Mkini probe, Anwar's claim of twisted words tarnish govt's image: PSM

The Madani government’s image has been stained by reporters being probed for their sources and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim claiming that his words have been twisted by the media, said a PSM leader.

Party central committee member Nik Aziz Afiq said that this is despite Anwar’s reassurances that the country heading towards a free media following the sharp drop in the World Press Freedom rankings this year.

“We urge the prime minister, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and the police to issue a public apology to Malaysiakini and assure the media that such an incident will not happen again,” Nik Aziz (above) said in a statement.

Yesterday, the police summoned three Malaysiakini journalists over a news report on a possible Bukit Aman reshuffle, with the investigating officer directly asking for the identity of the source quoted in the article.

Before that, Fahmi called on journalists to cooperate with the police in investigations into their sources.

Simple denial would be enough

Nik Aziz said that Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain could have simply denied the report if it was untrue.

“Opening an investigation and, even worse, Fahmi’s call for Malaysiakini journalists to cooperate with the police are unhealthy actions that cannot be accepted at all,” he said.

The people have a right to know what is happening and restricting the media will block their access to information, he added.

Yesterday, Anwar also claimed that a Malaysiakini columnist had used different wording in translating his statement on the ringgit’s performance.

However, the issue stemmed from Bernama’s original reporting of his speech on the ringgit.

Nik Aziz slammed the incident as “malicious bullying” that could affect the perception of Malaysiakini’s credibility.

He said that Anwar could have admitted to making a mistake, comparing it to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s apology after a slip of the tongue at a rally when he accidentally chanted support for Israel.

Press freedom ranking drop

On May 3, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its 2024 World Press Freedom rankings, revealing that Malaysia had dropped 34 spots from 73rd last year.

For the first time in three years, Malaysia did not top the rankings for Asean countries, with Thailand attaining 87th place.

Fahmi excused the fall, saying that “it’s not too bad”, especially when compared to the previous administration.

He later came under fire from Bersatu leader Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who pointed out that Malaysia ranked worse than Israel at 101.

Fahmi responded by saying: “Unlike Israel, we don’t kill people like what is happening in Gaza.”

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