JOM BERSIH!!!
bersih.org/
Bila Akhbar Menjadi Komik!by Ketua Perusuh Selalunya bila kita
membaca akhbar, kita akan dapati hanya berita yang serius dan penting sahaja
yang akan menjadi tatapan kita. Ramai pemberita muda dan tua yang sanggup
berkejar kesana kesini hanya untuk mendapatkan berita yang terkini dan sensasi.
Malah ada yang diketahui sanggup mengeluarkan modal sendiri hanya untuk
mendapatkan secebis maklumat yang kemudiannya diolah sebegitu baik dan boleh
menjadikan bahan untuk tatapan semua pembaca (itupun setelah ditapis sewajarnya
oleh pihak editor).
Biasanya bahan atau berita yang tersiar hanyalah bahan yang serius, namun kini
anda dan saya boleh menjadikan akhbar sebagai satu bahan lawak yang boleh
menggantikan komik. Tidak keterlaluan sekiranya saya mengandaikan bahawa modal
penulis dan penerbit siaran akhbar kini tidak lebih daripada sebahagian dari
modal dalam sesebuah komik.
Bahan berita yang boleh diklasifikasikan sebagai sampah kini menerobos ruang
bacaan kita pada dada-dada akhbar harian. Malah ada beberapa akhbar harian yang
semakin hari semakin berubah bentuknya sehinggakan boleh diklasifikasikan
sebagai komik atau majalah. Ini kerana muta berita dan artikel yang disiarkan
boleh diterjemahkan sebagai mengarut ataupun lelucon.
Bayangkan dalam beberapa waktu menghampiri kepada pilihanraya umum ke-12,
hampir semua akhbar harian (pro BN) seperti sehaluan dengan memuji
habis-habisan pemerintahan Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan kerabatnya. Sehinggakan
boleh dikatakan habis beberapa muka akhbar harian utama menunjukkan bahawa
Kerajaan Bariasn Nasional prihatin dan mesra rakyat, sedangkan semua pihak tahu
betapa buruknya pemerintahan Kerajaan Barisan Nasional pimpinan Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi & Co.
Beberapa Menteri, Timbalan Menteri, Penasihat Agama dan Menteri Besar yang IQ
mereka ditahap yang rendah seperti Najib Razak, Zainudin Maidin, Shahrizat
Abdul Jalil, dan beberapa oleh lagi termasuk Khir Toyo nampaknya mudah sangat
melatah dengan usikan daripada wartawan sehinggakan terlepas satu dua perkataan
yang tidak sesuai.
Akhbar kini dilihat lebih menyediakan bahan-bahan yang berbentuk mengampu,
membodek dan mengarut yang layaknya menjadi komik. Malah ada editor akhbar
harian yang sanggup menggadaikan maruah diri dengan menjadi hamba kepada
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi & Co.
Oleh yang demikian, saya ingin mencadangkan bahawa permit penerbitan akhbar
harian ditukar menjadi permit (lesen) penerbitan komik atau majalah picisan.
Barulah kena dengan maklumat yang dipaparkan olehnya. Jika mereka (pemilik
syarikat akhbar) tidak berani menukarkan permit (lesen) mereka maka kita boleh
melihat berapa hipokritnya mereka.
Jika mereka tidak mampu mendapatkan maklumat yang tepat dan jelas daripada
sumber-sumber mereka yang terhad, maka tiadalah salah untuk mereka
mendapatkaannya dari mana-mana blog yang berintegriti.
Kepada para editor, wartawan dan jurugambar akhbar harian seperti Utusan
Malaysia, Berita Harian, Star, Harian Metro, Sinar Harian dan sebagainya yang
masih lagi tidak mahu berubah daripada menjadi kuda tunggangan kepada parti
pemerintan, maka eloklah anda berbuat demikian. Jangan biarkan orang ketawa
bila membaca akhbar harian anda
Jangan Jadi Komik.
