Updates: Zaid: Govt has to control leakages of information. Click and here, click.
After the series of police reports lodged against lawyer Karpal Singh for allegedly making seditious remarks, it's the turn of the newspapers. The Prime Minister's Department has lodged a police report against several newspapers for publishing the findings of the Royal Commission before it was made public.
The case is being investigated by the police under the Official Secrets Act where a jail sentence is mandatory, according to sources. The Star, New Straits Times, Sin Chew Daily and even the Bar Council website have published the findings before it was made public today. The report has puzzled the local media - both mainstream and alternative - as the findings of the commission were not prejudicial to national security and the proceedings were opened to the public. But the scoops of the some newspapers is said to have irked certain members of the commission and Cabinet members, which met today. Malaysian Insider also has an update on this development. How the press got hold of the information should be the last worry for the government and commission. Its priority is to restore the public's confidence in the judiciary and right what has been wrong. It should proceed with the action against those who have subverted the course of justice and not those who report about the commission's investigations. Jeff Ooi and Kit Siang also have their say here.
16 comments:
Well, the government is not governing. I agree with you, they should go after the people who manipulated and subverted justice, not the people who reported it. What has become of this government?
Perhaps this is Malaysia style Press Freedom. Kinda pity the police, instead of investigating matters of important to the rakyat - they are now bosses around by self serving politicians.
But your paper is not available in my place - making it difficult to follow what's happening in KL/Putrajaya.
its been more than 2 months after GE12. whats the matter with the government? isn't a government supposed to "govern"? time to buck-up and get down to work, BN! otherwise, you're gonna regret it very soon, if not latest by GE13. the rakyat's getting really fed-up with all these internal bickering. it just presents the opposition with more ammo for the next round!
This 'bolehland' must be the country where the most police reports are made. Consequently, it is also the only country where the police would never ever 'give a shit' to the reports made, except for those made by the bigshots of the ruling party. Instead of investigating or arresting people like RPK, Karpal Signh, Jeff Ooi, LGE etc., our police should make better use of its resources and taxpayers' money to check the spread of the Mat-rempit menace and the criminals on the streets. Have the Flip-flop PM and Home Affairs minister got no sense of priority at all?
It is a pity that the Media like Star,NST & Sin Chew are subjected to such intimidation again. The report looks like it is printed in a nicely binded hard cover book format. If this the actual copy for sale, I am sure it was not printed with just 2 days time lead. How is the OSA applicable is really mind boggling?
The police is already burdened with such High Crimes rates & every day it is a never ending story of politicians making endless reports against everything and everyone. The actual criminals are having a great time coz the police are busy attending to endless reports against every minor issue at the whims & fancies of the politicians.
Who is actually protecting the rakyat from real hard-core criminals ?
When are the politicians who are being paid with tax payers money going to really make the economy sustainable in the wake of a massive recession?
It is really a sad, sad situation that we are moving backwards due to such severe attachments of certain quarters on power & fame.
Guess we just have to pack our backs & look for a menial job like washing dishes in UK to send money $$ back to our family in Malaysia like in the 70's again.
Chun Wai you are lucky to be in a good & high earning position. Please make some senses into some of these jokers brains....
Thank you for your commentaries.
Another farce begins...
The government has called for the main characters in Lingamgate to be investigated. The all powerful Attorney General is asked to determine the need and direction of such an investigation. Why is it that I do not have the assurance that the interests of the country would be served? That the wrongdoers will be brought to book? That justice ... justice for those who have suffered from the decisions of a subverted and compromised judiciary ...will be served.
And then there is the other investigation on the dailies that "made public" the findings before the Prime Minister could decide on it. Duhh... Malaysians have clung on to his promises and waited for four years in the past for nothing to happen. Making a decision on the finding should not take as long as it did for our narcoleptic PM. Malaysians have decided they would not want to hold their breath for the present accidental government. Actually we often wonder why it is allergic to the truth. Kudos to the media this time for sharing their reports on the findings with its readers, the way they did. Malaysians understand that the OSA is to insulate the people against things that can hurt them or things that cause dissension between groups of people. It is not an instrument to conceal the incompetencies of public officials. Or to put a gag on the truth.
