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Malaysia's leader makes pledge to protect press freedom
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob unveiled a journalist fund of RM 1 million (US$228,366) to help maintain relationships between Malaysian and Indonesian news media.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (right) and Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob wave to the press during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Nov. 10, 2021. On the margins of that meeting, Ismail Sabri extended an invitation to senior Indonesian journalists to partake in Malaysia’s National Journalist Day (Hawana). (Reuters/Courtesy of Laily Rachev/Indonesia's Presidential Palace)
M
alaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on Sunday that his government would make efforts to protect press freedom and shield the media from outside interference.
Speaking during the celebration of the fourth National Journalist Day (Hawana) in the state of Melaka, Ismail Sabri called on journalists operating in the country to step up their fight against hoaxes and disinformation.
“The journalist profession should at all times be free and should function without outside interference so that freedom of speech can be guaranteed. The government has never made any efforts to block the media from broadcasting news that could lead to law enforcement agencies taking actions,” he said.
Ismail Sabri then pledged that his government would continue to be transparent and accountable. “I can guarantee that there’s nothing that we can hide in terms of information aimed for the public,” he added.
The prime minister’s speech came in response to the so-called “Melaka Declaration”, a five-point pledge made by representatives of Malaysian media during the Hawana celebration on Sunday.
Five senior journalists from major news outlets in the country that include The Star, state-run Bernama and Utusan Malaysia, issued the statement with a commitment to uphold freedom of speech and press freedom “to ensure the survival of a healthy and vibrant democracy”.
“In developing countries like Malaysia, journalists and media play a vital role as the eyes and heart of the people besides being the voice of the masses, and also act as a check-and-balance, as well as being the conscience of a nation state,” the declaration reads.
