State media urge for more freedom under new MB
The editor-in-chief of state newspaper Selangorkini has called on new Menteri Besar Azmin Ali to ensure editorial freedom for all state media.
The editor-in-chief of state newspaper Selangorkini has called on new Menteri Besar Azmin Ali to ensure editorial freedom for all state media.
Fazallah Pit (left) said that this is because Selangorkini did not have editorial independence to report on Selangor current affairs prior to this, due to restrictions by "certain quarters".
"This was the case from the BN administration right through to during the Abdul Khalid Ibrahim administration.
"I hope that with the appointment of Azmin Ali as menteri besar, Selangorkini no longer needs to be under anyone’s thumb and that we are given space to report on the issues in Selangor," he told Malaysiakini .
Besides Selangorkini , the state also funds and manages several other portals and an online television site.
No puppet
Meanwhile, Fazallah stressed that Selangorkini is not a state puppet and that the portal will not twist stories in the interest of any party.
He said Azmin is someone who understands the concept of media freedom, so he is confident that the situation faced by state media will improve.
"We don’t want to side with any quarter, and we would prefer to focus on other issues like other dailies, rather than only reporting on menteri besar affairs.
"I don’t want to look back, what we at Selangorkini want is to move forward," he said, without elaborating.
In a statement yesterday, Fazallah also said that it is important for state media to be free from political interference, as the media are funded by taxpayers and not political parties.
NADIA OTHMAN is a trainee reporter at Malaysiakini.
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