National Union of Journalists Malaysia

The Malaysian Insider | 1 May 2012


The IFJ said more than 12 photographers and journalists were assaulted, intimidated or detained by police while reporting on Saturday. - Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya must form an independent panel to investigate claims that police manhandled journalists covering Saturday’s Bersih rally, journalist organisations said today.The National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ) maintained that the panel should comprise a retired judge, a former Bar Council President as well as journalism experts.

“Reporters, including those from foreign press, were beaten while on duty, and this is a serious accusation.

“The panel should summon police officers involved, as well as the journalists and photographers to testify, so that the public can finally know what transpired during the Bersih 3.0 rally,” NUJ said in a statement.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) revealed in a statement that more than 12 photographers and journalists were assaulted, intimidated or detained by police while reporting the rally.

“Many were injured, with some receiving injuries serious enough to require stitches and hospitalisation,” it said.

The IFJ added they were alarmed to have witnessed police officers threatening and assaulting journalists who were “only engaged in reporting legitimate news stories”.

“The press should be able to report freely on events in the public interest, without fear for their public safety.

“We urge Inspector-General Tan Sri Ismail to ensure police officers fulfil their duty to protect the safety of media personnel in the interests of press freedom,” it said.

Yesterday, human rights group Proham called for an independent panel to investigate all instances of violence that took place during the Bersih rally, adding that the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) could help with the probe.

The Bersih rally for free and fair elections turned chaotic when Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel began firing tear gas and water cannons after demonstrators breached police lines in their attempt to reach Dataran Merdeka.

The event was initially planned for the historic square but authorities had secured a court order on Friday barring its use for public assemblies until May 1, forcing Bersih supporters to splinter into groups.

Kenyataan Akbar NUJM

Kepada semua Ketua Pengarang/ ketua-ketua meja am,

Kesatuan Kebangsaan Wartawan Semenanjung Malaysia (NUJ) menyeru kerajaan menubuhkan satu Jawatankuasa Bebas untuk menyiasat insiden atau kes serangan yang melibatkan anggota PDRM terhadap wartawan dalam perhimpunan BERSIH 3.0 Sabtu lepas.

Kami mengesyorkan bahawa Jawatankuasa Bebas tersebut harus diketuai oleh sekurang-kurang 3 ahli iaitu seorang hakim yang bersara, bekas Presiden Majlis Peguam dan ahli akademik yang pakar dalam kewartawan dan undang-undang kewartawanan NUJ berpendirian bahawa Jawatankuasa Bebas harus mengambil alih siasatan kerana polis yang dituduh melakukan keganasan terhadap anggota media.

Wartawan, termasuk dari media asing, dipukul semasa bertugas dan ini merupakan satu tuduhan yang serius. Ianya jelas bertentangan dengan prinsip demokrasi serta bertentangan dengan hak wartawan untuk melakukan tugas dalam suasana dan persekitaraan aman.

Biarlah Jawatankuasa tersebut memanggil anggota polis yang terlibat dan para wartawan dan jurugambar untuk memberi keterangan supaya orang ramai akhirnya mengetahui apa yang berlaku semasa perhimpunan BERSIH 3.0.

NUJ juga ingin mengesyorkan semua syarikat-syarikat media agar menyumbang dalam bentuk kewangan untuk Jawatankuasa Bebas ini menjalankan tugas mereka.

Kami berharap cadangan NUJ mendapat sokongan dari semua golongan yang mahukan satu siasatan dan keputusan yang telus dan kredible.

Kami berharap agar hasil daripada laporan siasatan ini dapat dijadikan satu panduan kepada sebarang insiden yang tidak diingini pada masa akan datang.

Sekian dimaklumkan, terima kasih.

Yang benar,

Presiden
CHIN SUNG CHEW
1 Mei 2012

To: All NUJ-Star Members

Saudara/ Saudari

Re : NUJ-Star Branch Biennial General Meeting.

Pursuant to Rule 30 of the Union Constitution, the NUJ-Star Branch will hold its Biennial General Meeting on May 29, 2012.

In accordance with Rule 30.2, a notice to all members calling for the Bennial General Meeting, calling for motions for discussion at the meeting, nomination for election of principal office bearers and delegates must reach the branch secretary by May 14.

Nomination shall be open for the following positions: Chairman. Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer and Committee Members (six positions).

