Mustafa K Anuar’s blog

It’s already 3.00 pm, a few hours after the press conference held by Anwar Ibrahim at PKR headquarters late this morning, and yet nothing has been reported of what transpired at this PC on the websites of the mainstream English and Malay newspapers, and also Bernama.

This stands in stark contrast to many of the blogs and Malaysiakini that are abuzz with the stunning statutory declaration made public by private investigator (PI) P Balasubramaniam who alleged that Deputy Prime Minister Najib knew the murdered Altantuya.  

Online versions of these mainstream newspapers are meant to update the general public with events and issues that emerge by the minute. But this time around they appear to be dragging their feet for reasons only best known to themselves.

Online Star did report the press conference but only managed to tell us that the PI implicated ‘a senior politician’.

Certain political leaders who were implicated in ‘environmental rape’ in their respective states in the federation earned the displeasure of Tourism Minister Azalina Othman Said.

She urged leaders to exercise caution and ‘practise sustainable development’.

A Bernama report quoted her as saying that she feared this environmental destruction could have a negative impact on Malaysia’s tourism industry.

She identified ‘logging in Kedah’s catchment area, indiscriminate land clearing in Cameron Highlands (Pahang) and sand theft in Selangor’ as cases that could undermine Malaysia’s international image and hurt the tourism industry.

The Kedah state government’s plan to log a large tract of land in a catchment area has predictably attracted attention and concern from the Penang state government as well as civil society groups and individuals.

Having said that, the Tourism Minister, in her professed passion to protect the environment, should have also trained her eyes on developments that have occurred in the last few years in Sarawak, for instance, which would adversely impact upon the rainforests and have raised concerns among local and international environmentalists, etc.

Azalina should also look at some of the green hillsides in the country that have been cut indiscriminately for ‘development’ and housing purposes. In many cases, this environmental ‘tinkering’ has caused massive soil erosion, landslides and even floods.

Additionally, there are ‘green lungs’ within urban centres that have been transformed into concrete jungle, depriving the urban dwellers of much needed parks and gardens.

What needs to be pointed out here too is that, while we appreciate her highlighting an important issue of the environment, it is rather disturbing that the minister’s concern for the environment seems to have hinged mainly on tourism (ringgit) and Malaysia’s image in the eyes of foreigners.

Surely the love for the environment is based on a deep concern for the survival of the flora and fauna, ecological balance, and a consideration for the natural heritage of our future generations, etc.

The government is making a serious initiative to set up a Malaysian media council, a move that is strongly supported by the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI).

According to a Bernama report, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar would soon meet media organisations to discuss the idea of formulating national media policy.

MPI chief executive officer Chamil Wariya was said to have given his full support because he believed that the media council would ensure greater press freedom in the country. He felt that the council was important especially at a time when mainstream newspapers were, and still are, facing ‘a credibility crisis against the freedom enjoyed by bloggers’.

With the media council, he insisted, ‘and without government interference, it is hoped that they (the media) can rebuild their credibility and reputation.’

Media council in general is aimed at improving professionalism and accountability among journalists and others working in the media industry in the hope that such a self-regulation mechanism would prevent government interference in the day-to-day operations of journalists and the media.

There are, however, questions that need to be raised here particularly in the context of Malaysia. For one thing, what about the composition of the council? Who would be the members of the council that monitors the media and make important decisions that have implications on media freedom and accountability, and freedom of expression in the country? Apart from journalistic credentials, how independent are these members of the government and the business sector?

This brings us to another important question: is it possible for the media (and the council) to operate without much government interference when there are still laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act, Sedition Act, Communications and Multimedia Act, and even the ISA? These are laws which have certain provisions that empower the government to intervene in the running of the media.

In other words, can media freedom and responsibility be possible in a larger social context where restrictive laws such as the above still operate?

The issue of media freedom and responsibility should not be confined to journalists, media professionals and media organisations only. This is because media freedom and freedom of expression is an issue that also concerns other stakeholders in Malaysia.

Concerned civil society groups, interested individuals and ethnic and cultural minorities, among others, must also be given an opportunity to discuss this idea of a media council in the country. And, if the council were to materialise, the composition of the council should also represent these wider interests in society.

