Freedom of expression on the information highway should be granted with minimum constraints in order to place the potential of digital information at the service of human development, Asian Institute for Development Communication (Aidcom) chairman Mazlan Nordin said today.

"Digital information dissemination is already here to dominate our lives. Through the Internet and numerous websites, we are witnessing the birth of the individual freedom to act as receivers or transmitters," he said when opening a panel discussion organised to commemorate World Press Freedom Day.

"We have also seen that this information highway is being misused for the circulation of harmful ideas, disinformation and propaganda. Such harmful effects may encourage governments to impose or force greater restrictions and severe constraints on the use of the Internet," he said.

Mazlan also stressed that the job of a journalist is one of the riskiest as well as the most open to temptation.

"Ironically, the fight for free expression, which has claimed countless victims over the years, does continue today, as brave men and women in many nations resist the danger to report the facts accurately and faithfully, and to respect the right of the public to know the truth," he said.

The panel discussion organised by Aidcom in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and the United Nations Development Programme was attended by about 100 people.

One of the panel members, The Star chief reporter Shaila Koshy, said that there should not be two sets of regulations that govern the press and online media, as they are both within the same industry.

Shaila, a National Press Club exco member, also called for the early establishment of a press council to self regulate the industry so that the government could then repeal the restrictive Printing Presses and Publications Act which requires annual licensing.

Later, during the question-and-answer session, Sin Chew Jit Poh senior writer James Wong related an incident pertaining to PAS newspaper Harakah .

"I was in the Chow Kit area yesterday, and I asked a 'mamak' stall owner for a copy of the Harakah newspaper. He told me, "I cannot sell the paper, the police will arrest me." Later, he brought me a copy of a pornographic 'girlie' magazine and said, "This one, no problem."' he said to the laughter of the audience.

Meanwhile, UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and Unesco director-general Koichiro Matsuura, through a joint statement today urged governments all over the world to protect the rights of all citizens to reliable information and the right of journalists to provide it without fearing for their security, freedom and life.

"In every society, freedom of the press is essential to transparency, accountability, good governance and the rule of law. It cannot be suppressed without dire consequences for social cohesion and stability," said the statement, read by UNDP Malaysia resident representative Phillips J. Young said.

The first World Press Freedom Day of the new millennium today serves as an occasion to inform the public of violations of the rights to freedom of expression and as a reminder that many journalists, editors and publishers brave death or jail to bring people their daily news.

The last year was a particularly dangerous year for media personnel, as 71 journalists were killed in the course of their duty. At the same time, 80 journalists are currently imprisoned and 69 others still missing in countries all over the world.