THE government has revoked the media accreditation of Harakah – a newspaper owned by PAS – citing a controversial article published on Nov 6.
The Information Department (JPM) responsible for accrediting media outlets took the drastic step after Harakah ran a story titled “Malaysia Di Bawah Anwar Ragu-Ragu Sokong Palestin?” [Is Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s government doubtful in supporting Palestine?], which questioned the administration’s stance on Palestine.
The article which suggested that the Anwar-led government was influenced by Western powers and featured a photo with an Israeli flag in the background, drew strong criticism from the PM himself. During a parliamentary session, Anwar accused Harakah of attempting to link him to Israel.
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil confirmed the revocation of Harakah’s JPM accreditation cards, which are essential for accessing government buildings and media facilities in Parliament.
When asked about the reasoning behind the decision, Fahmi declined to provide specific details stating that such inquiries should be directed to JPM. However, he emphasised that media organisations including Harakah could file appeals against the revocation.
“Surely, they had their reasons to do so. Anyone who is affected by such decisions should appeal,” he added.
Meanwhile, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari condemned the government’s action, highlighting that Harakah had never faced such measures even during past administrations. He expressed his disappointment during a committee stage debate on the Budget 2024 bill yesterday (Nov 7), referencing the era of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“We accepted when the PM reproached Harakah (during the Dewan Rakyat session) this morning. But today, Harakah also received a letter from JPM saying they are recalling media passes from Harakah reporters.
“Harakah has never experienced such action. Even when the country was under the ‘Maha Zalim’ era, the government never revoked its media pass.”
According to Malaysiakini, by ‘Maha Zalim’, it was understood that the PAS leader referred to when Dr Mahathir was in office.
The move has raised concerns about press freedom and freedom of expression in the country. – Nov 8, 2023
Main photo credit: HarakahDaily
