Monday 2 June 2008

Journalists, bloggers walk to press for more freedom


A group of journalists and bloggers took part in a walk to Dataran Merdeka Sunday to push for more press freedom in the country.

The “Walk for Press Freedom”, organised by the Writers Alliance for Media Independence, Centre for Independent Journalism, National Alliance of Bloggers, and Benar, a cybergroup championing a free and fair media, was originally scheduled for 9am.

However. it took place after de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim spoke (read here) at the National Press Club. The group gathered at Dataran Merdeka but 15 minutes later a police team came and ordered them to disperse before noon “otherwise we might have to arrest you for illegal assembly.”

Before noon, the group had dispersed.

Earlier at the club, National Union of Journalist president Norila Mohd Daud urged for the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Official Secrets Act.

She also criticised the Prime Minister's Department for lodging a police report against the media for publishing the Royal Commission Report on the V.K. Lingam video clip before it was made public. - the Star

Read Galadriel's Walking on the wildside with Zaid Ibrahim here, Rocky's Where were the editors, here and Benar's Report on the Media Freedom Walk, here

Picture: Courtesy of Galadriel

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