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Geramm to wage war on Multimedia Act amendments
Published:  Mar 7, 2016 3:44 PM
Updated: 9:33 AM
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Gerakan Media Marah (Geramm) will launch a social media campaign against proposed amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA), the coalition announced via Facebook today.

The media advocacy group stated that the amendments, which, among others, would introduce harsher punishments for offences, are expected to be tabled for debate at the current Parliament session which starts today.

“Geramm reiterates our stand that this is yet another attempt by the government to crack down on basic rights to freedom of expression and freedom of information,” added the loose coalition of journalists, media representatives and activists fighting for freedom of the press.

'Unfair' dismissal

In the same Facebook post, Geramm also expressed its concern with what it alleged was the unfair dismissal of staff from news portal The Rakyat Post , which had ceased operating on Feb 29.

“Not only were they let go without adequate notice and compensation, it is understood that the group of around 30 affected staff had to file a complaint with the labour department in order to claim their unpaid wages for January and February,” the coalition said.

It added that the group comprised editorial staff who earned below RM5,000 a month, and many of the dismissed had no other source of income to tide them over their period of unemployment.

The coalition noted that closure of The Rakyat Post is the most recent in a series of similar cases involving other online news portals over the last two years.

While acknowledging that press owners and operators do have the right to continue or terminate such operations at their discretion, Geramm believed the process should not be at the expense of staff welfare and any development should include proper notice and compensation.

Geramm also stressed that news organisations should not be formed to spread the agenda of certain individuals with political ties, at the expense of the right of the public to be informed.

“The willy-nilly setting up and closing down of news portals just for politically linked agenda is a serious threat to proper journalistic practice, the right of the public to be properly informed as well as to the welfare of journalists and staff who are only doing their jobs,” the coalition said.

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