Utusan Malaysia's swift ruling against its reporter Hata Wahari is a warning to all media practitioners in the country.
PETALING JAYA: Utusan Malaysia reporter Hata Wahari’s guilty conviction by the Umno-owned newspaper is a serious blow to Malaysia’s already-scant press freedom.
The conviction by the Malay-language daily, which may see Hata sacked in the near future, is a warning to media practitioners to toe the line, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) said.
“Hata’s conviction is a serious blow to press freedom. What company secrets is he exposing about Utusan that caused him to be punished?” CIJ publicity officer Chuah Siew Eng asked.
“It is an open secret that Utusan has been using unethical media practices. It is not surprising how editors there openly justify the control (over them) by their political masters, which they accept as a given,” she said.
Hata was pronounced guilty earlier today after a three-man domestic inquiry panel accused him of criticising the Malay-language daily.
Late last year, Hata, in his capacity as president of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), accused Utusan of unfair political coverage of the Barisan Nasional (BN).
He also attacked the newspaper in early January this year for playing up racial rhetoric in its pages, attributing these factors to its declining total circulation.
Between 2005 and 2009, Utusan Malaysia’s total circulation dropped by as much as 21%.
However, these warnings were not appreciated by Utusan’s top management, which promptly canned the outspoken journalist for his views.
Chuah said that Utusan’s editors valued political patronage over all else.
“Utusan does not see the traditional role of the press, which is to be a public watchdog on the powerful,” she said.
She added that the inquiry’s decision would also hit the NUJ hard.
“This is the first time in a long while that someone from the NUJ has spoken about press freedom. Now he has been penalised for speaking,” she said.
“It shows how bad the situation (of press freedom) is.”
Premeditated decision
Utusan’s quick sentencing was also a cause for concern.
South East Asia Media Legal Defence Network project coordinator HR Dipendra said that Hata was not given enough time or a chance to defend himself.
“It is as if they (Utusan inquiry) made up their minds even before listening to what Hata had to say,” Dipendra told FMT.
The Utusan’s panel passed the judgment on the embattled reporter a mere 15 minutes after it begun its inquiry at 10.30am.
“If a newspaper can be so quick to criticise and pass judgment about everything under the sun, surely, it would be hypocritical of them to now say that no one can criticise them in return,” Dipendra said.
“For a newspaper that claims to champion press freedom, its actions against Hata are clearly against press freedom.”
PETALING JAYA: Utusan Malaysia reporter Hata Wahari’s guilty conviction by the Umno-owned newspaper is a serious blow to Malaysia’s already-scant press freedom.The conviction by the Malay-language daily, which may see Hata sacked in the near future, is a warning to media practitioners to toe the line, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) said.
“Hata’s conviction is a serious blow to press freedom. What company secrets is he exposing about Utusan that caused him to be punished?” CIJ publicity officer Chuah Siew Eng asked.
“It is an open secret that Utusan has been using unethical media practices. It is not surprising how editors there openly justify the control (over them) by their political masters, which they accept as a given,” she said.
Hata was pronounced guilty earlier today after a three-man domestic inquiry panel accused him of criticising the Malay-language daily.
Late last year, Hata, in his capacity as president of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), accused Utusan of unfair political coverage of the Barisan Nasional (BN).
He also attacked the newspaper in early January this year for playing up racial rhetoric in its pages, attributing these factors to its declining total circulation.
Between 2005 and 2009, Utusan Malaysia’s total circulation dropped by as much as 21%.
However, these warnings were not appreciated by Utusan’s top management, which promptly canned the outspoken journalist for his views.
Chuah said that Utusan’s editors valued political patronage over all else.
“Utusan does not see the traditional role of the press, which is to be a public watchdog on the powerful,” she said.
She added that the inquiry’s decision would also hit the NUJ hard.
“This is the first time in a long while that someone from the NUJ has spoken about press freedom. Now he has been penalised for speaking,” she said.
“It shows how bad the situation (of press freedom) is.”
Premeditated decision
Utusan’s quick sentencing was also a cause for concern.
South East Asia Media Legal Defence Network project coordinator HR Dipendra said that Hata was not given enough time or a chance to defend himself.
“It is as if they (Utusan inquiry) made up their minds even before listening to what Hata had to say,” Dipendra told FMT.
The Utusan’s panel passed the judgment on the embattled reporter a mere 15 minutes after it begun its inquiry at 10.30am.
“If a newspaper can be so quick to criticise and pass judgment about everything under the sun, surely, it would be hypocritical of them to now say that no one can criticise them in return,” Dipendra said.
“For a newspaper that claims to champion press freedom, its actions against Hata are clearly against press freedom.”
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