The People's Parliament
Boycott the Newspapers initiative launched at Blog House today
January 28, 2008
(Created by and used with the permission of Walski )
Yesterday, a Boycott the Newspapers! online petition was launched. The
petition can be accessed and signed online at
http://www.petitiononline.com/hartal/petition.html
This morning the press conference to launch Paper Free Tuesday and to
announce the several civil society initiatives related to the Boycott the
Newspapers initiative was held at the Blog House. The committee has asked me
to extend my thanks to the Protem Committee of the National All Blogs for their
assistance in the use of Blog House and their support in this initiative.
After the press statement was read out, to formally launch the boycott, an sms
announcing the same was sent to the Big Chiefs at NST, The Star, Berita Harian
and BERNAMA.
Yes, to help publicise this initiative and to try and raise funds for this
effort, we have also produced a Boycott the Newspapers T-shirt.
Front view of the T-shirt
It cost us slightly over RM10.00 per T-shirt. We are selling them at RM15.00
each. If you would like to purchase this T-shirt and help us with this effort
you can send us an e-mail at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or give Shar a call at the
hartalmsmhotline at 012-2484794 for details of payment and delivery
arrangements. Please note that there will be an additional charge for
outstation orders to cover courier / pos laju charges.
People, the online petition is yours. Paper Free Tuesday is also yours. Its
success or otherwise is up to you.
Below is the press statement released today by the committee
___________________________
MEDIA STATEMENT
On Boycott the Newspapers initiative by The Peoples Parliament
Hartal MSM working committee: When & Why
This committee comprising 8 individuals was set up in late December 2007 when
it became apparent from participants comments in The Peoples Parliament that
there was a genuine concern in society over how news reported by the mainstream
media (MSM) did not always tally with facts.
The earnest discussions in our blog and numerous suggestions by readers on
strategies to address this concern clearly indicated that many treated the
shortcomings of MSM with the seriousness they deserved. It also became obvious
that some structure and methodology would have to be put into place if the
suggestions to tackle MSMs failings were to be effectively implemented.
Hence the formation of our committee to manage a boycott of newspapers.
Which newspapers make up MSM?
In the context of The Peoples Parliament initiative to tackle the matter of
dishonest news reporting, we have to say that, regrettably and without
exception, but to varying degrees, this would include all of the local
newspapers.
False reporting by MSM
In truth, this is not a recent phenomenon but has been going on for some time.
However, a reference to recent events of public importance and the
less-than-honest coverage of the same by the MSM would be sufficient.
On 9 Oct 2007, Malaysiakini reported that the Ipoh Timur parliamentary
constituency had seen an increase of 8,463 in the number of registered voters
within the space of three months. Of particular concern were the new 3,208
postal voters even though there are no new army camps or new police stations in
the constituency. MSM did not carry any report on this.
On 10 Nov 2007, a civil society-driven rally in Kuala Lumpur was attended
by some 60,000 people of diverse backgrounds, calling for electoral reforms.
Bersih supporters peaceably marched to the palace of the Yang DiPertuan Agong
to deliver a peoples memorandum on the electoral reforms sought. Yet a report
in The Star of the following day gave the impression that this rally comprised
no more than 4,000 people and was effectively dispersed by the authorities.
On 20 Nov 2007, senior political correspondent Lydia Lim of the Singapore
Straits Times reported on the 10 ongoing International Court of Justice
hearings between Malaysia and Singapore to decide on the dispute between the
two nations for sovereignty over the Pedra Branca. Lims report said that the
Malaysian legal team had resorted to the use of a photograph of dubious
authenticity lifted from an anonymous blog to create a photographic illusion
and exaggerate the proximity of Pedra Branca to Johor. This scandal was
reported in numerous blogs. However none of the MSM published this piece of
disturbing news.