Nomination forms shall be obtained from the Branch Chairman (Teh Eng Hock) upon request.

Please refer to the Branch Chairman (enghock@thestar.com.my) or Branch Secretary (lisagoh@thestar.com.my) for any clarification.

Thank you.

On behalf of the NUJ-Star Committee.

LISA GOH
Secretary NUJ-Star

Following the Bersih 3.0 rally, journalists from all media - print, broadcast, online, etc - have banded together to condemn the attacks on journalists covering the mass public rally on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday April 28 2012.

You can sign the petition here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/don-t-beat-up-journalists#

Crowds during Bersih 3.0 rally at Masjid Jamek.
Credit: AZMAN GHANI / The Star

Dear all,

Did you get hurt while covering the Bersih 3.0 rally? Did the crowd or the authorities intimidate you, or forced you to delete your videos and photos? If you were, we would like to hear from you. Do drop me a note at enghock.teh@gmail.com.

Take care.
enghock

The STAR | 30 April 2012

PETALING JAYA: The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar to investigate the alleged assault of pressmen during Saturday’s Bersih 3.0 rally.

“The IGP should give an explanation,” said NUJ general secretary V. Anbalagan.

A number of press photographers were allegedly assaulted by police on Saturday. Some were also believed to have been intimidated.

“Why target the press?” Anbalagan asked, and questioned why some of their cameras were confiscated.

He urged journalists and videographers to e-mail their eye-witness accounts to NUJ at nujmsia@streamyx.com so that a formal report could be compiled.

The Association of Editors of Chinese Medium Malaysia president Pook Ah Lek said two Chinese newspaper photographers, Tan Chee Hui from Sin Chew Daily and another from Guang Ming Daily, were beaten up. “The Sin Chew photographer was hit on the back of his head and had his camera taken away, which was returned later. The Guang Ming photographer was beaten quite badly. This should not have happened,” said Pook.

Low Boon Tat, a photographer with The Star, said he was at the Masjid Jamek LRT station at around 7.30pm on Saturday when he was shouted at by policeman for snapping pictures of those being arrested before he was swiftly surrounded by about 10 uniformed personnel.

“I said that I was from the media and they ordered me to delete the photos in my camera,” he said, claiming that his leg was kicked.

“They then knocked my camera against the wall, smashing the lens.”

He said they also threatened to arrest him and dangled a pair of handcuffs in front of him before they took away his camera memory card.

Low lodged a police report at the Tun H.S. Lee police station yesterday.

Another photographer from The Star, P. Nathan said he was surrounded by five people, including policemen in uniform, after he snapped pictures near the Masjid Jamek LRT station.

They threatened to arrest him and seize his camera but he offered to clear his memory card of the images he had taken before they let him go.

Wong Onn Kin, a photographer from Guang Ming Daily, said he was at the Jalan Tun Perak - Jalan Raja intersection when police charged at protesters who had taunted the cops.

“Then, they saw me taking photos and grabbed hold of me before three officers punched the back of my head.

“I identified myself as a pressman but one of them tugged at my media tag until the strap snapped,” Wong said.

He said he was arrested and his camera confiscated. He was taken to a temporary detention centre and released at 9.30pm - minus his camera. He, too, has lodged a police report.

The Star executive director and group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai urged the IGP to carry out immediate investigations. He said there had been previous protests but this was the first time so many photographers had complained about police obstructing them from carrying out their duties.“This is most disturbing and unfortunate,” he said.

The Malay Mail managing editor Terence Fernandez said its photographer Arif Kartono made a police report, alleging that a group of officers pushed him to the ground and stomped on him while he was taking pictures.

“We are appalled that one of our own has been roughed up by the police while on duty.

“While we understand that the police were under tremendous pressure to contain the situation, their actions in assaulting pressmen who were on the job is inexcusable,” he said.

“The unprovoked actions of these rogue officers do not do justice to the entire force,” he said, adding that a formal complaint would be made to the IGP.

*Pix courtesy of Guang Ming Daily, The China Press and Low Boon Tat

Yes, if you have completed at least one full calendar year of employment with the company before resigning. The annual bonus is listed under Clause 37 of the CA. The provision states that in order to be eligible for a bonus payment, the employee must have completed one calendar year of service with the Company.

