Harakah accreditation revocation: 'This is the consequence of years of crying out for reformasi' - Zaid Ibrahim

SHAH ALAM - "This is the consequence of years of crying out for reformasi," former law minister Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim said, referring to the allegation of the official media accreditation of Pas's official mouthpiece, Harakah, and its online platform, Harakah Daily being revoked yesterday.

He likened Malaysia's media landscape to that of Indonesia, where he observed a diversity of channels covering a wide range of news, particularly during elections.

He suggested that the national broadcaster, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), should provide more diverse content to reflect different political activities and not focus solely on one party.

"At home, turning on RTM just gives us a loop of Fahmi (Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil) speaking.

"Why don't they broadcast activities from Muhyiddin (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin), Pas, or DAP?" he questioned in an interview with Sinar Daily, urging for free speech and respect for political adversaries.

The decision to revoke the media passes of Harakah reporters was made public by Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari yesterday.

He revealed that Harakah received a letter from the Information Department requesting the return of their official media passes.

This action will restrict Harakah journalists' access to government premises, including Parliament, which has raised concerns over media coverage of political events.

The exact reasons behind the government's decision have not been fully disclosed.

However, it appears to be linked to an article published by Harakah on Nov 6.

The article raised questions about the government's stance on the Palestinian cause and suggested a shift in tone, which led to concerns about the government's support for Palestine.

Earlier today, coalition of media practitioners and supporters of press freedom in Malaysia, Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) also slammed the Information Department for revoking the official media accreditation of Harakah.

Stating that the media should be given the opportunity to provide clarification and justification for their content before punitive measures were taken, Geramm said that the department's move lacks transparency and due process.