COMMENT | Geramm in solidarity with Malaysiakini and Steven Gan

COMMENT | Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) is in solidarity with our friends at online portal Malaysiakini and its editor-in-chief Steven Gan.

Geramm is of the view that with its 20 years of experience, Gan and Malaysiakini will persevere and rise above any challenges that may arise.

We view that this action will impact freedom of expression online and freedom of the press in Malaysia.

Geramm believes this is yet another challenge that must be faced in a climate under which media outlets around the world are already struggling to cope with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the evolving demands of digital publishing.

The media's primary role and duty is to its audience. The free media has an important role as a check and balance agent to the government and those in power.

Also alarmingly, earlier this week, a Filipino court delivered a guilty verdict against online portal Rappler's co-founder Maria Ressa under the country's cyber-libel laws for a report critical of policies linked to president Rodrigo Duterte's administration.

"Rappler and I were not the only ones on trial.

"I think what you're seeing is death by a thousand cuts - not just of press freedom but of democracy," Ressa told an interview with BBC shortly after the verdict which carries a maximum sentence of up to six years of imprisonment.

The charge and conviction against Ressa and former Rappler journalist Reynaldo Santos Jr, who wrote the article in question five years ago, was widely seen as an assault to press freedom in the Philippines under Duterte's administration.

Similarly in Malaysia, any claims or charges laid against the media under the current political scenario will undoubtedly lead to an increasingly negative perception of the judiciary and the government.

Geramm believes that Malaysiakini as a responsible media outlet would have carried out its duty to the best of its ability and should not be pressured to exercise self-censorship to the extent that it will erode its struggle for freedom of the press and expression.

We are in Solidarity!

GERAKAN MEDIA MERDEKA (GERAMM) is a media advocacy group.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.