It's too bad malaysiakini missed the mark in its story Umno Youth wants to take Bush and Blair to court . The whos, whats, wheres, whens and whys were all accurate and clear. But does good reporting end there, or merely begin?
Doesn't decent journalism demand you to highlight hypocrisy when it is so jarring? Would you, after all, write a story about China spearheading a global human rights movement (no matter how improbable) without ever mentioning Tiananmen Square?
I find the irony no less biting when Umno Youth says it's exploring legal options to bring US President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to court for the invasion of Iraq.
What does a political party, including its youth wing - that tars, feathers, and pillories one of its former leaders in a sham show-trial, know of the rule of law in its own country, let alone on the international stage? Hasn't Umno proved time and again that in matters of justice it lacks credibility?
Anwar Ibrahim's story screams to be heard in this article, but his name is conspicuously absent. For a media outfit so fond of finding ways to keep Anwar's case alive in the headlines, it's odd you don't connect the dots.
You've quoted Hishammuddin Hussein, the Umno Youth chief, commenting on the US and UK role in the war as: "There should not be double standards or hypocrisy in matters pertaining to universal issues."
Does the same hold true for Anwar? If yes, say so. Better yet, write it.
I applaud all of malaysiakini's efforts to defend a free and open press in the face of pervasive
censorship. As a vanguard of this movement, though, you owe it to yourselves and your readership to tell it like it is, even when those views might be unpopular.
Don't let your take on the war taint your reporting and impugn your integrity. Do your journalistic duty, and, all things considered, keep up the great work.
Editor's note: Journalistic ethics do not allow the editorialising of news content. As such a news report should contain only the facts. The journalist's or media organisation's observations should be confined to the opinion pages. Readers are of course encouraged to respond through letters.
