KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 13): Stressing the need for media pratitioners to be given the freedom to operate freely and fairly, veteran journalist Tan Sri Johan Jaafar said journalistic commitments should be strengthened "to ensure the Fourth Estate is the bedrock of democracy".

"I am concerned about the interference from any political party in the appointment of editors. Times have changed, so too the dynamics of media business," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

It was issued hours after the New Straits Times Press Bhd, a subsidiary of Media Prima Bhd, announced a leadership change at the English-language daily New Straits Times (NST). Farrah Naz Karim was named as the group editor effective from Sept 15, replacing Ahmad Lokman Mansor.

"I find it totally unacceptable that an editor who is helping to resurrect the NST is facing the axe," said Johan.

"I stand by Ahmad Lokman Mansor for his audacity to push the envelope. The NST is a more palatable newspaper today thanks to his work,” added the former Media Prima chairman.

Johan also expressed concern that Azam Aris, editor emeritus at The Edge, had been charged on Tuesday with criminal defamation  related to two articles published during his watch as editor-in-chief.

“I believe those pieces were a representation of events and fair reporting relating to penny stock manipulations,” he said.

Pointing out that media business is the "business for  media practitioners", Johan said: "They must be given the freedom to operate freely and fairly. Now is the time to strengthen journalistic commitments to ensure the Fourth Estate is the bedrock of democracy."  

He noted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri has time and again given the  assurance that "the media should remain free to operate without any interference from other parties".

"At the same time journalists must be allowed to operate without  fear of reprisals in performing their duties," said Johan.

Separately, the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) described the removal of Lokman and the charging of Azam as a “gross violation of media freedom” committed by both the government and ruling political elite.

“It is reported that Umno politicians are seeking to remove the New Straits Times’ group editor Ahmad Lokman Mansor, purportedly for authorising the editorials which supported the judiciary, attorney-general and on the rule of law in light of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s conviction.

“These gross violations against media freedom in Malaysia, one committed by the government and the other by the ruling political elite, must be stopped immediately,"  Muda vice-president Lim Wei Jiet said in a statement.

"In particular, criminal charges under the obsolete provision of criminal defamation would send a chilling effect over all media organisations in Malaysia — any alleged defamation ought to be settled via the civil courts, and not the criminal courts,” he said.

According to Lim, it is no coincidence that these actions are happening amid a pending general election, indicating that “certain parties are desperate to peddle disinformation and bury the truth for their selfish interests”.

He stressed that media freedom is the cornerstone of democracy, more so when a general election is pending.

“Muda therefore urges the government to immediately drop criminal defamation charges under Section 500 of the Penal Code against editors of The Edge and for Umno and other private shareholders of The New Straits Times to immediately stop their interference on journalistic freedom within the organisation,” said Lim.

The Vibes news portal reported that Umno bigwigs, namely former second finance minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani and party supreme council member Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, were the political individuals behind the editorial interference in NST.

Johari’s private investment vehicle, JAG Capital Holdings Sdn Bhd, is the second largest shareholder in Media Prima with a 20.08% stake.

In its statement, New Straits Times Press said Farrah Naz has served the company in various capacities since 2000, including as executive editor. She was most recently attached to Media Prima Television Networks as an executive producer for current affairs programmes.

Farrah Naz's appointment as NST group editor is in line with the company's strategy to further enhance its content offering, the statement added.