I refer to your report that the Deputy Home Affairs Minister had no knowledge of the 30 reports lodged against the police for the May Day violence.

This can only happen because the mainstream presses and broadcast media did not publish these reports. There is thus something to say for censorship as our right to information is denied and ministers and civil servants whose business is to address these concerns are not informed. Journalists in these presses have failed in their first duty as newspersons by these omissions.

I met a young journalist from the New Straits Times with not one but two cameramen on May Day at Dang Wangi police station. I had seen her speaking to a couple of supporters besides the police.

She came to me to ask if I knew what was going on. I asked her if she had interviewed the police. She replied that they refused to speak to her or give her any information. I said to her that she should report that in her story. She said her boss will get upset with that.

She then asked supporters there if they have a list of those arrested that day, something only the police surely would have ready and first hand information.

She managed to speak to a few of those arrested, but I was informed that none of the information from those arrested made it to press nor the fact that the police were very uncooperative.

Police violence is still politically taboo for mainstream presses.