Perhaps we should celebrate even fleeting victories because the bad news, when it comes, can be rather depressing, observes Zaharom Nain.
Aliran welcomes Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim’s bold judgment in quashing the Home Minister’s rejection of Malaysiakini’s application for a publishing permit.
Aliran is bemused again. Last week, the focus of attacks was on Suaram. This week, they have turned their attention to Malaysiakini.
The press too needs more freedom to operate. But for this to happen, more support is needed not just from press freedom activists but from a broader spectrum of society, says Ross Tapsell.
Strict controls are maintained on freedom of expression, assembly and association in Malaysia, observes Human Rights Watch in its annual review.
Malaysiakini dan Zunar memfail dua permohonan berasingan kepada mahkamah untuk mencabar keputusan Kementerian Dalam Negeri yang menharamkan dua buku, “1 Funny Malaysia” and “Perak Darul Kartun” yang mana kedua-duanya menampilkan kartun-kartun politik karya Zunar.
Charter 2000-Aliran hails the unwavering and principled stand taken by Malaysiakini not to pull down the two videos related to the controversial cow-head demonstration in Shah Alam recently.
Critical analyses of fundamental issues like environmental degradation, unsustainable urban development and poverty are prominent by their absence, writes Eric Loo. Media discourse is framed more by its ‘service of power’ than service for the rakyat.
Aliran is perturbed that police have begun investigations into a Malaysiakini report which allegedly slandered the police. The news portal’s breaking news-report had initially stated – incorrectly as it turned out – that police personnel could have been involved in the incident in which a man sprayed chemical irritant at former premier Tun Dr Mahathir and former Umno strongman Datuk Ibrahim Ali.
After a heated debate in Parliament over the textbook or guidebook for the Ethnic Relations course at Universiti Putra Malaysia, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s Cabinet decided to withdraw the book. It was a slap in the face of Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed for inexplicably defending what Lim Kit Siang characterised as “the indefensible”. Many Malaysians are no doubt relieved over the Cabinet’s decision.