15 July 1998
Your Excellency:
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is
alarmed by reports that the group editor-in-chief of
Malaysia's most influential publishing company has
resigned under political pressure from the ruling
party. Johan Jaafar, who oversees the leading
Malay-language daily newspaper Utusan Malaysia,
was pressured to resign his post by the ruling United
Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the party which
you head, according to news reports and CPJ sources.
He submitted his resignation on July 14.
Malaysian journalists say that recent reports in
Utusan Malaysia have proven embarrassing to
some UMNO party leaders. For example, prominent
coverage was given to severe operational problems at
Malaysia's new airport. And the newspaper is perceived
to have sided with Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
in its coverage of intraparty struggles over political
and economic reform. The paper is part of the Utusan
Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd. group, whose stock is largely
owned by UMNO.
CPJ has long been concerned that the Malaysian
press is hamstrung by strict licensing regulations and
a pattern of ownership that gives the ruling UMNO
party overwhelming control of the popular press. The
result has been a media culture largely marked by
self-censorship and what some Malaysian journalists
call a "speak no evil" approach to sensitive issues.
It is alarming that even the mild criticisms raised
by Utusan Malaysia in recent weeks seem to have
encountered political pressure. With a daily
circulation of 250,000, Utusan Malaysia is a
crucial press voice in Malaysia and we fear that the
resignation of Jaafar may be the beginning of a
crackdown against attempts by the Malaysian press to
print independent views.
As a nonpartisan organization dedicated to the
protection of press freedom worldwide, CPJ believes
that the best path to democratic reform and economic
progress is through the open debate afforded by a free
press. In that light, we respectfully request your
government to clarify the role that the UMNO
leadership played in Jaafar's resignation. In
addition, we urge you to reassure journalists in
Malaysia that the resignation does not signal
increased sanctions against journalists who scrutinize
your leadership.
We appreciate your attention and await your
response.
Yours Sincerely,
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director