(Bernama) - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today invited the local media to be his partner in his journey to transform Malaysia into a more prosperous and peaceful country.
He said the government needed the media to communicate with the people and educate them throughout the country.
"I would like you to be my partner in my journey to transform the country," he said at the inaugural National Press Club-Naza Awards Night here today.
Najib said there was a kind of symbiotic relationship between the press and the government which was absolutely critical to the future and Malaysia's development as a nation.
"The press needs to report on the government just as the government needs the press to communicate its message effectively to the people... I need the press to understand and appreciate the situation in the country, and to communicate effectively and educate the people," he said.
The prime minister also urged the media not to maintain its status quo by embarking on different ways to do their reporting.
He said accusations that Malaysia lacked press freedom were grossly unfair.
"As long as the reports do not run afoul of our existing laws, the press is free to report on pretty much anything.
"Besides, all of us are well aware that in any case, anything and everything is already written in the alternative media, whether based on fact or entirely made up of slanderous fiction," he said.
Najib said mainstream media organisations obviously had a higher standard of accountability and were more mindful of what they reported, being aware of their standing as respected media establishments.
"But to say that this therefore means that there is no media freedom is simply incorrect.
"There have been many favourable stories on oppostion figures just as there have been many negative stories on government personalities," he said.
Najib also commended the effort by NPC to honour members of their own peers based on the evaluation of an independent panel.
He said the awarding of the "oscars" of Malaysian journalism such as what was being presented tonight, was bound to create great excitement in the media fraternity and help improve the quality of local journalism.
However, he said this did not mean that the quality of the Malaysian media was poor.
"I, for one, believe that the Malaysian media is something that we can all be proud of," he said.
Najib said it had always been his view that freedom without responsibility was not freedom at all but chaos.
"I believe the world media can take some lessons from our Malaysian media, who don't shovel into the private lives of individuals, generally speaking, or launch... personal vendetta.
"I believe that if we are at peace with ourselves today, it is because the Malaysian media has tempered its coverage of sensitive issues with a huge dose of social responsibility," he said.
The prime minister said a sense of responsibility and a dose of self-censorship went a long way in preserving the delicate balance of Malaysia's multiracial, multireligious and multicultural society.
"This is probably what some self-appointed western guardians of the free press at times fail to understand.
"As we work collectively towards greater unity and cohesion as 1Malaysia, we must always bear in mind that our collective end goal is a better Malaysia for our children to inherit," he said
Najib added that it was pointless if the so-called media freedom meant a free-for-all situation where sensitivities were ignored, feelings hurt and hatred ignited ultimately leading to disunity and strife, which benefited no one.
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