The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today announced that a press freedom workshop will be held early next month with editors from major news organisations and government officials as participants.

A Suhakam statement signed by its secretary Kamaruddin Mohd Baria said the commission is organising the workshop at the urging of journalists on the matter.

"Suhakam believes that freedom of the press is a necessity but is not absolute. The workshop hopes to find a middle path between the rights of the people to obtain information from various sources and the sensitivities from the viewpoint of security and national security," the statement said.

Among the topics to be discussed during the workshop are the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Official Secrets Act (OSA), the Sedition Act and the government's arbitrary powers to suspend publishing licences.

Resolution expected

Panelists, who have yet to be finalised, will present their views for 15-20 minutes each. A resolution is expected to be adopted at the end of the workshop which will begin at 8.30am and end at 5pm at Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Senior journalists from the major news dailies as well as new media such as malaysiakini have been invited to the workshop, together with officials from the information and home ministries.

It is learnt that Information Ministry parliamentary secretary Zainuddin Maidin will be one of the speakers.

Suhakam has organised two such workshops in the past. The last one was chaired by then Suhakam head Musa Hitam with Indonesia's former attorney-general Marzuki Darusman as the speaker.

On World Press Freedom Day this May 3, about 50 journalists who came together under the group, Inisiatif Wartawan, urged Suhakam to push for an environment that is conducive to press freedom, which includes repealing the PPPA, the ISA, the OSA and the Sedition Act. They also voiced concerns over the impending formation of the Media Council, which they fear will be an additional restriction to the workings of the media.