PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government would let the media criticise it without fear. 

He added that the media should also give the opposition space to air their views. 

“Due to changing with the times and political climate, this government has decided that the media in this country should get freedom without censorship.

“This also includes the opposition’s view. Criticisms against the prime minister and the government should be voiced out without fear,” he said during the 2023 National Journalists’ Day (Hawana) summit at Casuarina Convention Centre in Ipoh.

“If there are any criticisms against the government, we should accept it and try to fix the problem.

“However, this doesn’t include sparking racist and religious issues that may destroy the unity of the people,” he added.

Anwar also said newspapers would continue to play an important role in disseminating information and could survive if they maintained their integrity and standards. 

Although social media has somewhat taken over the role of newspapers, the prime minister believes that newspapers are more relevant than social media. 

“I represent the old school. It is a must for me to read newspapers every day, apart from following a bit of developments on social media,” he said. 

About 1,000 media practitioners gathered at the Hawana summit, themed “Media Bebas Tunjang Demokrasi” (Free Media, Pillar of Democracy) and held to honour the press. 

Anwar said the duty of a journalist was not merely to report information but also to spark ideas based on values. 

“When we talk about this country being Madani and democratic, it means we want to instil values, not narrow thinking which can weaken and extinguish the people’s spirit or divide them. 

“So, the development of values and Madani is important. This (Madani) is special and unique because it emphasises values and morals that underline thinking, development, media freedom, and others. So, I would urge our media friends to disseminate information based on knowledge and values,” he added.

At the summit, the prime minister also announced an allocation of RM1 million for Tabung Kasih@Hawana, a Communications and Digital Ministry initiative established in conjunction with Hawana 2023 to help media practitioners and ex-journalists who needed help. 

Anwar also presented contributions from the fund to three veteran journalists in Perak, namely former freelance reporter Ou So Ha @ Ou Kok Meng, 74; Tamil Malar newspaper stringer V. Maniam, 76; and Independent.my news portal editor Haron Shafei, 65. 

Earlier, Haslinda Ahmad, the widow of former TV3 cameraman Rosli Abu Bakar, also received a similar contribution under the same initiative. – May 28, 2023.