A free press is a bedrock of democracy

I APPLAUD the decision made on Tuesday by the court to discharge Ahmad Azam Mohd Aris, the former editor-in-chief of The Edge ,of criminal defamation charges over articles he wrote in 2020 and 2021 on penny stocks manipulation.

However, he was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for a second charge heard before a different magistrate. I believe he should have been acquitted of both cases.

I had earlier argued that Ahmad Azam and his fellow journalists were just doing their jobs. It is therefore totally unacceptable that they were charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code over the articles. I always believed that those pieces were a representation of events and fair reporting relating to penny stock manipulation.

The court’s decision is a victory for Malaysian journalism. In today’s news environment where fake news and mercenary journalism almost rule over the cyberworld, it is important for the government to allow mainstream media – which has a strict in-house check and double-check rule – to operate in a freer environment. I strongly believe the press laws should not be abused to curb credible journalism practices and investigative reporting.

Mainstream media has an important role in nation-building. It must be allowed to strive and not be stifled if it is to be a reliable partner in this. Media practitioners should be allowed to operate freely and fairly, for a free press is the bedrock of a functioning democracy.

TAN SRI JOHAN JAAFFAR Veteran journalist/national Journalism Laureate