NGO calls for laws to protect journalists after The Vibes’ reporter’s assault

KUALA LUMPUR – Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) has called for laws based on journalistic ethics to protect reporters in the field, following Dang Wangi district police chief Noor Dellhan Yahaya’s statement that there is no criminal element in the assault of The Vibes’ reporter by a security guard at a government facility.

The NGO consisting of media practitioners and supporters of press freedom stressed that preventing media members from carrying out their duties to relay information to the public should be seen as an offence.

“Harassing and obstructing media members from doing their jobs – especially in a threatening and violent manner – should be considered a legal offence punishable by law,” it said in a statement on its Facebook page today.

It added that seeking permission or approval from relevant parties before initiating coverage on matters that are of public interest should not be a mandatory first step as it is not part of the journalism ethics upheld by media practitioners.

“Instead, the responsibility of the media is to adhere to ethical principles in the field, including identifying oneself as a journalist, disguising the identity of a source when necessary and granting the right of response to any allegations,” it said.

Previously, Geramm had also condemned the guard’s actions, saying that the media is responsible for conducting coverage in the field and if assistance cannot be provided, they should at least be given the space to carry out their jobs.

Earlier today, The Vibes reported that Dang Wangi district police chief Noor Dellhan said that authorities will not further pursue the case involving The Vibes’ Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain and Lancelot Theseira, saying the aggrieved party can instead take the matter to the magistrates’ court if they decide to pursue a civil suit.

This is despite Qistina Nadia’s report indicating that she was manhandled and her cell phone seized – both offences under the Penal Code.

On Saturday morning, the reporters were harassed and threatened by security guards at the immigration counters at the Pudu Urban Transformation Centre.

They were told that they could not take pictures or speak to the public without formal approval from management authorities, with the guards shouting aggressively demanding that they leave the premises.

The security personnel later forcefully snatched a phone away from Qistina Nadia after realising they were being recorded, before Theseira retrieved it during the commotion. – The Vibes, May 16, 2022