COMMENT It is a sheer waste of time and effort to employ the full force of the law against the Fourth Estate when no threat is posed to the existence of the state.

Journalists are not the enemies of the state when they are on the trail of stories which expose the misdeeds of those in power. They cannot be seen as anti-national elements in carrying out their duty to tell the truth and save the country from ruin.

In Malaysia, the press - whether printed or online - is viewed mostly through the lens of suspicion and animosity.

In recent times, the iron fist of the authorities has come down hard on publications that dared to shed light on the dark and twisting trail of a state-owned company. For its trouble, the government only reaped scorn and rebuke. The credibility of the press stood tall and strong.

Still, the political sharks are circling - bent on vengeance. They want to stifle the press or at least apply sufficient pressure to cow them or make them beg for mercy.

On their orders, plainclothes police officers will march into the office in a show of intimidation. They will cart away evidence when there is no proof at all. They will threaten harsh punishment when there is no basis to support their charge. They will scribble statements when there is nothing to show the accused has committed a crime against the state.

The attacks on the press will not stop. In these dangerous times, it becomes imperative in the eyes of those who hold the reins of power to cripple the newspapers and online portals to ensure they do not conclusively establish the guilt of the paramount leader.

No information that can put the slightest dent on the government’s armour must be leaked out. Anything that smacks of treason or defamation must be exploited to bring the fighters for justice behind bars.

A curtain of fear has descended on the Fourth Estate. But it is a torn curtain.

All the harassments will only strengthen the resolve of the Fourth Estate to go the extra mile to arrive at the threshold of truth. Once there, the newshounds will leap in and nose out proof of the wrongdoings of Putrajaya.

The people must know that crooked politicians must not be allowed to run the country into the ground. They must be shackled and brought out for the whole world to see and condemn.

A big fight is shaping up between the government and the press. On paper, it is a lop-sided contest because the government has all the ammunition in its arsenal. It can use a wide range of weapons to muzzle the press and even harm the top brass in the newsrooms. But eventual victory is not on the side of the oppressors.

In this momentous clash, the Fourth Estate will triumph because it is fighting with dogged determination to root out the evils of corruption and abuse of power. It is fighting to bring about a political order free from the tentacles of tainted leaders.

It is striving to keep the country afloat amidst economic and financial gloom. It is a moral battle which the government cannot win because an amoral government cannot but must fall.

PHLIP RODRIGUES is a member of the Malaysiakini team.