Exploitation of the press

At least a decade ago, I used to be part of an informal orchestra and was fascinated with how music was formed by various instruments.

The trombone, a magnificently constructed piece of art, was never an easy brass instrument to master but hours and weeks of practice got me by.

But as well as any brass device is fabricated, the most essential part is the mouthpiece.

Lose that – as I learnt the hard way – and the whole instrument is almost worthless because the sound will be anything but palatable.

This is similar to the truly vital role the media plays in any democratic setting.

It provides the lyrics to an otherwise soulless soundtrack, taking worldly ideas and opinions and translating them into bite-sized pieces to educate the public so that you and I are empowered.

While the traditional three arms of state – Parliament, executive and judiciary – are said to be the most important institutions since the birth of democracy, it is the media and its freedom which makes everything tick.

But in Malaysia, many politicians do not treat the idea of media freedom as important.

A whole host of people got hot and bothered when a particular media organisation was suspended for three months from July 27 this year due to its apparent reports on the hotly-debated 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) issue.

Even a protest was organised to display their seeming concern and dissatisfaction that the media was being oppressed.

But when a more important ruling was made, curtailing the number of journalists allowed into Parliament, barely a word was raised – barring from one MP – despite the fact that politicians would be almost non-existent without the presence of the media.

This could come down to personal ambition – The Edge was suspended due to 1MDB, hence the political angle to it – versus the stifling of media presence in Parliament, which hasn’t gained the attention and scrutiny it rightfully needs.

Limiting the number of media personnel allowed into Parliament is a direct violation of people’s access to knowledge and information on the ongoings in the arena of democracy.

Parliament, after all, is the closest that people can get to influencing the agenda of their nation, with the executive and judiciary being government appointments.

The media is an extension to this, as everyone relies on the role the press plays to realise democracy.

If politicians truly care about press freedom, they should walk the talk and stand by journalists who are now facing indirect muffling in exercising their responsibilities.

Don't just do it when it serves their purpose

If there is one word which can sum up the state of Malaysian politics and its actors, it would be "unprincipled".

"Inconsistent" and "opportunists" would probably battle it out for second and third places respectively.

That pretty much explains why we are where we are, still stuck with a deteriorating system because "the other side" is not much better than the men in power today.

If only some politicians realised that without the media, they would be like that brass instrument missing a mouthpiece – full of sound of fury, signifying nothing. – November 18, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.