DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang ( photo ) today criticised Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung's view that Malaysians are not ready for freedom of information, saying that it is precisely such attitudes that keep Malaysians locked in a "Third World mentality".

Lim said Chor's statement was "most unfortunate and regrettable" considering that Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had o­nly recently urged Malaysians to embrace First World working practices to help the country achieve its goal to be an industrialised nation by 2020.

"Chor's statement (went) against the trend of greater transparency and good governance in the last decade, as evident from the fact that over 40 countries now have comprehensive laws upholding the right to information and facilitating access to state records while 30 other countries are in the process of enacting such legislation," he said in a press statement.

At a joint United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Strategic Analysis Malaysia conference o­n the future of Malaysian media yesterday, Chor ( photo ) reiterated the government's position that media laws are required to safeguard multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural harmony.

The deputy minister said while a journalist wants full access to information, a policy-maker has to ensure that the country is well-governed, and that citizens from different backgrounds are well protected and able to live in peace and harmony.

Fulfill promise

In relation to this issue, Lim urged Abdullah to make clear his position o­n press laws as a follow-up to his promise to journalists four years ago to give serious thought to media freedom issues.

"Abdullah ( photo ) had given a solemn undertaking to Malaysian journalists four years ago that he would give their memorandum calling for the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and other repressive laws fettering the development of a free and responsible media serious consideration," the DAP leader said.

He was referring to a memorandum submitted by nearly 1,000 journalists in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day o­n May 3, 1999, to the then newly appointed home minister.

"The World Press Freedom Day is just a month away...(Abdullah) owes an obligation to Malaysian journalists, the people and also to himself to give a proper response and accounting of the outcome of his promised consideration of the memorandum," said Lim.

As an outcome to the journalists' memorandum, which urged for the government to repeal press laws and instead allow for media self-regulation, the government asked the Malaysian Press Institute to come up with a proposal for a media council .

However, progress in the setting up of the council has been stalled although initial drafts have been proposed. The government has also not indicated that the PPPA might be revoked, maintaining instead that such laws are required to ensure national security and racial harmony.

Dengue confusion

Responding further to other points submitted by Chor during a question-and-answer session at the conference, Lim said the deputy minister's remarks shed light o­n the government's "confusion".

Chor, when responding to a comment that the Health Ministry should have released statistics o­n the dengue-related deaths in recent months, had said "it does not serve the government any good to keep statistics from the public because it is o­nly an endemic (localised problem) and not epidemic".

According to Lim, Chor should have realised that such statistics should have been made public in all circumstances.

"What Chor failed to realise is that if statistics o­n dengue deaths should be made public when the disease is endemic, then it is all the more imperative that they should be made public during an epidemic.

"(This disclosure) is the most important and effective first step to create nationwide alert and awareness to bring the outbreak under control," he said, claiming that the dengue problem in Malaysia had even reached "pandemic" status.

(A pandemic, when describing a disease, refers to its state of occurrence over a wide area and its impact o­n an exceptionally high proportion of the population.)

"The denial of the right to information about dengue cases and fatalities in the worst dengue epidemic in the nation's history is the most vivid example to illustrate Malaysia going backwards when the rest of the world are making big strides in promoting and protecting information rights," he said.

Conservative chambers

Meanwhile, Lim also criticised another participant at the UNDP conference - the Attorney-General's Chambers head of advisory and international division Idrus Harun - for saying that the freedom of media and information was not clearly spelt out under the Malaysian Constitution and that there could be contention over whether this freedom was part of the freedom of expression provision.

The DAP leader asserted that should there be such contentions, the AG's Chambers should then follow up this "analysis" with a constitutional amendment to remove any such ambiguity.

"Idrus made the unhelpful statement that any freedom was not absolute...when no o­ne had ever demanded absolute or unlimited freedoms.

"(This is) a most irresponsible refuge by those who want to evade arguments for legitimate protection for right to information and a free and responsible press," he said.

"The Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail should conduct a review of the participation of (the chamber's representatives) in future public conferences and seminars to ensure that it reflects an innovative and reformist (attitude) and not (one of) a conservative and reactionary law agency," he added.