that the police should not issue unwarranted warning to the press in the future and should treat the press as the “friend of the police.”
Let it be known to all quarters that the people will be the judges and no act or government policies can overshadow the principle that “the press is democracy.”

DAP Sarawak publicity sec.
David Wong
24-06-2007