INISIATIF MANIFESTO RAKYAT
ERA Consumer, Jawatankuasa Penyelaras
Bosses Group, Ex-ISA Detainees Group, Gabungan Rumah
Panjang, Group of Concerned Citizens, Jawatankuasa
Sokongan Peneroka Bandar, Majlis Graduan Malaysia,
Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan,
Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor, Pusat Komunikasi
Masyarakat,, SUARAM, Women’s Candidacy Initiative,.



c/- 21 Jalan Muhibbah 8, Taman Muhibbah, 43000 Kajang,
Selangor tel-fax: 60-3-87378380

Week Of Protest Letters to Campaign for Press Freedom will be launched to call upon the Malaysian and the international communities to support Press Freedom in the country


People’s Manifesto Initiative strongly supports the move of a group of Malay journalists who have sent a petition to the Human Rights Commission seeking for the promotion of a free press environment in Malaysia last Wednesday.

We call upon SUHAKAM to act promptly and show their credibility in playing a role of promoting and protecting press freedom and also to improve the worsening Malaysian human rights and democracy situation without fear or favour.

We support the position that the role of media is very important as the fourth estate in a vibrant democracy where, it acts as a check and balance against misbehavior, abuse of power, cronyism, corruption in the State that is against the best interest of the public. Furthermore the general public has the right to receive any information that may concern them or be of interest to them especially when it pertains to abuse by those in power.

Hence, we are against all the moves by the government in banning and restricting the role of the media and press freedom particularly to those which are independent or associated with the opposition. The banning of the Detik, Al-Wasilah and Ekskusif has exposed the intolerant, autocratic and biased attitude of State institutions, especially the Home Affair Department when dealing with any independent, critical or even opposition voices.

Therefore we support the position taken by the signatories of the petition by 14 independent editors, journalists, cartoonist and writes led by Ahmad Lufti Othman for the repeal of the draconian laws such as the PPPA, OSA and ISA. These laws are currently being misused to curtail press freedom, and to prevent the media from playing a vital role in society. These actions also threaten Media professionals and prevent them from playing a crucial role to serve the best interests of the people. We view this petition as the reflection of the larger feeling and position of many silent writers and media workers whose silence is due to the fears and restrictions imposed on them by all these draconian laws and the abuse of power by State institutions.

All these decisions by the Home Affairs Ministry shows how unresponsive the State or more specifically the ruling party is to the strong constant criticism from civil society and the international community about the undemocratic practices and the lack of press freedom in Malaysia. We regret that the State and the ruling party refuses to take a look at themselves and the practices that have brought on such strong criticism from civil society.

Furthermore, we deeply regret that our (30 organisations in PMI) dialogue with the Home Minister on 31 July, 2000 , where we had raised the issues of state suppression of a free press through the use of the PPPA,OSA has had so little effect. We have now to come to a bitter realization that all the concerns that we conveyed to the State were all in vain. Instead of taking corrective measures the State is moving to worsen the level of human rights abuse and lower the standards of democracy. It has shown that despite the efforts of civil society to initiate a “peaceful dialogue” to convey its deep concerns and criticism the State has responded with hollow diplomatic, window-dressing. It is clear that this government is not serious about the reforms that some say that they are bringing from within the ruling party and the government.

Lastly, WE, the People’s Maniefsto Intiative want to reiterate that we oppose suppression of the media and we will launch the” PROTEST LETTERS CAMPAIGN : THE WEEK OF THE PEOPLES’ VOICES BEING HEARD !” from 2 - 7 October 2000 to call upon all concerned citizens or organizations from Malaysia and the international community to send protest letters to the Minstry of Home Affairs and to register their complaints with SUHAKAM as a show of support for Press freedom and a condemnation of the banning of the various critical newspapers and magazines.

Spokesperson,
Irene Xavier
On behalf of PMI
September 29, 2000