Zam wants journalists to be licensed
Information Ministry parliamentary secretary Ministry Zainudin Maidin has proposed that journalism be made a 'closed' profession with rules such as those applying to the legal and medical fraternities.
He suggested that all journalism candidates be channelled through an institution which is authorised to issue "Certificates of Journalism Practice".
"This responsibility can be taken by a specially established institution or an upgraded Malaysian Press Institute to a level which upholds certain criteria, structure and quality," Zainudin said at the Suhakam-organised press freedom workshop held in Kuala Lumpur today.
The politician, who is former editor-in-chief of Malay daily Utusan Malaysia , also said those "graduating" from this institute must be registered with a council which has the responsibility of keeping a list of these individuals and the power to expel them for instances of "professional misconduct".
"This step must be implemented alongside the Malaysia Media Council which is being considered," he said.
On another matter, the parliamentary secretary said the press should be used to enhance racial pride but subjected to principles of "anti-extremism, anti-fanatism and anti-chauvinism".
More powerful weapon
Zainudin claims that contrary to popular opinion, the media is not controlled by governments but by a small group of individuals in the West.
"Now, they have an even more powerful weapon in the form of worldwide television broadcast. One day, they would give one-sided news. Another day, they air obscene stories to ruin our children and destroy our culture," he stressed.
Zainudin also renewed his criticism of several Asean journalists who visited Malaysia in 1999 to give several speeches in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day for being pro-West and pro-America.
"Our journalists who have shallow nationalist understanding and suffer from inferiority complex compared to Western journalists can no longer appreciate acts which gave us much strength and help us counter attacks on our unity and national stability.
"Without shame and embarrassment, these journalists sent in signatures of 'fake' journalists to the Deputy Prime Minister [Abdullah Ahmad Badawi]," added Zainudin in reference to a memorandum calling for the repeal of the PPPA which was submitted to the Home Affairs Ministry in 1999.
The same memorandum was also submitted to Suhakam last May in conjunction with the World Press Freedom day.
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