LETTER | It is disappointing that recent commentary by an experienced journalist, R Nadeswaran, appears to be built on pure fabrication rather than verified facts.

His statement that a minister issued a statement in the morning and another in the evening highlights the level of journalism ethics he is used to practising.

For clarity, the remarks made by the Human Resources Minister R Ramanan, during the Concorde Club session at Wisma Bernama, were delivered openly before both local and international media.

The whole interview was recorded on video. It is not surprising that so-called journalists like Nadeswaran are not invited to such sessions by his peers based on what we are seeing.

The minister clearly stated that the ministry is in the process of reviewing multiple proposals, and at no point was any approval, endorsement, or commitment given to any individual or company.

He further explained that the ministry has no issue reviewing proposals from all parties, including the current service provider managing the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS), which has been in operation, handling foreign worker management for the country over the past 11 years since 2015.

This raises a fair question: Is it responsible journalism to draw definitive conclusions without confirmation from official sources or knowing the true facts?

Established media practitioners are expected to verify information through the many available official channels before publishing. In this case, those avenues were evidently not utilised, resulting in reports that were clearly misleading the public.

Reporting credibility undermined

It is also concerning that such narratives appear to rely heavily on claims attributed to former Klang MP Charles Santiago, who holds no official role in the matter.

Basing conclusions on unverified third-party assertions without cross-checking with the ministry undermines the credibility of the reporting.

The Concorde Club session itself was conducted transparently, with broad media presence. Any suggestion that the minister’s position was unclear simply does not reflect what was stated on record.

Malaysians deserve better than conjecture and selective interpretation. Public discourse, especially on matters involving national policy, must be grounded in accuracy, accountability, and professional integrity.

The role of a good, responsible journalist is not merely to generate attention, but to inform with accountability. When that standard slips, it is not just reputations at stake but public trust towards journalism.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.