I am concerned about the interference from any political party in the appointment of editors. Time has changed, so too the dynamics of media business.

Media business is the business for  media practitioners. 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.

I find it totally unacceptable that an editor who is helping to resurrect the New Straits Times is facing the axe. I stand by Ahmad Lokman Mansor for  his audacity to push the envelope. The NST is a more palatable newspaper today thanks to his works.

I am also concerned that Azam Aris, the former editor of The Edge is  charged with criminal defamation under Section 500 of Penal Code related to two articles published during his watch. I believe those pieces were  representation of events and fair reporting relating to penny stock manipulations.

The 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.



Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar is a veteran journalist/Tokoh Wartawan Negara

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.