Yee believes investigative journalism can effect change.
INVESTIGATIVE journalism can be rewarding but the hard work it entails can be stressful and carries certain risks, says 2024 Anugerah Harapan Merdeka winner Ian Yee.
Yee, who is the co-founder of media company The Fourth and resident investigative editor for the Asia Investigative Reporting Network, says the job can be mentally taxing.
He was given the award “for spearheading investigative journalism in Malaysia amongst youth, delivering impactful multimedia documentaries and innovative public action campaigns against social injustices”.
“The biggest challenge has been the mental toll of doing investigative work. Not only is it super demanding in terms of time and energy, there’s also the various risks that come with the job.
“I think our team has done really well at mitigating those risks and looking out for each other but I’m responsible for keeping everyone on the team safe, so that can take a toll sometimes,” says Yee.
And the risks, today, can extend beyond the physical and mental following the wide use of social media and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP).
SLAPP refers to lawsuits by entities or individuals who want to deter their critics’ negative campaigns.
“Journalists everywhere are increasingly exposed to lawsuits, especially the frivolous SLAPP suits designed to drain your money and time, as well as cyberattacks and online harassment, among others.
“My job now is basically to raise funds and develop programmes to ensure that investigative journalists can continue to do their critical work without fear or favour.
“It’s been a huge challenge, but it’s easy to stay motivated when the people you’re working with are so courageous and impactful.”
Yee says the impact of investigative journalism can extend beyond the physical and mental toll. — Photos provided
The Merdeka Award Trust was established by PETRONAS and Shell in 2007, to recognise and reward individuals and organisations whose works and achievements have not only contributed to the nation’s growth but have also inspired greatness in Malaysians. The awards’ categories are Education and Community, Environment, Health, Science and Technology, Outstanding Scholastic Achievement, Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia, and Anugerah Harapan Merdeka.
This year marks the award’s 14th cycle, with 70 individuals and organisations honoured and celebrated as laureates.
Yee started as a cadet journalist in 2006 with R.AGE, The Star’s college lifestyle section at the time, before it was turned into an investigative journalism unit.
“One of our first documentaries was the Predator In My Phone undercover investigation on child sexual groomers, which ended up helping to push through new laws against child sexual crimes in Malaysia,” says Yee.
The R.AGE documentary was so impactful that the team was invited to Parliament when the new laws against child sexual crimes were being debated.
“When the law was finally passed, I remember this wave of joy and relief just crashing down – and I could only enjoy it for about 10 seconds, because we had to rush across Parliament to interview Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, who had championed the Bill as [de facto] Law minister. It is a good memory.”
From then on, Yee says, “things just blew up” and the team went on to carry out many investigations and public action campaigns that helped create impact in government action, policy change and even led to the arrest of criminal syndicate leaders.
“This work led to some global recognition, with around 40 major awards and two Peabody Award nominations in five years. We started getting involved in international collaborations, including a global award- winning pangolin trafficking investigation by the Environmental Reporting Collective (ERC).
“That eventually led to me being appointed the executive director of the ERC. Not long after, I was appointed to the advisory committee of the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Journalism Fund in South-East Asia.”
What is his proudest achievement? Yee finds the question rather difficult to answer at first.
“But I guess the one thing I can be proud of is bringing these remarkable people together in the first place, and just being an enabler to help them realise their potential to make a difference. So many of them have gone on to have great careers outside of R.AGE and The Fourth, and that always makes me happy.”
On the 2024 Anugerah Harapan Merdeka award, Yee expresses his gratitude to the people he worked with.
“I just feel so grateful to the incredibly talented and courageous people I’ve worked with at The Fourth, and previously at R.AGE.
“Being investigative journalists can be a thankless task in Malaysia, especially with the risks and threats we face, so I’m glad we as a community can get this recognition.”
As for his new role at the Asia Investigative Reporting Network, Yee says the team had been busy supporting investigative journalists throughout South-East Asia. He has also released a new documentary which was produced with his colleague at The Fourth, Nicholas Yap.
“It’s called The Last Harvest, where we looked into some questionable land deals which have left hundreds of generational farmers facing eviction.”
The Last Harvest is available to view on The Fourth’s YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok accounts.
