COMMENT | Protecting press freedom, and public from harm

COMMENT | Reading yesterday morning’s comment by P Gunasegaram in Malaysiakini, I was wondering if he had any self-awareness at all.

His intention to undermine the Madani government by over extending the new social media licensing regulations fails to focus on the initial intention of the regulations, which is to cease the distribution of harmful and malicious content.

The comment piece called “Open your eyes and look, Harapan, or lose” seems to be equating licensing moves by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) with the draconian use of the Internal Security Act and Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s heavy-handed rule in the 1980s.

Firstly, having lived through that time, I can assure you that the culture of fear of that era is vastly different from the present government’s attempts to regulate internet usage to safeguard against scammers, human traffickers, child sexual predators and fake news.

During the dark days of Ops Lalang, people were afraid to express their opinions in coffee shops for fear of being reported on. Newspapers were arbitrarily shut down, and opposition MPs and activists would be detained without trial.

In the long history of our country, the present situation is actually one of the best in terms of press freedom.

Fearmongering

Gunasegaram, and by extension, Malaysiakini which is carrying his slanted material, seems to be wilfully misrepresenting the actions and motives of the government. To me, this is tantamount to fearmongering.

For example, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has denied instructing MCMC to request Malaysiakini to “immediately remove” an article and video related to the alleged Sabah corruption scandal.

He said that these requests were made by police, so as not to interfere with ongoing investigations, and that neither he nor his deputy Teo Nie Ching had anything to do it.

However, Gunasegaram still points the finger at Fahmi and the Madani government over this matter! Why? Does he wish to keep stirring discontent against the present administration?

Fahmi also told Parliament earlier this month that the government has no plans to block users’ access to social media platforms that fail to register for the annual social media licence, a regulatory framework that will be enforced beginning Jan 1.

So why such a reaction?

Protecting the public

It reminds me that earlier this year, media groups also overreacted when the ministry reaffirmed guidelines on the press accreditation card, which was something that had already existed for decades!

The irony is that the press, which was controlled during an earlier era, doesn’t seem aware of the dangers of fake news on online apps like TikTok and Instagram.

“Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have been used to spread misinformation.” This fake news is not only poisoning the minds of the rakyat but eating into the readership of traditional print media as well as their online counterparts!

The government’s efforts to regulate harmful online content are not about silencing dissent but protecting the public. This distinction is critical and must not be conflated with authoritarian control.

The MCMC’s actions are focused on protecting the public from serious issues like online gambling, pornography, scams, and other harmful activities. To date, according to reports, more than 10,000 websites were blocked for breaking the law.

These numbers clearly show that the government is targeting harmful and illegal content, not trying to silence people’s opinions or voices.

By being a voice against the regulation, is he on the side of allowing such dangerous content to continue being circulated? Social media and the dark web need regulation so that action can be taken against these criminals.

I repeat my belief that nearly seven decades since Merdeka, the Malaysian press have never enjoyed as much freedom as it does now. Let’s not squander this progress by misrepresenting regulatory efforts as attacks on democracy.

I encourage Gunasegaram and others to critique constructively, ensuring that while we safeguard press freedom, we also protect the public from harm.

MUHAMMAD NAJIB is a DAP member and part of the working committee on Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto in the 15th general election.

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

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