Press Statement
by Lim Guan Eng

(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): Media Prima Bhd’s 100% acquisition of ntv7 and control of all the country’s  free-to-air television stations may result in its monopoly becoming a black hole swallowing press freedom and freedom of information in Malaysia. Media Prima already controls TV3, 8TV and the now defunct Channel 9, which is expected to resume operations by the first quarter of next year.

DAP opposes such media monopoly by one media conglomerate as unhealthy because it encourages uniformity of opinion and stifles any diversity of views and news necessary towards establishing a civil society. Further, the lack of competition resulting from a monopoly would not improve the economic value, quality and productivity of programmes and services provided. More importantly, viewers are denied their democratic right of choice because the power exercised by a media monopoly can threaten a democracy by preventing voters from making an informed decision.

The RM 90 million purchase of ntv7 group may be a good investment for the UMNO-linked Media Prima by allowing Media Prima to emerge as the sole owner of all free-to-air television stations. However, this is likely to prove disastrous for press freedom and freedom of information in the country. How can there be independent, unbiased and free press reporting if all the print and broadcasting media are controlled by BN parties?

With Media Prima also controlling the New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Bhd, which publishes the English language dailies New Straits Times and The Malay Mail as well as the vernacular Berita Harian and Harian Metro dailies, is the country biggest media conglomerate and the only one with interests in all three mediums - print, radio and TV. UMNO also controls the Utusan Malaysia group of papers. Other TV radio stations not directly controlled by BN are Ananda Krishnan’s satellite TV station Astro, which has 54 channels, and eight radio stations.

Other media owners such as MCA  owns both print(English paper The Star, Chinese papers Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press) and Chinese radio stations (988, RedFM104.9), but not TV stations. MIC-linked leaders control Tamil-papers, Tamil Nesan and Nanban. The other print, radio and TV stations are owned by those leaders associated with BN.

There is a danger that such concentration of media power in the hands of the ruling party may reduce journalists to the practice of relaying government news, making newspapers no different from government gazettes. The U.S.-based Freedom House that also ranks a country's press freedom placed Malaysia at 152 out of 194 countries, lower than Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and even Cambodia and Afghanistan.

The Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontier ranked Malaysia at 110 under the first Press Freedom Index in 2002, 104 in 2003 and 122 in 2004. However Malaysia’s ranking improved to 113 for 2005 Press Freedom Index, though still losing out to Indonesia at 102 and Thailand at 107. Hopes of further improvement or a fresh breeze of press freedom appears slim with the latest monopoly. DAP would not be surprised if Malaysia slips further down in its ranking next year.

The refusal by Media Prima to commit on reviving the popular interactive radio programme WaFM despite its profitable outlook, highlights that it is not motivated by profits but that there is a larger agenda. DAP regrets that the Information Ministry has failed to perform its role as the guardian of competition and free and unbiased press by opposing the establishment of such a monopoly.

The loud silence and lack of protests from the Information Ministry contrasts with the practice in developed countries against such concentration of media power in one group as it may pose a threat to democratic freedoms. Clearly, the Information Ministry and the government have given its blessings to put the mass media under control and sacrificed press freedom and freedom of information.

(29/10/2005)