The announcement that only journalists with press accreditations can cover government functions are aimed to stifle the spirit of independent media in Malaysia, said a media watchdog group today.

The Coalition of Independent Media Activists (Kami) said it was concerned with the requirement imposed on malaysiakini journalists to have the proper accreditation before attending any government press conferences.

Kami spokesperson Ahmad Lutfi Othman said the ban on malaysiakini journalists was a "backdoor" route to Internet censorship.

Last week, Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung said that malaysiakini was barred from attending government press conferences as it was too critical of the government, and that its journalists did not have proper press accreditations.

Attack on credibility

Yesterday Information Ministry parliamentary secretary Zainuddin Maidin explained that the ban was not because the website was critical of the government but because of doubts regarding malaysiakini 's credibility.

He said that malaysiakini 's credibility had been undermined by a report that it had received aid from the "Open Society Fund" operated by international currency trader George Soros.

Ahmad Lutfi said the government's move to control the Internet followed its earlier moves to shut down other independent publications such as the Eksklusif , Detik and Al-Wasilah magazines.

He called on the Human Rights Commission to look into the right of free expression in the country, and called the National Union of Journalists to fight for press freedom.

"If press freedom is not encouraged, then all information will be controlled by the government- backed mainstream media, and this is not good for freedom of expression," said Ahmad Lutfi.

Hatchet man

Meanwhile, DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang said Zainuddin's attack on malaysiakini was baseless and unwarranted, adding that the attack by the former journalist showed that he (Zainuddin) has picked up the worst in politics after being appointed to his post just recently.

"He should have introduced into politics the best in journalism after his 40 years as journalist," said Lim in a statement today.

Lim said Zainuddin has become the "hatchet-man" of the government to tighten press freedom as well as to venture into the new realm of restricting online news portals like malaysiakini .

He added that Zainuddin was being very unprofessional by regurgitating the allegation that malaysiakini was funded by Soros.

" Malaysiakini had clearly and satisfactorily clarified the mistaken Far Eastern Economic Review report that Soros was one of its financial backers."

The Review stated in an article titled 'Leveling the Field' in its Feb 8 edition that malaysiakini was among the media organisations in Asia which received fund from Soros' fund.

Untrue report

Malaysiakini.com chief executive officer Premesh Chandran has said in a statement that the Review 's report was not true.

This inaccurate detail appeared in the introduction to an interview with Soros conducted by the Review 's Nayan Chanda in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan 28.

The Open Society Institute, which adminsters Soros' foundation, has also send a letter to the Review stating that malaysiakini was not a recipient of any aid from the American financier.

The Review has since issued a clarification, stating Soros funds Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance (Seapa), which is "one source of funding for malaysiakini ".

This clarification was described as "inadequate" and "misleading" by Chandran as it suggested that malaysiakini received funds indirectly from Soros, which was not the case.

Chandran added that malaysiakini , launched in November 1999, was financed from a mix of different sources, including grants from Seapa, a regional network of journalist organisations.

Seapa has also released a statement stating that malaysiakini does not received funds, either directly or indirectly, from Soros.

No mindset

Lim also said that Zainuddin should play an active role in the government by pushing for a free and independent media.

He also said that if credibility of any news organisation was to be the qualification to attend government press conferences, then such conferences will be a rare event.

"This is because the credibility of the majority of the mainstream print and electronic media are very low indeed," he added.

Lim also said that Zainudddin's statement was also a powerful signal that the present cabinet and government do not have the mindset to lead Malaysia into the information age.

Questions, not distance

Meanwhile, PRM vice president Rustam Sani refuted Zainuddin's claims that journalists in Malaysia are free to cover ministers by interviewing them at close range.

Zainuddin had said that in Britain or the United States, their respective leaders are interviewed by journalists only from a distance "as though they are listening to the speeches of the prime minister or president concerned".

Rustam, a former Utusan Malaysia columnist, said the distance of the journalists from the ministers were not important.

"What is important is the types of questions that could be asked, the answers given, and what could be published," said Rustam.

Rustam said that there were many instances of journalists being reprimanded by their editors for asking penetrating questions.