CLAUSE 37 - ANNUAL BONUS

(i) (b) Every employee other than an employee on probation shall be paid a bonus payment in respect of his continuous employment with the Company during the whole of every calendar year (1st January to 31st December) or, where an employee is employed by the Company for a portion of a calendar year, a bonus payment proportionate to that portion, in respect of his employment with the Company during that portion of that calendar year, provided that the employee has completed one (1) year’s continuous employment with the Company prior to such portion of the calendar year’s employment.

Example X:
Date Joined - 1 July 2010
Cessation Date - 13 Nov 2011
(not entitled as X needs to work for the full year of 2010 in order to be eligible for bonus in 2011)

Example Y:
Date Joined - 9 July 2007
Cessation Date - 6 Oct 2011
(entitled - as Y meets requirement of working full year in 2010)

Dear all,

Last Sunday, the company launched an exciting new project called the iSnap. Although details of what it entails are still a bit blurry, nonetheless, some members have expressed their concerns about the extra workload.

As managing director Ho Kay Tat wrote:
“For reporters, you will write, take photos and shoot video clips using your smart phones. And you will be standing in front of the camera to report from the ground so readers can read what you write and i-snap to watch and listen to you via a video-clip.

For photographers, all the “hot shots” you take will no longer be confined to the photo archives. There may be space only for one or two photos in print, but you can now display them all in the photo gallery.

For the sub-editors/editors, you can now make your pages/sections come alive! You are limited only by your creativity.
Think multi-media when you plan and lay out your page.”

NUJ-Star has no intention to shoot down this project. Instead, we would like to gather more feedback from our members on iSnap so that we can iron out your grouses and concerns with the company. As always, we seek for a “win-win” resolution for all parties.

Do let the NUJ-Stsar committee know what you think of the iSnap, positively or negatively. It would be best though, to be professional and not emotional, when airing your views. If you don’t already know us, your friendly neighborhood Spidermen are listed here http://nujstar.org/?page_id=56

Alternatively, you can write to me at enghock@thestar.com.my. Please note “NUJ: iSnap” as the subject of your email.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,
enghock

NUJ in collaboration with Universiti Selangor (UNISEL) will hold the forum in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day 2012 on May 3, 2012.
 
The theme for this year as declared by UNESCO is “New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies”. 
 
The event will be held at the Universiti Selangor, Shah Alam, Selangor on May 3, 2012 from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm.
 
The Forum will comprise a Keynote Address, followed by a Panel Discussion.  Based on the recent fascinating and exciting developments in Turkey, the organisers feel that it would be pertinent to have the Keynote Speaker this time to come from the Country.  Last year, following the Arab Spring, the Keynote Speaker was Amina Gamil Khairy, Feature Editor from Al Hayat International Daily, Cairo, Egypt.  The members of the panel will comprise Malaysian senior journalists, as well as prominent human rights / press freedom advocators.  A detailed programme is attached. 

Programme

Concept Paper

The STAR | 19 April 2012 

PETALING JAYA: Media organisations view the amendments to the Printing Presses and Publishing Act tabled in the Dewan Rakyat as a step towards greater press freedom.

“It’s a strong step forward for the media. We view this positively as any law that impinges on the media is no longer relevant in the age of the Internet and social media,” said Star Publications (M) Bhd executive director and group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.

“We understand the need for gradual process but we hope the printing media would not even need a permit soon,” Wong said, adding that the step should be the beginning of the end of the need to get a printing permit.

Wong also expressed his support for the proposed media council, saying that it was a standard institution in developed countries.

Malaysian Press Institute chief executive officer Datuk Chamil Wariya welcomed the amendments and hoped that the day would come when the Act would be abolished.

“I hope one day the Government will review the whole Act and possibly abolish it so that we will not have double standards between the print media and all other types of media,” he said.

He also hoped that the proposed media council would be established by an Act of Parliament.

The National Union of Journalists urged the Government to get feedback from the public on the amendments.

NUJ general secretary V. Anbalagan said the feedback was necessary because the last amendment was done in 1984.

He said the amendments “appear good” but reiterated the NUJ stand for a Parliamentary Select Committee to be established to review the Act as well as the Sedition Act and the Official Secrets Act.

The Centre of Independent Journalism said the Act should be scrapped and not merely amended.

“The Act in its entirety should be repealed and newspapers should be free to publish without the need for a government permit,” it said in a statement.