Everybody please come. MCA is the first, but certainly not the last party, we shall push for media laws reform. We hope the turn out will be impressive and multi-ethnic to register a message loud and clear: Media Laws Reform is a national agenda!

Media Laws Reform and Media Monopoly over Cups of Tea
MCA leaders, journalists and public members urged to dialogue

MCA leaders, journalists and public members are urged to join a dialogue over cups of tea on media laws reform and media monopoly next Friday evening at MCA headquarter. Writers Alliance for Media Independence（WAMI), Suara Rakyat Malaysia（SUARAM), Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM), Women Development Collective (WDC), Youth Section of KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall，Youth for Change (Y4C) and Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement (DEMA） express full support for the “date of yellow ribbon, tea with MCA leaders”, an initiative by a group of young citizens.(Yellow ribbon is the symbol for the campaign of media freedom in Malaysia following MCA’s takeover of Nanyang Press in 2001）

The two issues in the agenda for the “date of yellow ribbon” are
concerns widely shared by civil society groups across ethnicities,
languages, faiths and causes. The first, the establishment of a
parliamentary select committee for media laws reform, is at the core of the civil society memorandum on May 3, 2006（World Press Freedom Day）endorsed by 37 groups and 92 individuals. The second issue, MCA’s
relinquishing its remaining share in Nanyang Press to non-dominant
buyers, is shared by 47 civil society groups in a statement issued
October 19 2006 in response to MCA’s sales of Nanyang Press share to
Tiong Hiew King who owns Nanyang’s archrival Sin Chew Media Group.

As the party responsible for the 2001 takeover and subsequent decline of Nanyang Press, as well as the second largest parliamentary party with 40 parliamentarians, MCA cannot evade its responsibility to media freedom.

This ‘date of yellow ribbon’ hence provides a golden opportunity for the party, especially the top leaders and the rising stars, to understand the aspirations of and reconcile with the civil society. We are confident that, in hosting their young guests, MCA will demonstrate the degree of Asian hospitality and civility commensurate with their claim in championing the Chinese culture.

Journalists and public members are invited to join this
citizen-organized dialogue. A healthy democracy needs citizens’ inputs
and initiatives. If you care to see the abolishment of Printing Presses and Publications Act, the enactment of Freedom of Information Act, and other reforms in media laws, or are concerned about the proposed Media Council, please make yourself available for the dialogue at MCA headquarter this December 1 at 7 pm. Surely, the guests at MCA’s door will not be greeted with police, lorries or any other sorts of obstacles as this will reflect badly on not only the party’s democratic credential, but also its leaders’ cultural upbringing.

Issued by

Writers Alliance for Media Independence（WAMI）
Suara Rakyat Malaysia（SUARAM）
Centre for Independent Journalism（CIJ）
Jemaah Islah Malaysia（JIM）
Women Development Collective（WDC）
Youth Section of KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall（Youth section-KLSCAH）
Youth for Change（Y4C）
Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement（DEMA）