On 25 Nov 2007, some 30,000 Malaysians joined the Hindraf march headed for
the British High Commission. In the early hours of that same day, several
thousand Malaysians were forcefully contained in the compound of the Batu
Caves. The Star reported on Nov 26 that the IGP had said no teargas or water
cannons had been used at the Batu Caves. Nonetheless, many blogs and
alternative news sources on the Internet published photographic evidence to the
contrary. To date, The Star has not shown any inclination to pursue this matter
with a view to giving its readers the truth. In fact, in the days following,
there appeared to be a concerted and contrived effort through the MSM to
unabashedly vilify this public rally as an attempt by Indians to stir up racial
unrest.
On 19 Dec 2007, Malaysiakini reported a statement issued by Anwar Ibrahim
in which the ex-deputy premier implicated former transport minister Dr Ling
Liong Sik and his successor Chan Kong Choy in the RM4.8 billion Port Klang Free
Zone (PKFZ) project irregularity. None of the MSM carried this news item.
Interestingly, MSM have also not seen it fit to undertake an investigation into
this scandal.
On 21 Jan 2008, most, if not all of the MSM reported a crowd of some
21,000 at the MIC-sponsored Meet the PM rally at the Badminton Stadium in
Cheras, Kuala Lumpur the previous day. Yet our own committee member who
attended the event reported that the number of attendees ranged between 6,000
and 8,000 at best.
Our expectations of MSM
We want responsible, ethical news reporting. Balanced and unbiased.
MSM must cease their practice of continually downplaying issues of grave
concern to the reading public and their lack of transparency in reporting (or
omitting to report) national scandals and revelations of high-level corruption.
We are also concerned for our friends in journalism. We often hear from them
of their frustrations in having their reports edited to a point where fact
becomes displaced by fiction. This must stop; professionalism must prevail.
Readers pay good, hard-earned money to receive honest news reporting. They
should not be duped into settling for less.
Our concerns on elections coverage
Given that the next general elections are expected to be held very soon, our
Boycott the Newspapers! campaign is imperative if Malaysia is going to have
any chance of a cleaner poll. As the Bersih manifesto for electoral reform
clearly states, we urgently need a free media and fair access for opposing
views.
MSM presently are neither free nor fair.
What history has shown is that MSM have always had a field day disseminating
falsehood to Malaysian voters because of the uneven playing field and public
space restrictions imposed by the incumbency who are the media owners or whose
owners are closely affiliated to the ruling parties. The recent acquisition of
Nexnews shares in The Sun and The Edge by tycoon Vincent Tan reinforces the
nexus between political and corporate interests.
Signature Campaign
Yesterday evening, we launched an online signature campaign calling for a
boycott of the MSM. The petition is a vehicle for ordinary Malaysians to put on
record that they do not condone the duplicity of MSM pretending to speak as vox
populi and the patent lies that they print. The petition can be viewed at
http://www.petitiononline.com/hartal/petition.html
Today, we call on all Malaysians to join us to make every Tuesday a
Paper-Free Tuesday. Let this be the start. We hope that MSM will get the
message and if they do not, we will have to give some thought to the other days
in the week.
Currently, MSM spindoctoring is going into overdrive on the authorities
perennial tried-and-tested track of communalism, misrepresentation and
fear-mongering. To counter their deliberate inaccuracy, we shall put together a
brief summary of alternative news for our Balik Kampung Bawa Berita Benar.
It is an experimental initiative to be picked up at The Peoples Parliament
shortly.
Closing statement
The Peoples Parliament holds that MSM are now hardly voices of the people but
rather mouthpieces of the government. If Malaysia is to see any change at all,
the rakyat must know the truth and this truth is unfortunately not forthcoming
from MSM.
We hold that a boycott of local newspapers is one way we can check the rot in
our country and a means for civil society to take constructive action. Malaysia
deserves a free press.
The Peoples Parliament
Hartal MSM committee
HARI SABTU PAKAI KUNING! / WEAR YELLOW ON SATURDAYS!
Lawati laman 10November di http://10nov.himpunan.info/
Lawati laman Bersih di http://bersih.org/
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