SHAH ALAM, 4 Sept: The Angry Media Movement (GERAMM) condemned the move by the government to make a journalist the latest victim of the Sedition Act.
The Spokesman for GERAMM, Radzi Razak, said that this is unfair as journalists only report news obtained and do not write according to personal views.
He said that any claims must also be accompanied by hard evidence, based on the law.
“A journalist should not be charged for merely reporting the news.
“The use of the Sedition Act in this manner only worsens Malaysia’s ranking in the press freedom index and gives a negative perception of the situation in the country,” he told Selangor Kini.
He was contacted to give his response on the action taken against a journalist from Malaysiakini, Susan Loone, following her report on the Voluntary Patrol Squad (PPS).
Yesterday, the police opened an investigation on Loone and Malaysiakini following the report titled “Disoal siasat selama 4 jam, dakwa dilayan seperti ‘penjenayah’” (‘Questioned for four hours, treated like ‘criminal’) on September 2, which was claimed to be seditious.
Loone, in the report, wrote the news based on an interview with a State Executive Councillor and the Chairman of PPS, Phee Boon Poh.
Yesterday, the Northeast District Police Chief, the Assistant Commissioner Mior Faridalatrash Wahid informed that Phee will also be investigated under the same act on the report.
NS
