Teresa Kok

WAMI
2006-06-28
http://www.wami528.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=272&Itemid=26

Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) calls upon the nine parliamentarians which have expressed support for more media freedom to take this 14-days parliamentary session to form a parliamentary caucus on media freedom. The caucus is demanded in the absence of a select committee for the same concern by 37 groups and 92 individuals in their memorandum on the World Press Freedom Day (May 3). WAMI believes that the attainment of this goal lies greatly in the determination of the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Lim Kit Siang MP and urges the public to give all encouragement and support he may need.

Always visionary, Mr Lim was the first to propose a Select Committee on media two years ago. According to Merdeka Review on May 22 2006, six other parliamentarians, Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR), Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar (PAS), Ms Chong Eng, Teresa Kok (DAP) and Wong Nai Chee (MCA) have all expressed their support for the idea. In the same report, former BN backbencher club chief Datuk Shahrir Ahmad has also expressed concern on the limitation posed by annually renewable publication permit on media freedom. The last parliamentarian who ought to be interested in joining the caucus is Zaid Ibrahim who has prepared a draft private member bill for Malaysian Press Council.

In his media statement on June 24, Mr Lim called upon the Parliament to set up six select committees. He also revealed that he and his DAP parliamentary colleagues will move 18 adjournment motions and nine motions covering a wide range of topics. WAMI regrets to note that none of the select committees proposed and motions moved (as highlighted by Mr Lim) would be on media freedom. From hintsight, DAP’s disinterest in media freedom is unfortunate now that a call-in programme in the state-run Chinese radio station Ai-FM will be axed because of being critical to the Deputy Minister of Education.

Mr Lim should now add the seventh select committee on his wish list, and signal his political will by inviting the above-mentioned MPs to form a multi-partisan parliamentary caucus as the first step. Surely his principled colleagues will not turn down his invitation for a discussion. The caucus is necessary to facilitate dialogues not only amongst parliamentarians, but also between parliamentarians and the media community, on Mr Zaid Ibrahim’s bill, the Freedom of Information bill desired by the civil society as well as the latest axing of Ai-FM’s call-in programme.

We support fully Mr Lim’s call upon Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to realize his election promise to set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). Political leaders must do the right things regardless of obstacles and short-term calculation. The Parliamentary Opposition Leader inviting fellow parliamentarians across party line for media freedom surely will be a good example.

维护媒体独立撰稿人联盟 (WAMI)
媒体议员连线可望成立，林吉祥本会期毋负众望
2006-06-28
http://www.wami528.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=268&Itemid=13

简介：既然国会至今无计划成立专司媒体自由的特选委员会，维护媒体独立撰稿人联盟 (WAMI) 呼吁九位表示支持媒体自由的国会议员应该把握这14天的国会会期，尽速成立同样关怀媒体自由的跨党派国会议员连线。

既然国会至今无计划成立专司媒体自由的特选委员会，维护媒体独立撰稿人联盟 (WAMI) 呼吁九位表示支持媒体自由的国会议员应该把握这14天的国会会期，尽速成立同样关怀媒体自由的跨党派国会议员连线。这是37个社团和92位个人在今年世界新闻自由日（5月3日）提出的诉求。我们相信，连线成事关键系于国会反对党领袖林吉祥一人，因此呼吁公众给于林氏最大的鼓励与支持。

有关专司媒体事务特选委员会的建议其实最早正是两年前由高瞻远瞩的林氏本人提出。根据《独立新闻在线》5月22日报道，公民社会的这个诉求，已经得到另外六位议员的支持：旺阿兹查（公正党）、卡马鲁丁贾法（回教党）、章瑛、郭素沁（行动党）与王乃志（马华）。国阵后座议员俱乐部前主席沙里尔阿末也认为，每年必须更新的出版准证限制了媒体。而另一位巫统议员查益伊不拉欣准备提呈“马来西亚报业理事会”的私人法案，想必自然也会有兴趣参加这议员连线。

林吉祥先生在6月24日的文告中，建议国会设立6个特选委员会，也透露他和行动党其他议员将提出18项休会动议和9项动议。我们非常欣赏行动党议员的勤政，却也更加遗憾地发现：这6个特选委员会、18项休会动议、9项动议（根据林氏重点）竟无一是关系新闻自由的。后见之明，在国营华语电台爱FM“爱开麦无障碍”节目被腰斩之后，行动党对新闻自由的不重视显得何其不幸。

林吉祥先生应该赶快补充他的诉求，加上专司媒体独立的第七个特选委员会，邀请上述8位议员一起成立“媒体自由跨党派议员连线”，作为推动媒体自由第一步，这样才能展示他支持媒体自由的坚毅政治意志。只要林氏开口相邀，有原则的议员相信都不会拒绝。从查益议员的报业理事会法案到公民社会鼓吹的“资讯自由法案”，种种课题，不止朝野各党议员需要交流，议员与媒体界更需要对话，议员连线正可以提供平台。

林氏呼吁阿都拉首相履行选举承诺，成立“独立警方投诉及违例委员会”（IPCMC），我们全力给与支持。诚然，从政者必须为所当为，不畏艰难，不求近利。如果国会反对党领袖今天能够跨越一党之私，以政治家的姿态邀请朝野议员共议媒体自由， 这不正是对首相的最好示范？