KOTA KINABALU: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok has suggested a longer period for printing licences given to publishing organisations in Malaysia.
“I think there is a need to have a longer period for printing licenses and permits. Currently, renewal of licenses is on a yearly basis but perhaps they should be renewed after five or 10 years,” he said.
He noted that some publications including newspapers in the country were still waiting for permits and suggested Indonesia as a role model for press freedom.
It was time for Malaysian authorities to address such issues urgently because it was the essence of democracy, he said in his at a media dinner hosted by Upko here on Sunday.
Dompok who is also Upko president commended the press for doing good work in disseminating information on local, national and international events.
“I am happy to see that the press in Malaysia, especially in Sabah, has been able to survive. I believe the media in the state is more independent than in the peninsula in terms of having more freedom.
“The press corp in Sabah is actually very free to do what it wants and is doing its job. There were times when I could not believe that what was written about me in the papers. If there was no press freedom, it would not have been possible for them to disseminate such information,” he said.
However, he did caution that the media should always uphold integrity and be honest when making reports.
Meanwhile, Dompok said even though Upko was a small party by comparison, it worked just as hard as the bigger political parties and had an equally important role in serving the state and nation.
He admitted that sometimes when the party raised issues concerning Sabah at the federal level, many tended to assume the people of the state were parochial.
“But that impression does not augur well for national integration. We are part and parcel of Malaysia and play important roles and responsibilities,” he said.
Also present at the occasion were Upko deputy president Datuk Wilfred Bumburing, permanent chairman Datuk Herman Tiongsoh and the party’s supreme council members.
New Sabah Times
24/12/08
“I think there is a need to have a longer period for printing licenses and permits. Currently, renewal of licenses is on a yearly basis but perhaps they should be renewed after five or 10 years,” he said.
He noted that some publications including newspapers in the country were still waiting for permits and suggested Indonesia as a role model for press freedom.
It was time for Malaysian authorities to address such issues urgently because it was the essence of democracy, he said in his at a media dinner hosted by Upko here on Sunday.
Dompok who is also Upko president commended the press for doing good work in disseminating information on local, national and international events.
“I am happy to see that the press in Malaysia, especially in Sabah, has been able to survive. I believe the media in the state is more independent than in the peninsula in terms of having more freedom.
“The press corp in Sabah is actually very free to do what it wants and is doing its job. There were times when I could not believe that what was written about me in the papers. If there was no press freedom, it would not have been possible for them to disseminate such information,” he said.
However, he did caution that the media should always uphold integrity and be honest when making reports.
Meanwhile, Dompok said even though Upko was a small party by comparison, it worked just as hard as the bigger political parties and had an equally important role in serving the state and nation.
He admitted that sometimes when the party raised issues concerning Sabah at the federal level, many tended to assume the people of the state were parochial.
“But that impression does not augur well for national integration. We are part and parcel of Malaysia and play important roles and responsibilities,” he said.
Also present at the occasion were Upko deputy president Datuk Wilfred Bumburing, permanent chairman Datuk Herman Tiongsoh and the party’s supreme council members.
New Sabah Times
24/12/08
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