Begin forwarded message:
> From: Sacha Jotisalikorn <sacha@forumasia.org>
> Date: Wed Mar 5, 2003 17:25:58 Asia/Bangkok
> To: foe-foi-news@forumasia.org
> Subject: Umno Youth says Malaysiakini is 'healthy' for media scene
>
> Malaysiakini
>
> Umno Youth says Malaysiakini is 'healthy' for media scene
>
> YS Tong
> 2:10pm Fri Feb 28th, 2003
>
> A month after lodging a police report against malaysiakini, Umno Youth=20=
> now says the online daily is a healthy development in the local media=20=
> scene as it has raised issues and sought answers to improve political=20=
> discussions in the country. =A0
> =A0
> The movement's information chief Azimi Daim reportedly said this in an=20=
> interview with youth magazine Siasah published in its March > =
edition.=A0=A0=A0
> =A0
> "Actually malaysiakini is a platform used by various political=20
> leaders; there are those who raise issues and there are those who will=20=
> reply. It is a platform for discussion of political issues. =A0
> =A0
> "I see what malaysiakini is doing as an alternative media as a healthy=20=
> thing. It is a healthy development," he was quoted as saying.=A0=A0=A0
> =A0
> Azimi said Umno Youth believes in press freedom because the media=20
> should be allowed to "write anything that is of public interest unless=20=
> it is based on lies or false information".
>
> Masters of this land=A0=A0=A0
> =A0
> He also cautioned that press freedom must be exercised ethically by=20
> taking into consideration=A0social sensitivities in the country. =A0
> =A0
> "These sensitivities do not change with time, social condition and=20
> place...in Malaysia, everybody knows that Malays are the masters of=20
> this land. We rule this country as provided for in the Federal=20
> Constitution.=A0Any one who touches upon=A0Malay affairs or criticises=20=
> Malays is (offending) our sensitivities," he said.=A0=A0=A0
> =A0
> Azimi lodged a police report on Jan 17, calling for an investigation=20=
> into an allegedly seditious letter published by malaysiakini two weeks=20=
> before. The letter, written by a reader under the pseudonym=A0"Petrof",=20=
> had compared bumiputera to "new Americans" in their treatment of=20
> native Americans. =A0
> =A0
> Four days later, the police raided malaysiakini office and seized 19=20=
> of its computers. The police action was met with strong condemnation=20=
> from both local and inernational groups. Fifteen computers have since=20=
> been returned in batches but the remaining four servers are still with=20=
> the police.=A0=A0
>
> Not fighting with malaysiakini
> =A0
> In the interview with Siasah, Azimi however said Umno Youth has no=20
> intention to "fight with malaysiakini". =A0
> =A0
> "Instead, we lodged a report to fight with Petrof's article...I don't=20=
> want to comment on the police raid but for those in Umno Youth, our=20
> job is to do something when people challenged the agenda of our=20
> struggle," he said.=A0=A0=A0
> =A0
> Asked why Umno Youth did not reply to the letter but chose to lodge a=20=
> police report, he said the movement had to first =A0"stop it from=20
> spreading" before it replied. =A0
> =A0
> He said Umno Youth was still considering the invitation by=20
> malaysiakini to have a dialogue. =A0
> =A0
> "We haven't decided on that. It is not that we are afraid of them. The=20=
> question is we need to think of what do we want to achieve out of the=20=
> dialogue. It will not be good if after the dialogue, they attack us=20
> again with their writings," he said.=A0=A0
>
> No pressure on PC Suria
> =A0
> He denied that there was pressure from Umno in relation to the=20
> eviction notice by the landlord of malaysiakini's rented office, PC=20
> Suria and the swift police raid.=A0=A0=A0
> =A0
> "Although PC Suria is owned by Umno people, we have nothing to do with=20=
> the eviction [notice]. We were shocked when we learned about the=20
> [notice]. =A0
> =A0
> "The police have a high level of professionalism, judging by their=20
> ability to solve many cases within a short time. It is not right to=20
> say that the police acted fast on malaysiakini just because Umno Youth=20=
> lodged the report. There were instances where police did not respond=20=
> to our reports in the past too," he said. =A0
> =A0
> He also denied that his report against malaysiakini was to boost his=20=
> standing in Umno and strengthen his position in its Youth movement.=A0=A0=
=A0
> =A0
> "The report could have been lodged by any one of the exco members. But=20=
> they asked me to because I am the information chief which deals with=20=
> publication matters," he said. =A0
> =A0
> Meanwhile, in another interview published next to Azimi's,=20
> malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan was quoted as warning that if=20=
> any charges are pressed against himself or the online daily, there=20
> will be serious repercussions on investors' perception about the=20
> country's information technology policy. =A0 =A0
> =A0
> He also said malaysiakini will ignore the eviction notice and will=20
> settle the matter in court.=A0=A0=A0=
attatchment (text/enriched) ignored