Saturday September 13, 2008 MYT 5:39:51 PM

NUJ saddened, disappointed by arrest (updated)

PETALING JAYA: The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and National Press Club expressed sadness at Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng's arrest under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

NUJ president Norila Mohd Daud when contacted Saturday said the union felt sad and disappointed over the arrest.

“Only a few weeks ago, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mentioned that the media should write the truth and there should be no fear in writing the truth. Look what has happened now,” she told The Star.

“It is obvious that the Government is not keeping to its word,” she added.

“For Tan to be charged under the ISA is too much. It is very unbecoming. She was just writing what she heard at the campaign and was merely doing her job as a reporter. She has no political interest,” Norila pointed out.

Should her report be deemed seditious, Norila said the authorities could have charged her under the Sedition Act but not the ISA.

“It is a very serious charge. And the editors and the company should also be held responsible if anything, not just the messenger,” she said, adding that the source of the issue should also be arrested.

“We do not see a point as to why she is being detained under the ISA. She does not pose a threat to national security. This is a mere intimidation for journalists and the media industry. It is like a threat to instil fear among journalists to not write the truth,” she maintained.

Norila also said the union was in the process of submitting protest petition letters to Malaysian ambassadors abroad.

“We will ensure these ambassadors receive the petition letters. We are going to flash this news to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and via our international links,” she said.

“We believe that it is not right to use ISA on a journalist who was merely fulfilling her professional duty,” president Mokhtar Hussain told The Star on Saturday.

Calling the detention improper, he added that arresting reporters would not augur well for the journalism industry in Malaysia.

“Journalists will then be working in an environment of fear when reporting the truth,” Mokhtar said, adding that the club hoped for Tan’s release as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Press Institute said Tan's arrest is a test case for journalists all over the country to know how to approach similar situations.

Chairman Datuk Azman Ujang said it was a rare case of a reporter being arrested under the ISA for repoting an event.

“We are anxious to know how the ministry will react considering that the newspaper had explained that it was straight forward reporting.

“Journalists themselves are also anxious to know so that they won’t make similar mistakes,” he said.

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