The sodomy charge (Pt. 2) against de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Anwar Ibrahim by a hitherto unknown Mohd Saiful Bukhairi Azlan, his ex-aide, is the latest twist of events in political Malaysia.

This came on the heels of the explosive statutory declaration made by blogger Raja Petra that has serious implications on certain high profile individuals pertaining to the controversial Altantuya murder case.

Given the way the mainstream media as well as certain quarters in the new media have treated the recent sodomy allegation, it is no surprise that other equally, if not more, important and pressing issues to the ordinary Malaysians have been marginalised or given a short shrift.  

Furthermore, the rakyat would be dealt with a cruel blow if it is indeed true, as claimed by certain people, that the sodomy accusation is a deliberate plot on the part of the beleaguered Barisan Nasional to divert the attention of the nation away from important issues of the day such as the petrol price hike and the resultant economic hardship faced by many people.

The concern here is that, while we acknowledge the political significance and gravity of the latest sodomy charge, the entire nation cannot and should not be dragged away from major issues and concerns that informed the majority of the rakyat before they voted the way they did on March 8 this year.

Anyway, in a reformed political environment where the judiciary and the police are perceived by the public as being professional, independent, fair and just, cases such as the alleged sodomy involving Anwar would be dealt with judiciously and may not linger too long and be transformed into almost a national obsession to the point of distracting the people from other issues of national import.

We bear in mind that Abdullah Badawi, as prime minister and leader of BN, had acknowledged the fact that the people had expressed their desire for real reforms so as to ensure good governance, transparency and accountability. In turn, he also promised to listen intently to the people’s grouses and address them as efficiently as possible.

As a nation, we need to move on. And this really means that the reforms that were wished by the rakyat on March 8 should take shape as soon as possible, namely reforms in the judiciary, the police force and the media, and other kinds of institutional reforms that would help enhance and reinforce democracy.

The people are also tired of, and want solution to, the cancerous corruption that wreaks havoc to the country. This is apart from the growing incidents of crimes that worry many people.

Additionally, politicians and the government owe it to the rakyat, particularly those in the underclass and sections of the middle-income bracket, to come up with concrete measures that would help alleviate the economic hardship that they face as a result of the recent petrol price hike.

If the last general election is any guide, the rakyat would not forget and forgive politicians, especially those from the ruling party (or parties), if they turned their backs on the rakyat’s desire for, and dream of, a better Malaysia.

Photo courtesy of Abalder

It’s that time of the year when it is advisable to air the mattress and later, to turn it over. This is to ensure that lice are uncovered and other prickly bedbugs are crushed. Stubborn stains, if any, are best treated in an open public space under a glaring sun.

It’s a Sunday morning and dark clouds hanging in the air. Thought that this ’60s number by legendary Creedence Clearwater Revival, ‘Bad Moon Rising’, would suit my mood.

According to a Bernama report today, Umno Youth’s community protection and welfare secretariat plans to help the poor in society, irrespective of their ethnic background. It is also exploring ways of helping people reduce their financial burden in the wake of the petrol price hike.

If implemented conscientiously, this initiative deserves commendation because for one thing it is an endeavour that is vital and urgent in our society where prices of goods and services have steadily gone up, and the poor are hit the hardest.

Equally important is that this approach taken by Umno Youth is indeed a recognition of the fact that, like sickness and death, poverty and economic hardship defy and transcend ethnic boundaries. In other words, poverty is a human problem (not an ethnic one) and thus needs to be tackled as such.

And this brings us to the issue of the New Economic Policy (NEP). One of the criticisms hurled against the Policy is that the way the Policy was implemented suggests as if only one particular ethnic group has a ‘monopoly’ over poverty.

Another implication of this Umno Youth initiative: wouldn’t this be an indirect admission to the assertion made by certain quarters that ethnic-based political parties have no political and philosophical basis and relevance in a multiethnic society like ours — especially after March 8 political tsunami?

Well, it appears that both petrol and the Internal Security Act (ISA) can indeed ‘mix’ judging from what Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan recently said.

In a report from Online Star:  

Those responsible for spreading rumours that petrol stations in the country were going on strike would be dealt with severely, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said.

 

“This is an evil and treacherous act to sabotage the economy. I will find out who is behind this and I will take action against them under the Internal Security Act,” he warned after closing the Internal Security and Public Order Department Endurance Test Event here on Wednesday.

