The opposition has urged the government to draft laws to prevent political parties from owning media organisations in order to safeguard freedom of the press, the Dewan Rakyat heard today.

In his adjournment speech, DAP member of parliament for Kota Melaka Kerk Kim Hock said that these laws should also apply to groups or commercial companies seeking to monopolise the media.

"However, before the laws are introduced, the government must order MCA to sell its shares in Nanyang Press Holdings in line with the wishes of the Chinese community," he said.

Kerk said the purchase of Nanyang - publisher of Chinese dailies Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press - by MCA's investment arm Huaren Holdings was seen as "a blow to press freedom and to basic rights and democracy" in Malaysia.

He added MCA's decision to take over Nanyang was also resisted by several party leaders and members.

Almost half of MCA delegates who attended the party's extraordinary meeting held on June 24 opposed the deal, rendering 'a great blow' to party president Ling Liong Sik, said Kerk.

Strategic political investment

Kerk added that even the party's vice-president Chan Kong Choy criticised the purchase as a "useless deal".

Chan had suggested that Ling buy the Fu Kui Sang Chuang, a prestigious commercial burial ground, if the party chief had really wanted to make money for the party.

Ling had initially argued that the Nanyang takeover was purely a "business deal". However, he later defended the deal as a "strategic political investment".

Kerk said Ling's reasons for buying the two dailies showed MCA's real motive and intention which were based on political and not business considerations.

"Although MCA had promised that it will not interfere in the dailies' editorial policies, this guarantee is not accepted or believed by the Chinese community," he said.

"This is evident in Gerakan president Lim Keng Yaik's statement that he had been victimised by an MCA-controlled paper for the past 10 years," he added.

Press freedom guaranteed

In an immediate response, Home Affairs Ministry parliamentary secretary Abu Zahar Isnin said the government had no plans to draft laws to prevent political companies from owning media organisations.

"Press freedom is not determined by political parties," he said adding the government has helped guarantee press freedom.

"This is evident in the existence of newspapers like Harakah and Rocket," he said.

Harakah is the organ of PAS, while Rocket is DAP's party newspaper.

Abu Zahar said the government generally allowed political parties to own media companies as long as conditions set by the ministry were adhered to.

"Every journalist has the freedom to write whatever story as long as the story is not twisted or meant to confuse readers for the benefit of some individuals or business organisations," he said.

"We have not taken action against any reporter even though some of the reports are critical of the government, like the ones we find in Harakah and Rocket," he added