The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has urged its members and all media practitioners to report "without fear or favour" at the upcoming general election.

NONE Union president Chin Sung Chew ( left ) in a statement late yesterday also urged political parties to assist the media in performing its duty in ensuring a "free and fair election".

"It is the duty of journalists to supply to all individuals with diverse information.

"The NUJ, representing 1,500 working journalists, hopes that the parties will endeavour to assist the press - widely regarded as the fourth estate in a democratic system - to carry out its duties for the well-being of the public and the nation.

"We would like to emphasise to our members that a journalist's role is to disseminate facts and information without fear or favour in achieving national unity and development," he said.

Bedrock of democracy

Chin stressed that fair polls are the bedrock of the parliamentary democratic process, but this cannot happen if the electorate does not have free access to balanced reporting.

"As professional journalists, we are expected to lead the public and provide information to our readers and public viewers.

"Electorates must be given the free will, ready access to information, (as well as) news and commentaries for them to elect their wakil rakyat , their federal government, and state governments who will make decisions on their behalf over the next five years," he said.

He also reminded NUJ members that fair and balanced reporting is also one of the resolutions passed in the union's extraordinary delegates meeting last year.

The delegates had then passed a resolution to also call upon the parties that will obtain the mandate to form the next federal government, to set up a parliamentary select committee to review all laws which curb freedom of expression, speech and assembly.

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