The stipulation in Watch by all means but don't ask questions (April 3) by parliament assistant security officer Mohd Sanusi Abdul Rahman that malaysiakini 's journalists may enter Parliament and approach theopposition but "should not approach any Barisan Nasional members of parliament for questions" is clearly contradictory to Information Ministry parliamentary secretary Zainuddin Maidin's advice to malaysiakini to be independent and to give balanced report on both sides of the political divide, which is what malaysiakini has professed to do anyway.

The Parliament security officer admitted that he was confused of malaysiakini 's "status" and it is high time that the Information Ministry should clarify this issue.

One can understand the initial reaction of a government not used to having an uncontrolled media to feel suspicion and antipathy of malaysiakini 's agenda as perceived by it and hence the stance not to give the online news website any recognition as a legitimate news agency. This has caused some journalists of our mainstream newspapers to even not dare mention malaysiakini by name but to make an oblique reference to "an online news bulletin". This is really pathetic.

With the passage of time, this negative stance should be reviewed and a reality check be carried out to ensure that this state of denial that does no good to all parties is not prolonged.

A government that professes to lead Malaysia into the information age whether by way of an information society or a knowledge-based economy and boasts of developing our own Silicon Valley via the Multimedia Super Corridor simply cannot ignore the responsible dissemination of news through the Internet and other electronic medium.

I think malaysiakini 's track record has evinced responsible, balanced and independent news and articles coverage: if there are reports that criticise the government, there are also those that criticise the opposition. Reports of what the opposition has done have been matched by those done by the government. Which is why malaysiakini 's contents are more interesting to read that those of the self-censoring mainstream media.

On the whole, contents are fair comment, and there is no reason for those in the establishment to think that malaysiakini is necessarily anti-them when what is more important is that malaysiakini is actually pro-Malaysia.

It is about time the government reviews its policies to grant malaysiakini press accreditation cards without which the online news website cannot report its side of the story.

Whether or not malaysiakini should be given press accreditation passes should be determined by only one criterion: whether an online news bulletin like malaysiakini is journalism. If it is, and no one in his right mind can argue that it is not, then it is settled, and the fact that malaysiakini is beyond the purview of the Printing Presses and Publications Act is irrelevant.

According malaysiakini the press accreditation will provide the government greater reason to demand that the online news website exercises responsibility in impartial journalism (that is not to say that malaysiakini don't at this juncture).

Malaysiakini is after all still subject to the laws of the land regarding defamation, sedition and so on in what it disseminates.

Though the decision to confer press accreditation on individuals/websites remains the government's absolute prerogative, consideration should be given to international recognition and awards accorded to malaysiakini and its founders in the field of journalism.