诗巫要改变，砂州一定要改变，改变从诗巫开始！

回应人联领袖的“火箭有大把钱”言论

我们很遗憾人联领袖可以无所事事到连行动党怎样筹款都有话好说。黄顺舸说行动党是富有的，因为我们成功举办了200桌的总动员晚宴而人联党却从未办这么大的宴会。如果他所说是对的话，那么这也显示了人联在人民心目中的地位。行动党的晚宴一路来都是以卖票方式来举办的，人民出钱出力，自动自发来支持行动党，说明了行动党为人民斗争的政治理念是得到广大人民的支持。

难道人联领袖对这次补选已经没话好说和无事好做了吗？难道诗巫这样多的民生课题，发展问题，经济问题，教育问题，人才外流，年轻人无就业机会和资源分配不平衡的问题等等都不在人联领袖的议程里？这也难怪诗巫的发展是这么的落后和诗巫会从砂州第二大市镇变成第三，在不久将会从第三变成第四，这也说明为什么诗巫的人才外流是这么的严重和到现在诗巫是砂州唯一【零】大学的市镇，连木胶都不如。

今天人民要看到的是实事求是的政党和政党的施政方针，比如他们的土地政策，教育政策，经济政策，资源分配和良好施政的成绩单等等。人民将不会被政党在补选或选举时才发放糖果和一些大选时的政治承诺所蒙骗。如果人联还以为在补选时补路修路就可满足人民的要求和已经做到他们的责任，那么他们将会在516诗巫补选当天得到答案。

巫统领袖一而再，再而三的挑起敏感的种族课题，如“寄居论”、“华妇来马卖身论”、“华人不懂感恩“、”不可挑战土著特权“等等都已经伤害我们身为大马公民的感受和破坏我们大马多元文化社会的和谐以及挑战我国宪法给予我们每个大马公民的权益。而自称是华社保护伞的人联领袖有哪一次开腔来捍卫华社的感受和捍卫我们作为公民都有权力追求自由，公平，平等的机会和追求辛福的权利？相反的，我们只看到他们向行动党“开炮”和威胁选民来保住他们的官位和他们朋党的利益。

这次补选不是一场普通的补选，而是一场公投；是人民对国阵执政砂州47年来表现满意度和对砂州首席部长29年施政方针的满意度的公投。这次补选也是来届州选的前哨战，诗巫人民将会在这次补选向国阵政府发出强烈的讯息，诗巫要改变，砂州一定要改变，改变从诗巫开始！

行动党诗巫补选行动室主任

黄培根

Rejang Port Authority, another scandal not smaller than PKFZ

Lat week I challenged RPA's Chairman, YB Vincent Goh, to resign from the Chair of the port because of his failure to protect the interest of the Port Authority and his failure to safeguard the interests of the people in central region of Sibu.

The height of the Lebaan bridge of 20 meters is insufficient to allow oil vessels and bigger container ships to dock at RPA.That means bigger vessels will instead be docking at Tg. Manis port and our goods will be directed to Tg. Manis before we use containers to ship them to Sibu. The cost of each container is reported at RM 1000.00 and without doubt that would be paid by the end consumer( people of Sibu, upper Rejang and smaller townships around Sibu.

If Vincent God feels that he can remain quite and let the matter dies down by itself then he can not be more wrong. Under the DAP's watch,the scandal will not be go unexposed. We will do every thing we can to bring the scandals to light as a lot of the people are being kept in the dark.

A few local newspapers did not publish the news last week due to pressure from certain quarters and that shows how cowardice is the BN and its controlled media. But we are ready to use other resources if the print media is not doing its parts in exposing the issues that affect everyone of us in sibu and other townships.

Hidup democracy!

Malaysia's worst-ever ranking in press freedom - dropping 32 spots to 124th place - has renewed calls by campaingers for a review of the country's slew of restrictive media laws.

In my August posting, Freedom of the press is the key to our democracy , i have quoted the following ;

“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

Malaysia's press freedom ranking revealed that the Prime minister does not want to hear the truth contrary to what he always preaches. Malaysia's worst-ever ranking in press freedom has proven that Pak Lah does not live up to his own words. It also shows us that we are from free in our own country 44 years after the formation of Malaysia, in fact our democracy is under threat.

How could the media being the 4th power when it can't even report freely especially with the Official Secrets Act 1972 and the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 in force. How could the press report without fear and favour under the BN's authoritative rule.

The awareness among the rakyat about the importance of a free press is still very low and most youth would pay more attention to the sports and entertainments news rather than the social and political news. Although the internet should make it more difficult to stop the flow of informations, but that is still not an effective way of disseminating information and news as there is sinply a lack of interest among youth regarding social-political issues. The Election Commission revealed that there are more than 4 millions unregistered voters tells a thousand tales. Democracy requires free-thinking youth combines with a free press to thrive and we are still short of these essential items at this moment.

David Wong

DAP Sarawak publicity sec

18-10-2007

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