(Corrected on 4 May 2012) On World Press Freedom Day 2012, the Centre for Independent Journalism renews its call to the people to reclaim their right to a media that can play its role of bearing witness and informing society.

CIJ, Charter 2000-Aliran, Journalists Union of North Malaya, Penang Chinese Media Journalist and Photographers Association, Penang Press Club and Penang Press Employees Cooperative Society Limited, condemn the arrest of two journalists and police violence towards others who were covering the sit-down protest for free and fair elections in Kuala Lumpur on 28 April 2012.

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) wishes to draw attention to the fact that there has been significantly less print media coverage of the Bersih 3.0 rally and its aims, compared with last year’s event.

CIJ cautiously welcomes that the Home Minister will no longer have absolute discretion to approve printing licences and publishing permits, and the reinstatement of judicial oversight over the minister’s decisions. These changes, however, by themselves are far from adequate to ensure that the media is free to report fairly and accurately. No government minister should ever have had absolute discretion to approve publishing permits in the first place.

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) Malaysia regrets the Home Ministry’s decision to issue a show-cause letter dated today to The Star for publishing a photograph of singer Erykah Badu with tattoos, including one with the Arabic word for “Allah”, on 27 February 2012.

Forum: Toward a more ethical media

On World Press Freedom Day, we call on citizens and residents of Malaysia to speak up and reclaim the mainstream media.

On World Press Freedom Day, show your support and make your voices heard in a Fweet (Facebook and Twitter!) in 3 steps.

We are outraged at the “guilty” verdict and the impending sanctions by the newspaper Utusan Malaysia on Ha’ta Wahari, president of the National Union of Journalists of Malaysia, for supposedly “tarnishing the image” of the paper and for revealing “company secrets.”

We are equally outraged by the cyber-attacks on the independent online outfits Malaysiakini and the Sarawak Report.

CIJ calls on all Malaysians to rally behind Ha’ta and send a message to the Utusan top management that it is within the right of an NUJ president to speak for the dignity and integrity of the profession, and reject political interference in the newsrooms.