COMMENT | A tribute to Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran

COMMENT | Steven Gan’s retirement as editor-in-chief of Malaysiakini - alongside Premesh Chandran’s departure as CEO last year - truly marks the end of an era. 

I like to think of Malaysiakini as the grand old dame and true trailblazers of Malaysian online media.

As I recall, when Malaysiakini first went online, there was little to nothing in terms of professional, online news portals in Malaysia. 

As co-founders, Gan (above, left) and Premesh (above, right) jumped off the cliff and propelled Malaysiakini to the vanguard of Malaysian online journalism, where in my humble opinion, it has remained ever since.

In fifteen years of following politics, Malaysiakini generally remains my paper of record. If it’s truly important, it’s highly unlikely Malaysiakini will miss it, and they have proven time and again to be reliable in terms of accuracy and fairness. If they get something wrong, you can count on them to make the necessary corrections. 

The other area in which Malaysiakini truly staked a leading position is in being willing to cover what others did not dare to. One might even reasonably go so far as to say that Malaysiakini played a major role in groundbreaking political change in Malaysia. 

Hearing voices that had been stifled for so long in the mainstream media breathed unprecedented life into alternative political and civil society movements - arguably a major factor in events like the political tsunami of 2008, and the first non-BN government in 2018.

Many of these things became possible because, for the first time in Malaysia, Malaysians were able to read a non-varnished version of what was happening in their own country. It’s hard to underestimate the significance of alternative voices finally finding a platform to be heard in Malaysia.

Malaysiakini managed to do this even while pioneering a business model many at the time thought was completely insane. Who would pay a website for news? Even today, 20 years later, the question is a relevant one.

I remember how Malaysiakini’s business model was so unexpectedly successful that even the New York Times sent people to Malaysia to study its online business model.

Unwavering

Having watched how various organisations and institutions function and are shaped over the years, I think it is really safe to say that Malaysiakini’s ability to stay its original cause and have the monumental effect that it did can be traced in no small part to the integrity and dedication of its two co-founders. 

I have seen how many other organisations stray from what they’ve set out to do, become beset with various forms of corruption and deviation, and/or simply fall apart from neglect and malaise.

Not so, with Malaysiakini.

For over 20 years, Gan and Premesh remained at the very beating heart of Malaysiakini - ensuring throughout storm after storm, investigation after investigation, financial challenge after financial challenge - the heart and soul of Malaysiakini’s commitment to a free and fair media remained steadfast and unwavering. 

Simply put, it takes a very special kind of person to make this happen.

At various stages throughout its history, Malaysiakini faced multiple police investigations (which is what tends to happen when you say things the government doesn’t like), countless civil lawsuits, and economic headwinds that would reduce many of us to jelly.

I remember watching Gan and Premesh shouldering these extreme burdens - many of which would have put themselves personally (and not just the organisation) at risk. 

Suffice it to say, the manner in which they met those challenges will inspire generations of journalists and media practitioners.

Of course, they didn’t do it alone. There has always been a stellar team and staff at Malaysiakini, and just as vitally - legions of loyal Malaysiakini readers right behind them. 

Who can forget how Malaysiakini raised over RM500,000 from the public in just five hours, after being fined by the Federal Court?

I’m also proud to be, along with two close friends, a small set of initials on the brick wall in Malaysiakini, representing its building fund, which raised RM 1.57 million to buy the online portal’s current home.

A new generation

Malaysiakini is also significant to me on a number of personal levels. It is certainly where I cut my teeth as a columnist, and a small journalism training course held around 2006 or 2007 back in its old office in Bangsar Utama can be said to be where I began my journey in Malaysian sociopolitics.

That course, where I met titans of Malaysian activism and civil society like S Arutchelvam of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, set me on the road I’ve been on for the past 15 years or so. 

I remember so many conversations over so many Milos at the mamak downstairs, where you would always find the kind of people who were unrelenting in their fervour to make a better Malaysia. Today, some of them have become ministers.  

Many people have walked Malaysiakini’s halls; many have been mentored in some way or another by Gan and Premesh; and many have gone on to build truly great things. 

Anyone who’s been around long enough knows how difficult it is to build a truly Malaysian institution with true integrity - an institution that survives the coming and going of individuals, and leaves behind a deep set of values. 

We’re all excited to see where the next generation of Malaysiakini’s leaders will head towards and wish them all the best. 

It’s hard to find words that do enough justice to the contributions of Gan and Premesh, so I will try to keep it simple. 

Thank you, Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran - for your sacrifice and service to the nation, for all the ways you’ve shaped Malaysia, and perhaps most of all, for all you leave behind. 

It has meant a lot to me personally and I know for sure that it has meant a lot to countless Malaysians who care about the country, and who care about the truth.

May your futures continue to shine brightly!

NATHANIEL TAN is a long-time Malaysiakini reader. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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