The Information Minister, Datuk Mohamed Rahmat said yesterday that the broadcasting guidelines on violence, horror, sex and culture would be updated by the Information and Home Ministries to include those on censorship for cable and satellite programmes by early next year and that both ministries would train staff who would be appointed as censorship officers by broadcasting companies to ensure that censorship is enforced according to the guidelines.
Mohamad Rahmat said the Cabinet had voiced its concern about censorship problems, especially with the real time programmes which required a new censorship approach.
However, the Information Minister had not given a satisfactory answer in Parliament yesterday to my question on the censorship of CNN news by Mega TV concerning Orang Asli in Malaysia and on the Pope’s return from France.
This is the Information Minister’s reply to my question which also asked about regulations for censorship of CNN news on Mega TV and other television channels:
“Siaran MEGA TV adalah ditapis sama ada oleh Lembaga Penapisan Filem, Kementerian Dalam Negeri dan/atau melalui tapisan dalaman stesyen penyiaran bagi mempastikan supaya siaran rancangan-rancangannya mematuhi peraturan-peraturan penyiaran yang ditetapkan oleh Kerajaan. Mengenai penapisan siaran berita orang asli di CNN News, ianya terpaksa dilakukan kerana berita itu tidak tepat dan sengaja bertujuan untuk memburukkan Malaysia. Mengenai penapisan berita kepulangan Pope dari Peranchis, berita ini boleh menyinggung perasaan sebahagian besar rakyat di negara ini khususnya yang beragama Islam.
“Purata sebulan berita CNNI News yang ditapis oleh MEGA TV ialah selama 14 minit atau 0.032 peratus. Bahan-bahan berita yang diberi perhatian serius untuk ditapis kebanyakkannya mengandungi laporan yang berat sebelah dan prejudis serta boleh menimbulkan perasaan kurang senang kepada sebahagian besar masyarakat Malaysia.”
The Minister’s reply is most disturbing, as the censorship of the CNN news such as about Orang Asli is outside the broadcasting guidelines concerning horror, sex, violence and culture, but represented a difference of opinion about issues covered in news reports. This is most unhealthy as it is liable to considerable abuse because of its subjective nature.
If the government thinks that the CNN News report on Orang Asli is unfair and one-sided, it should have exercised the right to put the record straight instead of censoring the CNN News report, which would be seen by the whole world except by Malaysians in the country!
It is clear that the Ministry of Information and the censors in the country must have a completely new approach with the advent of real time satellite broadcasting and not expose Malaysia to the ridiculous situation where the whole world, except Malaysians in the country, could access CNN news reports about Malaysia - which also deprives Malaysians the opportunity to defend Malaysia against baseless charges when they go overseas and are questioned about these reports.
I have written to the Datuk Mohamad Rahmat to ask for the viewing the CNN News clippings on Orang Asli and the Pope’s return from France, as well as all other CNN News clippings which had been censored by MEGA TV and other television stations.
The Information Ministry, Home Ministry, MEGA TV or other television stations must satisfy the public that they have good and acceptable reasons for any censorship of CNN News or international news reports, or a dangerous precedent would be set on censorship on news coverage just because it did not suit the political tastes for certain powerful people in power.
The viewing of CNN News clippings by MEGA TV and other television stations should be open to all interested Members of Parliament as well as members of the press and I hope the Minister of Information would be able to arrange such a viewing.
24th October 1996