This Tamil female journalist remains fearless and determined to report the truth despite two death threats brought on by her report on men suspected of rioting on Thaipusam day in Penang.

 

Requesting anonymity, she said, "I leave it to God as I know what I am doing is right. After all, I was just reporting what the police said in my article.”

 

She urged the police to speed up their probe after she received threatening phone calls for reporting that 33 men suspected of rioting in Penang on Thaipusam day had been rounded up by the force.

 

"I have given them the number of the mobile phone of the person who threatened me," she told Malaysiakini , when contacted.

 

On Feb 1, at about 9.11pm, the 27-year-old reporter who hails from Perak, received a call from 0109721701.

 

The stranger knew she was from Buntong in Ipoh, and told her he had distributed her photos to everyone who could ‘finish her off’.

 

The reporter then lodged a police report at the Northeast Police headquarters in Jalan Pattani the same night.

 

"The caller asked me not to report on the 33 men who were detained by the police for suspected rioting. I told him to refer to the police as the statement came from them.

 

"The man said I should not be telling him this and that he will finish me off because I reported on the matter," the reporter said.

 

The reporter claimed she also received a threatening phone call on Jan 28. This time the caller warned of assaulting her as well as threatening legal action for her report which was published on the same day in Makkal Osai , the Tamil language daily she works for.

 

Geramm condemns threats

The reporter's ordeal prompted a Kuala Lumpur-based journalist group, Gerakan Media Marah (Geramm), to condemn the death threats against her as attempts to intimidate and silence the media.

 

"Penang police is reportedly investigating the case after the 27-year-old journalist had lodged a report on Monday night but Geramm notes with concern that she was still assigned to cover the Thaipusam celebrations by her employer despite the threats against her," the statement said.

 

"While we understand the need to be professional in the pursuit of our duties, the safety of journalists should also be seen to," the statement added.

 

Geramm urged all quarters concerned to respect media practitioners who are discharging their duties in keeping the public informed, and stop such acts of intimidation.

 

It also called on the police to ensure the safety of the journalist in question as well as those discharging their duties in the same profession.

 

Meanwhile, the Penang Chinese Journalists and Photographers Association urged police to act soon as the reporter's family had also been threatened by the stranger.

 

The media group emphasised that journalists were just carrying out their duties and reporting based on information given by police.

 

"Reporters are merely playing their role to report issues pertaining to public interest and should not be the target of reprisal and the right of the public to be informed should not be deprived with such threats," the group added.