MH17: Reports By Malaysian Media In Kiev Give Balance To Western Media Reports

By Yasmin Ahmad Zukiman KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) -- Reports by representatives from the Malaysian media in the delegation to Kiev, Ukraine, following the crash of the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17 there, are seen as giving balance to the reporting of the incident by the western media. A senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Associate Professor Dr Ismail Sualman said with the presence of the Malaysia media there, Malaysians would be able to get latest information on the incident and from reliable sources. "When we sent media representatives there, they can gather more information and produce news report according to the scope they want. "This is important because we do not want international news to manipulate readers, especially our people, who are waiting for the latest development on the crash,' he said when contacted by Bernama Saturday. Seven media representatives, including from the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), comprising head of crime desk Mohd Razman Abdullah and photographer Zulkarnain Kamaruddin, are in Kiew with the Malaysian Post-Tragedy and Investigation Team. The team left for Kiev Friday. Ismail, who is also a political analyst, said with the availability of technology, like the 'Whatsapp' application, news could be disseminated fast and with ease. His views was shared by former Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin, who hoped that the representatives of the Malaysian media would produce reports which were fair and credible and not to undermine any quarters involved in the conflict there. He said a comprehensive reporting was important so that the people would be able to visualise the MH17 tragedy, although there were not at the scene. "It should be remembered that no matter on which side we are, the responsibility of a journalist is to be fair," he added. Zainuddin, who was Information Minister from 2006 to 2008, said the media representatives should be provided with the necessary facilities and assured of their safety when doing their job. Meanwhile, Prof Emeritus Abu Bakar Abdul Hamid, the former Universiti Malaya head of Media Studies Department, suggested the Malaysian journalists to write on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to provide better understanding on the matter for the people in Malaysia. Abu Bakar, who was Bernama chairman for four years since 1996, also said the Malaysian journalists should also not rely only on information provided by representatives handling the media in Kiev. The MAS flight, MH17, was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it went down in Ukraine. It was carrying 298 people - 283 passengers and 15 crew. It left Amsterdam at 12.15 pm (Netherlands time) Thursday and was to have arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 6.10 am (Malaysian time) Friday. -- BERNAMA