Various social activists and media practitioners have only nice things to say about media icon Said Zahari, who passed away on Tuesday, of his fights defending free press as well as against the British colonialism.

Among them, young activist Adam Adli Abd Halim said Said had taught him to continue fighting, although he himself had lost his freedom for 17 years.

Adam is therefore of the opinion that the sacrifices of young activists today are only "minuscule" if compared with Said’s.

“His fights are proof of his determination. We could see how he fought until he was even separated from his family. The sacrifices of today's activists pale in comparison to his,” Adam told Malaysiakini .

Adam, who became an activist in 2010, had visited Said together with other young activists from the Bangsar Utama Club during Said’s birthday last May.

The former student activist said he had read about Said before he visited him and he had even composed a song using Said’s poetry.

“A lesson we can learn from him is that fighting for something is not easy. I could see his firmness, especially in leading the strike movement against Umno’s involvement in Utusan Melayu ,” he said.

Adam is therefore of the opinion that today's media practitioners must take a leaf out of Said’s book.

“Media practitioners have the right to fight about a particular matter instead of merely following what others say.”

Said, 88, was was detained for 17 years under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Singapore during Lee Kuan Yew's reign as prime minister.

He also led Utusan Melayu media practitioners in the strike movement against Umno taking over the daily.

Meanwhile, Bersih steering committee member and lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri ( photo ) also once visited Said in 2013, together with other activists.

“As an activist, I learned the spirit of bravery from Said’s struggles. I learned the meaning behind standing up for principles, freedom and justice,” Fadiah said.

“For the fight for a free press and social justice, he was prevented from entering Malaysia by then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman and he was then imprisoned for 17 years by the Singapore government,” she said.

Fadiah added that Said had also enabled young activists to understand that a particular struggle does not end with a detention or arrest.

Lost a media hero

Meanwhile, media researcher Mustafa K Anuar said the press had lost a "media hero" with Said’s passing.

He recalled how Said had stressed on idealism for journalists who wanted positive changes in the society, wherever he or she works.

“This also means that Said emphasised on truth, justice and freedom in the country’s newspaper arena.

“Newspapers and other media need freedom to play their role with full responsibility and principles,” Mustafa told Malaysiakini .

He first met Said in the early 2000s, when he and his friend Anil Netto interviewed Said for the monthly magazine Aliran .

Since then, Mustafa maintained contact with Said and even invited him to Penang to give a talk on press freedom at an event organised by Aliran .

“Said was a highly principled journalist and held firmly on idealism. This was clear when he led the strike in 1961.

“Even though he failed to prevent the paper from being taken over, he had successfully pointed out the importance of defending the free press in this country,” Mustafa said.