Joint Press Statement by

Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) and Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)

29 May 2008

In less than two months after Malaysia ranked the world's bottom 30% (141 in 195 nations surveyed) in press freedom in the Freedom House survey, three journalists suffered assault on Tuesday night at Bandar Mahkota Cheras when covering a conflict between local residents and a group of unidentified men over the tearing down of a barricade to open access to the highway.

The Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) and Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) today condemn the assault of the journalists, which happened at about 7.23 pm on 27 May in Kuala Lumpur.

Merdekareview journalist Chow Z Lam, Utusan Malaysia photographer Roy Azis Abdul Aziz and another photographer suffered assaults after taking pictures of a group of 20-30 people armed with clubs, parangs, and helmets beating up the residents. The thugs beat the journalists, seized their cameras and robbed their memory cards.

The journalists were covering the stand-off between residents who had tried to bring down a barricade erected by a toll operator at the Bandar Mahkota Cheras residential area, and the group, which left a dozen people injured. The locals accused the toll operator Grand Saga of hiring the thugs, which the company has denied. In recent weeks, the angry residents tore down the barricades three times. Grand Saga erected the barricades two years ago to force the residents to take a longer path into a highway and pay extra toll fees.

WAMI and CIJ call upon the Minister of Home Affairs Syed Hamid Syed Albar and the Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan to ensure the thugs will be brought to face justice promptly. They must also to investigate the police's failure to intervene and protect the journalists and members of public in the incident.

According to Merdekareview, Chow who has lodged a police report said that the police not only did not stop the assault on the residents and journalists, they also left the injured unattended and make police report on their own.

According to Malaysiakini, Kajang OCPD Mohd Sakaruddin bin Che Mood claimed that he had only sent traffic policemen to the area for traffic control and they were "too busy controlling and could not do anything".

Chow denied the accusation by OCPD Mohd Sakaruddin bin Che Mood, as reported in Malaysiakini Chinese edition, that the reporters were assaulted because they tried to intervene in the conflict and the thugs did not know that they were journalists. Chow said he did show the thugs his press card but they continued to beat up the residents, "which any normal person would try to stop".

Chow also said, Chief Inspector Zulkifli to whom he made his police report, told him that reporters should not go to such gathering if they wanted to be safe.

WAMI and CIJ demand the Home Ministry and the Police to seriously and speedily investigate the assaults of journalists as well as the police personnel's impartiality and professionalism right from the Kajang OCPD. Should the Police's lukewarm attitude in protecting journalists' safety continue, they will be seen as condoning violence against journalists. The police would then be responsible for any such assault in the future.

WAMI and CIJ remind that past assaults against journalists, during the Machap and Ijok by-elections as well as the general elections, during the coverage of a community dispute involving UMNO, had not seen the prosecution of those responsible.

WAMI and CIJ also condemn the beating of 21-year old Chan Jiun Haur later in the night by FRU personnel. Chan who was admitted to hospital immediately denied the police's allegation that he attempted to run down a policeman with his car.

The incident must be investigated to establish why such violence was used and any police personnel who had taken the law in their hand must be prosecuted.