DEPUTY Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin has come under fire for questioning the mental state of a vocal outgoing Bernama newscaster.
Rangkaian Solidariti Demokratik Pesakit Mental (SIUMAN) said it was concerned with Zahidi’s “ableist” and “victim-blaming” stance on Sydney Yap’s case, amidst the back-and-forth between the Bernama TV Mandarin news reporter and Bernama chief executive officer (CEO) Roslan Ariffin on wage and staff shortage issues.
On Thursday (Aug 18), Zahidi reportedly said his ministry, under which Bernama is parked, will not take any action against Yap over the matter, but that it wanted to “check on her health”.
“Maybe she ‘tension’ (sic), was mentally ill or had fought with anyone,” Malaysiakini reported Zahidi as speculating about Yap’s reasons for speaking up about her plight and that of her colleagues at Bernama’s Mandarin news programme.
A spokesperson for SIUMAN said Zahidi’s remarks show a “remarkable lack of awareness of the stigmatising effects of ableist speech” and “just looks like a weak attempt to distract from Yap’s legitimate concerns.”
Although far from adequate, more and more workplaces are incorporating mental health support initiatives for their employees, the spokesperson told FocusM.
“With this in mind, we would like to remind the deputy minister that even if Yap has mental health issues, the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act 2008 outlines that reasonable accommodations must be made for PWDs – including those with mental disorders – in the workplace.”
The spokesman said SIUMAN would argue that such reasonable accommodations also include protection from discrimination.
“We hope that the deputy minister will bear this in mind before he decides to cast more aspersions on those who should actually be more protected, instead of adding to and enabling the stigma and discrimination that actually disables us,” the spokesperson added.
“Stigma and discrimination are actual barriers to accessing help and support for the disabled – something which Zahidi has actually demonstrated with his public comments.”
Leaked report
After Sydney Yap took to Facebook earlier this month to air her grievances, a leaked internal report surfaced from Bernama’s human resources department recommending that legal action be taken against her over her posting.
Roslan eventually told Malaysiakini that Yap’s claim that staff at the Mandarin broadcast unit were facing pay cuts was untrue as new contracts were issued after Bernama acquired the unit from a private firm in 2019.
He also said staff that were absorbed into Bernama at the time agreed to the wages offered during the interview process, and they are also offered annual increments every time their contracts are extended.
The Bernama CEO added that the manpower shortage was an industry-wide issue for Mandarin broadcasters, following Bernama Mandarin News’ broadcast days being reduced from seven days to five and in response to Yap’s claim that her team of five was reduced to three.
In response, Yap said previous salary slashes led to employees at Bernama’s Mandarin news desk receiving the same amount they got before being absorbed into Bernama, and that increments were only offered when their contracts were signed in 2021.
She also questioned the “nonchalant” manner in which Bernama released the internal report about her case, noting that it was shared with the media despite being a private and confidential report.
Meanwhile, media advocacy group Gerakan Media Merdeka (GERAMM) said that journalists often go “mental” as a result of dealing with “ridiculous” statements, a tongue-in-cheek response to Zahidi’s remarks.
Apart from mental health issues, the coalition said journalists also experience other anguishes such as stomach aches and leg pains as a result of doing their jobs – and that these should not be laughed at or sidelined.
In a statement, GERAMM called on Bernama TV, Bernama and Zahidi’s ministry to ensure an “enabling environment” and support system is in place to protect the mental health of its media employees.
“It should be pointed out that in the exercise of their duty, media personnel are exposed to all kinds of trauma, anxiety, excessive stress and other factors that can affect their mental health,” GERAMM noted.
“We became media practitioners to share the news, but don’t forget about our stories too,” it said, adding that it was in solidarity with Yap. – Aug 20, 2022
Main photo credit: Sydney Yap
