Noramfaizul's Shooting, Media Law Reform Among Highlights Of 2011

By Mohd Yusof Shaari KUALA LUMPUR, Dc 27 (Bernama) -- The media become the news in 2011, with the shooting of BernamaTV cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor on Sept 2 in Mogadishu, Somalia, while covering a humanitarian mission, making headlines across the nation. The tragedy on the fourth day of Aidilfitri, the first to have happened to a media practitioner in the country, stunned the nation and highlighted the need for a standard operating procedure (SOP) for media personnel who are sent to cover conflicts and other risky assignments. Among them are the need for journalists, photographers and cameramen to be supplied with safety gears such as bullet proof vest, besides providing them with a special insurance coverage. The government had also expressed readiness to provide training for members of the media so that they are better prepared for the risks ahead. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak hailed Noramfaizul, 39, as a national hero and was at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang when the cameraman's body was flown in. There was also something for the media in-between the slew of reforms spelled out by Najib in his Malaysia Day message on Sept 15, in which he announced a comprehensive review of the Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984. It includes among others the abolition of the annual licence for the print media and replacing it with the issuance of a licence until it is revoked -- a move hailed by industry players, with the National Union of Journalists describing it as "a giant and meaningful step." Najib said that the move was a recognition of the government for the role played by the media in the country's march towards a modern, liberal and progressive nation. The prime minister acknowledged that the media should be free and that the freedom had been accorded to them through the move to abolish the annual licence renewal. Speaking at a media night event here recently, Najib told them however that, in exercising their freedom, they should also be mindful of their responsibility to the society. In the meantime, the National Media Consultative Council has been mooted and being deliberated by industry stakeholders. Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim, who co-chairs the council, said many had expressed their support for the council which aims to promote professionalism among media practitioners. Dr Rais said however that the council need a little bit more time before it can be finalised as there are still issues to be thrashed out. The year 2011 also saw the proliferation of television channels either in its traditional form or in the shape of Internet protocol television, taking advantage of the power of digital media. One of them is Al-Hijrah TV, the first Islamic-themed television station in Malaysia, financed by the government and placed under the charge of the Prime Minister's Department. Launched on Dec 7, the station, with an allocation of RM60 million, is expected to take to the airwave officially early next year, featuring programmes which promote noble values. It can be viewed on Astro 114. Najib described the setting up of the new station as timely amid the backdrop of attempts by certain quarters to use the media as the propaganda tool to undermine Islam in an organised, directed and systematic manner. Mobile television, using the Internet as the distribution channel, provides plurality in the country's media industry. The launch of UniFi, The Malaysian Observer.TV or MOBTV and the latest, 1Malaysia TV, exemplifies the government's openness in allowing Malaysians as wide an access to information as possible. Najib himself is a media-savvy leader, demonstrating how the social media can be utilised to connect with the people. He said he received direct response from Malaysians via his Twitter page. Current reality and in order to win the hearts and minds of the younger generation demand that the government engage with them in a language which they can understand, he said. "The only language they understand is the language of technology." He had also called on politicians and government officers to keep themselves abreast with technological development and trends, by leveraging the social media tools to engage with the people, given the high demand for information in the country. Although the social media had its own weaknesses, he said, they also had many benefits including allowing interaction among the people, something which had not been available during the era of his father, second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, where information was hard to come by. (US$1=RM3.16) -- BERNAMA