This is one of the few times that the press is doing something right, in my opinion at least. SO I don't think that the police report was the correct move by the PM's office.
Fight for your right to publish news. We will be behind you on this one.
Would appreciate more news from your side on how the reports are proceeding.
If it is true the PM's department has lodged a police report, than regard that as an endorsement for MSM. This shows MSM are once again on their right path to regain the confidence of readers. At the end of the day the readers will come together to defend MSMs as you can see now. Jeff has already come out showing his.
Wrong!!It is wrong just after the completion of the royal commission report.It was very wrong in fact when PM,Pak Lah made the statement that
"I'll decide whether to make it public after I've read it".
From his statement,we can see unfairness and the deficiency of democracy.Initially,the royal commission was formed to hear this Lingam's case to determine the authenticity of the video clip and to determine whether the appointment of the judges was done in a lawful and appropriate manner so that the public get to know what happened then.
But when our PM uttered that immature statement,it made one to suggest that he'll not make the contents of the report public if it contains "something that cannot be known by the public,something very confidential perhaps".
Since the royal commission has been appointed to hear the case,they are the one who has the prerogative to determine whether the report should be made public and NOT the PM.His statement kills democracy.
And it is a very stupid idea to hear that the report will be sold at RM532 if I'm not mistaken.One should realise that after a person has bought the report,he or she will probably display the contents in the blogs.
By then,those people who did not buy the report will have read it without paying.Sooner,the whole world will have known the contents of the report??Here,I want to ask what is the relevance of selling the report???
Only nincompoops will buy the report!!!
What is with BN government?
Police report one after another
Is it trying to pull wool over peoples’ eyes?
Now police report launched on MSM newspapers
Under the OSA on RCI report before cabinet approval of release
First going after RPK
Then Karpal Singh on his legal point of Rulers’ roles
By the UMNO goons as if they are the protectors……
And now going after MSM newspapers
The country’s agendas put on hold
The UMNO/BN leaders skipping rope
Jumping high and high when something drops by
Quickly they want to put a stop…………..
They dare not ask why
Crimes high on the list
Kidnapping and children missing
Yet the Police spring into action
When the political master orders probe
Which is important – crime or report?
The priority is wrong so is the leadership
Dato Wong I believe in fair reporting
Even it can hurt somebody’s feeling
When there is no wrong; there is no ringing to worry
Instead of planning for the economy
Understanding what is happening around the world
Here we have our sleeping owl…………….
Hoot wooing in the dark night though it is bright
Will justice prevail fairly to all?
They are the stage actors trying to run its script
As the people watch and discuss about it
Shadow play one more time…………….
Before the frogs let fly………………..
Totally agree with 'anonymous'!
twistedmaya
It is very likely reading Pak lah'lips that he will NOT make the report public if he had his rathers. The media beat him to it by baring it so the report now has to become public. So of course angry and it becomes OSA, which is bullshit. PM now so blinkered, he does not know what is wrong or right.
What a great insult to the people!
Datuk, I totally agree with your views:
How the press got hold of the information should be the last worry for the government and commission.
Its priority is to restore the public's confidence in the judiciary and right what has been wrong.
It should proceed with the action against those who have subverted the course of justice and not those who report about the commission's investigations.
Salam. Fathi
This is another of the many stupid things our govt say and do. Another case of prosecuting the investigators and reporters instead of proscuting the crooks. This is just one more reminder that the umno govt has to go. It is time for change. Everything that comes out of the mouths of our ministers these days really piss off the rakyat. I am just wondering why the component parties in bn are still sticking around umno.
dear chun wai,
are you willing to step up the gear, and fight for journalism freedom? someone in your position is best to do so. can you risk incurring the wrath of your newspaper owner?
i guess i am dreaming.
As usual, we have the HP6 Cabinet focussing on the wrong things.
Their obsession is to shoot the messenger instead of going after those who have committed crime against the Malaysian public.
This is pathetic, and a complete waste of resources and lack of priorities..
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