Information Ministry's parliamentary secretary Zainuddin Maidin has refused to comment on Malaysiakini.com's inability to obtain press accreditation so that its journalists can cover ministers' and other government functions.

Fauziah Melan, personal assistant to Zainuddin, said that her boss was aware of the fax from malaysiakini requesting his comments on the press credentials and other issues.

However, she told malaysiakini that Zainuddin did not wish to respond.

"I showed him malaysiakini 's fax yesterday, and he said that he did not wish to answer the questions," said Fauziah, when contacted by telephone today.

Malaysiakini has tried to get in touch with Zainuddin, popularly known as Zam, since Monday but failed. Zam is not in his office today, reportedly away at a day-long meeting.

Yesterday, malaysiakini faxed a letter to Zam's office, requesting the senator to comment on several issues pertaining to press accreditation and press freedom.

In the fax, Zam was asked to clarify his comments on national television and newspapers attacking malaysiakini 's credibility and funding sources.

Zam had accused malaysiakini of seeking help from opposition parties DAP and PRM, and had called on malaysiakini to "clear its name over its funding controversy on its alleged link" to George Soros, the infamous international currency speculator.

The fax informed Zam that its application for press accreditation last April was rejected by the Information Ministry, and requested Zam's comments on the matter.

According to the ministry, the reason for the rejection was because malaysiakini does not have a publication licence. However, Internet websites do not need to obtain publication licence.

'Opposition lobbied for support'

The fax also noted that Zam was reported to have said " malaysiakini clearly does not fight for press freedom because it has lobbied support from opposition parties like DAP and PRM" ([#1] Ban on journalists aimed to stifle independent media[/#] , Feb 12).

"For your information, malaysiakini did not lobby any groups to get their support, and the press statements from DAP and PRM have also been sent to other newspapers. Unfortunately, malaysiakini was the only press which carried the statements. What is your comment on this?" the letter asked.

Zam was also reported to have said that he had information that Gan used to work for an anti-government media.

"Is this one of the reasons why malaysiakini is not allowed to cover government functions?" the letter enquired.

Before launching malaysiakini , Gan worked as editorial writer for The Nation in Bangkok and was special issues editor for local daily The Sun .

Zam was also asked to comment on the suggestion to review the Printing Presses and Publications Act and Officials Secrets Act as both Acts are said to curtail freedom of the press in this country.

According to Bernama on Tuesday, Zam lamented that malaysiakini editor Gan had refused to be interviewed by state-owned TV station RTM because it was one-sided.

"I would like to ask, is it not bias on the part of malaysiakini for the news reports it ran that came only from one side and in the form of sensationalism?" he asked.

"Today alone (Tuesday), a major portion of its news is in sensational form and giving a picture as though Malaysia is gripped by economic and political pressures and turmoil."

Funding controversy

Regional weekly Far Eastern Economic Review in its Feb 8 edition ran an interview with Soros, and in its introductory notes said that Malaysiakini.com was among the media organisations which have received funding from international financier Soros.

Malaysiakini has since refuted the allegations, and the Review has clarified that the Soros' Open Society Foundation "funded Southeast Asian Press Alliance (Seapa), one source of funding for malaysiakini ".

However, Malaysiakini.com chief executive officer Chandran pointed out in a statement that the Review 's clarification was "misleading" because it implied that the company received funds indirectly from Soros, which is not the case.

Both Seapa and the Open Society Institute, the organisation which administers Soros funds, have issued statements saying that the Review report was false, and no Soros funds went to malaysiakini , directly or otherwise.

On Feb 5, Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung stated that malaysiakini has been barred from covering any government functions, on grounds that its journalists do not have press accreditation, and that it is very critical of the government.

The next day, however, he denied saying the web-based daily was barred due to its critical stance ([#2] Ban on all press members without passes: Chor[/#] , Feb 6).

Credibility problem

Nevertheless, on the same day of Chor's announcement, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi allowed malaysiakini journalists to cover one of his official functions although his press aides were at first hesitant because of the daily's purportedly persona non grata status.

Last Sunday, Zainuddin explained that the ban was not because the website was critical of the government, but doubts regarding malaysiakini 's credibility.

He said that the online daily's credibility had been undermined by the Review 's report that it had received funding from Soros.