After speaking to a packed audience at a forum on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, the recently suspended DJ from popular Chinese radio station 988, Jamaluddin Ibrahim, was again welcomed last night, this time in Penang by a crowd of around 700.

He had been invited to address a forum organised by Suaram Penang and five other organisations at the Han Chiang College.

Other speakers were Malaysiakini columnist Josh Hong and Lim Hon Siang, editor for the Malay section of online media Merdeka Review .

988 forum penang 270810 jamal For the first time, Jamaluddin Ibrahim ( right ) openly criticised Yap Shy Chuan - who oversees RTM's Mandarin news and current affairs programme - as the individual lobbying for certain programmes to be terminated.

His criticism came after Batu MP Tian Chua named Yap in an earlier statement.

Yap, alleged to be a MCA Youth leader, was appointed in May by RTM to her current position.

Jamal said Yap, who is a division Youth leader, must be backed by someone who is working behind the scenes to bridle the Chinese media.

NONE Anyway, Jamal was not optimistic that MCA would back down on the 988 issue as that would put them in an embarrassing position.

Jamal said it wasn't the people's responsibility to think for the MCA, so the first step should be to kick out the cat's paw and continue exerting pressure on those in power until they yield to the people's demands.

When contacted by Malaysiakini yesterday, Yap refused to comment on the matter.

Jamal vowed publicly that he will not to join any political party, and instead of standing in the next general election, he will continue to do what he had always done, that is to criticise when need be in the service of the people.

' I'm a warrior, I fight for the audience'

988 forum penang 270810 crowd He added that Malaysians share a common understanding on the need for freedom of expression and have expressed the willingness to fight for it.

"Now, let's see who is more formidable in this battle. If we able to win this round, probably we can struggle for more space in the next round."

He then hit out at MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek again for dragging his Muslim identity into the issue.

According to Jamal, his new book publisher had also decided to pull out, forcing him to get the book out on his own.

988 forum penang 270810 josh hong 2 Meanwhile, the other two speakers were of the view that quality political talkshows, which help to educate the people, should be maintained rather than rejected.

Josh Hong ( left ) said that 988, although considered a party organ, is still a commercial radio station and that it had previously produced a number of good programmes, giving its audience different perspectives on current affairs.

On his part, Lim said that people are used to the assumption that radio stations rarely touch on political issue, but actually they do provide airtime for the underprivileged as well as the opposition.

988 forum penang 270810 lim hon siang He then lavished praise on the producers who took the trouble to create programmes that provoke people into thinking about social issues, instead those that just offer prizes to their audience.

"If they are suspended, then who else would dare to take the risk?"

Lim ( left ) said so long as a small minority continues to monopolise the media, freedom of speech will not be realised. He urged readers to ask Sin Chew Jit Poh what had happened to their right know.

As a counter measure, Jamal proposed that Malaysians adopt Facebook as an alternative medium to shatter the information blockade, thereby bringing changes to the country.