A veteran journalist and former press freedom activist today urged mainstream newspapers to serve the public and not the interests of their political masters.

Former Utusan Melayu chief editor Said Zahari, fondly known as Pak Said, was speaking at a forum held today in conjunction with the World Press Freedom Day tomorrow.

If they want to admit they are national newspapers, then they must serve all the rakyat and not only the readers who support the ruling parties, which also happen to be their owners, said Pak Said.

He advised journalists not to think just about their salaries and bonuses, but also to consider the impact of their writing on the readers.

Pak Said who is well remembered for his role in leading the historic Utusan Melayu strike in 1961 recounted the event as an example of how journalists fought to remain independent from the newspapers management.

We were not fighting against Umno but we did not want the press to be used for the interest of certain parties, he said.

We wanted the newspaper to side with the rakyat (people) and not just a group of Malay individuals.

First media curb

The strike lasted 90 days and the attempt by the management to wrest editorial control is recognised as the first curb on press freedom in the post-colonial era.

For his role in the strike, Pak Said was barred from returning to (then) Malaya after a visit to Singapore. He was held under the Internal Security Act in Singapore in 1963 and banished to an island for 17 years.

Responding to a comment by a member of the audience later, Pak Said said he understood how journalists felt when they are caught in the middle between their conscience to do the right thing and the authority that wielded the influence on the media direction.

It would be a difficult choice to either stay or leave the company, he said.

He added that if the journalists chose to stay and improve their skills, they should do whatever they could to make readers understand things better and not overly-support any propositions.

The forum, jointly organised by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Utusan Malaysia, was opened by Information Ministry parliamentary secretary Zainuddin Maidin.

The other speakers include News Straits Times group editor-in-chief Abdullah Ahmad, national news agency Bernamas executive editor Azman Ujang, and Nanyang Siang Pau chief editor Hoong Soon Kean.