Bersatu leader slams Fahmi over 'media card not licence' remark

Bersatu information chief Razali Idris has slammed Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil for saying that a press accreditation card is not a licence to practise journalism.

According to Razali, the remark is tantamount to an insult to media practitioners in the country.

"Do not fool the people, and media practitioners on the function of media cards by comparing them to licence to practise medicine, law, architecture, or engineering.

"All this while, media practitioners are aware that the government-issued press accreditation cards are to facilitate their move freely without any professional restrictions.

"The question at hand here is talks about tightening rules for obtaining media cards, shortening the renewal period, and controlling media personnel with mainstream or online news organisations - all of which look like efforts to restrict media freedom," Razali said in a statement today.

Respect journalists

He urged Fahmi to respect the media and journalism profession.

"Remember that freedom fighters and champions of the nation came from the untiring sweat of journalists and media practitioners."

Yesterday, Fahmi said that the press accreditation card is not a licence to practise journalism, unlike those given to medical or legal practitioners.

Instead, it’s merely to facilitate media access to official events, he explained.

The minister said this in justifying the Information Department’s move to issue media cards with shorter validity to journalists from various online news agencies.

Further defending the move, Fahmi also cited instances where the access granted via the cards had been abused by certain practitioners.

Media freedom advocacy group Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) "thanked" Fahmi for his remark, and said instances of certain practitioners "abusing" their media cards only make the case for an independent media council stronger.

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