Is Deputy Premier Najib Abdul Razak serious or is he indulging in doublespeak? When he recently talked about the role of newspapers in offering constructive criticism and correcting the government's mistakes, why then does the government keep a tight rein on the media?

He dichotomises rather unnecessarily the media into mainstream and alternative. This itself is an indictment of the government because the alternative is but an euphemism for the persecuted press, that have had to resort to the Internet to find a voice.

Take for example Malaysiakini. It has applied for a print licence but the government has knocked back its application. And even Keadilan, a political party, has not had its application for a publication, something that a political party needs to communicate with its members and the public. An integral part of the democratic process is being denied.

Often people like me want to contribute to the development of our country by offering constructive criticisms but the mainstream media will never dare publish our views. For the minister to suggest that Internet media is not transparent because they are 'not controlled at all' is precisely why the so-called mainstream will never be able to provide the desired constructive criticisms that he talks about.

How will a controlled media ever feel free to speak its mind or publish incriminating reports on government? The so-called mainstream media are owned and controlled by political parties in the Barisan Nasional government and are not known for transparent journalism. Tame is the word used by others to describe them, because media controlled is media impotent - such newspapers are not the social conscience of the nation anymore but the propagandists of those in power.

The suggestion that the Internet is not controlled is dishonest. Everyone knows that the government can easily shut down an Internet newspaper if it wants to. We have seen how the police can act swiftly to confiscate computers and incapacitate an online newspaper.

The potency of the press is in publishing news that someone somewhere does not want known - this was what I learned from my journalism studies. In Malaysia we saw how The Star , the 'People's Paper' temporarily lost its licence in the 80s. It once was known for its incisive and investigative journalism.

Newspapers would like to be more investigative, more analytical, more critical of government, but with an annual printing licence renewal hanging like Damocles' sword over their heads, they'd be committing commercial suicide if they overstepped the limits.

If getting constructive feedback from the public is really what Najib wants, then I suggest he starts to dismantle the licencing system for the media and repeal the Printing Presses and Publications Act and modify or abolish other draconian laws against civil liberties, especially the ISA and Official Secrets Act.

In developed and democratic countries no one needs to apply for a licence to operate a newspaper or magazine. The laws of decency and defamation guide them, not their governments.

A good government will not fear a free media because there will always be members of the public who will not only criticise but give credit where it is due and correct the newspapers.