Is the IGP really serious about detaining without trial people who are distressed by the rising costs of living and the possibility of uncertain supplies of some essential goods and services?

There is a need to think of the underlying causes of rumours in a society like ours, one of which is a lack of information and credible sources of information.

Remember, these are ordinary people who had been told time and again by certain government leaders that the prices of things, say petrol, would not be raised in the near future – but only to be jolted the next day or the day after by a price hike.

Besides, these consumers are not panicky about the possibility of a raised price or a short supply of Gucci handbags and Louis Vuitton designer wear. They’re talking of basic necessities.

From another perspective, the IGP’s warning on the use of the ISA against Malaysians can be construed as another way of justifying the existence and use of the obnoxious law. It seems that the definition of ISA has once again been stretched to include people who have gone panicky over petrol supply, apart from the previous inclusion of people who faked ICs, and who are government critics and dissidents, among others.

Furthermore, this ISA warning runs counter to the current sentiments of many people in the country. Civil society groups, particularly GMI (Gerakan Mansuh ISA, or Anti-ISA Movement), have called for the repeal of the ISA, a piece of legislation that violates human rights and goes against the very tenets of Islam and many other religions. The Pakatan-led Selangor state government, for instance, has given support to the GMI. (See here for example.)

Today’s front-page photo in The Star is a sight to behold – after all these years. Cameras belonging to press photographers were left lying on the floor near the Parliament’s lobby where barricades were erected. This was a symbolic protest staged by the journalistic fraternity against the ban on the press from entering the lobby.

The ban, although short-lived, is indicative of an administration that has been so used to browbeating, if not subduing, the mainstream media with the primary aim to ensure that their coverage serves largely the vested interests of the powers-that-be. Besides, it looks like the government has taken the notion of barring to a different level, i.e. in its literal form.

That is why, while we can heave a sigh of relief, if not feel celebratory, because of the latest move by the Home Ministry to allow Harakah to publish bi-weekly again, the fact remains that this was done at the discretion of the Minister concerned under the provisions contained in the existing Printing Presses and Publications Act. In other words, the right of Harakah, or any other publishers for that matter, to publish and at any rate of publishing frequency they wish is still within the tight control of the government.

The tools-down action of the press people also suggests that if they are united against an injustice – and this one is about lack of press freedom – the odds can be overcome to a large degree. It was reported that chief editors of the major newspapers were in shock and in full support of the action taken by their journalists based in parliament, which is invigorating.

The acid test, though, to this journalistic camaraderie and resolve really is whether the mainstream media journalists and editors would come out in full force to support initiatives to strengthen and protect press freedom in the country, such as the petition campaign now being run by civil society groups of Benar et al.

This event at the Parliament also tells us that there is a need for critical engagement, if not adversarial relationship, between the press and the government. As experience of particularly the last two decades shows, ‘cosy relationship’ between the press and the government can be counter-productive and harmful to the citizens’ right of expression and to information. 

It seems that the Kota Baru municipal council had issued a circular to warn Muslim women employees working in food outlets and other business premises not to wear lipstick and high-heeled shoes.

Specifically, according to a Bernama report, ‘Muslim women were forbidden to wear thick make-up, bright coloured lipstick and high-heeled shoes which made a tapping sound.’

The stated reason for this directive: ‘to prevent incidents like rape and illicit sex as well as to safeguard the morals and dignity of Muslim women in Kelantan.’

If it is true that such a circular was issued, the implications of this ruling are quite worrying, particularly for Malaysian men in general and Kota Baru men in particular because it appears to suggest that these men:

1. are too vulnerable;
2. are simply excitable;
3. are easily stimulated by the sound of high-heeled shoes;
4. are incurable sex fiends;
5. are unable to resist red, kissable lips;
6. possess runaway galloping hormones;
7. have always and only one thing on their minds;
8. do not have strong moral restraint;
9. yearn for short-term pleasures and forgo long-term life ambitions; or
10. all of the above.

Given the implied qualities of men above, one wonders how the dignity of Muslim women in Kelantan can be protected and promoted if the latter seem to be heavily perceived by these men as sex objects and potential seducers.