KUALA LUMPUR – In a strong rebuke to the government’s reported plans, National Press Club (NPC) president Datuk Ahirudin Attan has warned that extending the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) to online media would be a grave mistake.
Ahirudin, better known as Rocky Bru, asserts that such a move would alienate the journalistic community and jeopardise the administration’s support.
“If the government truly intends to extend the PPPA to online media, they can say goodbye to getting support from journalists,” said Ahirudin when asked about the possibility of imposing the act on digital platforms.
He said that the idea of extending the PPPA is not only irrational but also disconnected from the current media landscape.
“There has been no discussion about the Home Ministry’s idea to extend PPPA to online platforms. If it’s true, it makes no sense. Do not expect us to support this idea; you can say goodbye to government support because it’s so senseless,” stated Ahirudin, who also serves as the group executive director of Big Boom Media, publisher of Scoop.
“We should be focusing on abolishing these draconian laws, not extending them to online portals. The PPPA is already ancient and archaic for print media, and now you want to use it for online media? It just doesn’t make sense.”
Calling the proposed extension “stupid and brainless”, Ahirudin urged the authorities to abandon the idea altogether.
“The point I want to raise with the minister or ministry concerned is: don’t even think about it. You are not going to get our support.”
He also criticised the recent Reporters Without Borders (RSF) rankings, which saw Malaysia drop 34 places in the World Press Freedom Index 2024.
“I don’t think they knew what they were doing when ranking the Malaysian media. How can you bring Malaysia down by 34 ranks when the year before you increased our ranking by even more?” he asked.
“Meanwhile, Israel’s ranking was only reduced by four spots, despite the fact that those bloodthirsty murderers killed 140 journalists in Gaza. Malaysia has not killed any journalists. RSF is so clueless.”
Reflecting on the delays in establishing the Malaysian Media Council, Ahirudin urged swift action.
“Stop dragging your feet and make the proposed Malaysian Media Council a reality. I commend the Communications Ministry, especially Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching, for pushing the matter to the cabinet, which has approved it.
“But now I’ve been told that it is being pushed back into another bureaucratic maze. If they keep doing this, it could take another 40 years for the MMC to be established. We’ve waited long enough.”
Responding to reporters after the inaugural “Jom Jalan with NPC” programme held earlier today, Ahirudin said he understands the government’s concern about the spread of fake news but said it should “do the right thing, not for self-interest”.
The event, which began at 6.30am at Padang Merbok, was attended by 200 participants, including 56 orphans from three welfare homes: Light House, Rumah Victory, and the Hajah Kamariah Welfare Association for Orphans and Single Mothers.
Regarding Malaysia’s drop in the World Press Freedom Index, Ahirudin questioned the RSF’s evaluation methods.
“Before dropping 34 places, our ranking rose by 40 places the previous year, so what is the justification? In my view, RSF needs to improve its mechanisms to reflect professionalism and integrity,” Ahirudin said.
Ahirudin added that he would agree with RSF’s latest rankings if the government had extended the PPPA to cover the online news media last year, before it was published. – June 2, 2024