I refer to the suspension of The Heat weekly paper by the government for criticising PM Najib and Rosmah’s spending.
The suspension is undemocratic, arbitrary and an intolerable assault upon the freedom of the press. It is calculated to keep the media fearful, subservient and emasculated. It proves that PM Najib Razak is a tyrant unfit to govern a democratic nation.
The suspension is in clear breach of Article 10 of the federal constitution which protects freedom of speech , including freedom of the press. Art 10 rights can only be curtailed on grounds of national security, public order or morality. How is criticising the PM and his wife, against national security, public order or morality?
It is clear that the suspension is a personal act of retribution and punishment by Najib and Rosmah against the Heat weekly paper for daring to criticise them. Najib and Rosmah thus lower themselves to the level of tyrants such as Ferdinand & Imelda Marcos. It is impossible for the suspension to have been ordered without Najib’s approval and connivance.
The suspension also proves that Najib’s 2012 amendments to the PPPA 1984 was purely cosmetic and intended to fool the people into believing his false claims of ‘ democratising’ the BN’s oppressive governance of Malaysia. Pakatan Rakyat had warned then that the PPPA amendments would not restore press freedom, and we regret that we have been proven right.
We call upon Najib to immediately lift the suspension of the Heat news weekly and undertake publicly not to interfere with press freedom in future. We further call for the entire repeal of the PPPA 1984 in the next session of the Dewan Rakyat.
N Surendran
Vice President, Keadilan
MP Padang Serai