The prime ministers promise to do divided with annual press licences is not a large deal that a being done out to be. Its not a step brazen in actuality a a step backwards, to a mid-1980s.
At that time press licences, once issued, could be renewed annually without creation a uninformed duplicate each year.
Then came Operation Lallang, when a Mahathir Mohamad supervision was fighting for a hold up (and plenty of money) in an Umno polite war. The Star, Watan as well as Sin Chew were shut down. Changes were done to a press laws.
No more renewals, back to creation new applications each year. The apportion has a last say whether to approve. The apportion has a last say about any conditions to be imposed. The apportion decides. If we dont similar to it we can pile it, because a ministers preference cannot be challenged. No, we cant go to a courts. Thats a law. The law says judges cannot decide. Ironic? Thats a Mahathir Mohamad style.
What else did a Mahathir supervision do? Introduce new as well as broader definitions of what is headlines any information, almost. Redefine what is a journal even something written down upon a sheet of toilet paper if sole upon a street could be considered a newspaper. Weird? Thats a Mahathir Mohamad style.
And what is Najib Tun Razaks style? Make a loud hullaballoo about a teensy-weensy concession, doing divided with annual licences as well as permitting renewals. Thats not reform, thats only an executive shift to make hold up a small easier for paper-pushers in a bureaucracy as well as journal managements.
If nothing else is shift as well as all else from Mahathirs supervision remains, afterwards Najibs large announcement about moving brazen with a times (and remember, a Times is losing circulation by a day) is only a whitewash.
Real reform can only come when press laws have been private as well as domestic parties have been banned from owning as well as determining newspapers as well as air wave as well as TV st! ations.< /p>
That takes real domestic courage. Does a Najib gover! nment ha ve a balls to do so?
(Dont hold your exhale waiting.)
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