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Zam: Malaysiakini fears 'tycoons' behind rivals
Published:  Nov 17, 2014 1:36 PM
Updated: 11:42 AM

Former information minister Zainuddin Maidin says Malaysiakini is afraid of tycoons and conglomerates that finance the news portal's rivals.

Commenting on Malaysiakini 's 15th anniversary bash this Saturday, Zainuddin said in a blog posting today the news portal will be celebrating it "in fear" of other "bigger tycoons".

Zainuddin's comments came in the wake of Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan's article which said that if news consumers are not willing to pay for news, tycoons will do so.

"And at the end of the day, the tycoons get to enjoy press freedom, not Malaysians," Gan had said.

 

However, Zainuddin pointed out how Gan's statement echoed what former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said back in 1985.

Mahathir had said that press freedom did not exist anywhere and that even in a liberal democracy, news is decided by parties controlling the media concerned.

Meanwhile, the former minister also questioned whether Malaysiakini was scared of The Malaysian Insider, which provides news for free.

"Is The Malaysian Insider , which is backed by conglomerate The Edge Media Group, threatening Malaysiakini 's future?" he asked.

However, Zainuddin said he believes Gan has the "extraordinary ability" to search for a "new master".

"I believe he can find a new master that is more powerful than The Edge Media Group and as such, will then give free services in a much 'domesticated' circumstances," he said.

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