I APPLAUD the decision by the court to discharge Ahmad Azam Mohd Aris, the former editor-in-chief of The Edge, from criminal defamation charges over the articles he wrote in the Edge in 2020 and 2021 on the manipulation of penny stocks.
However, in the other court he was given a discharge not amounting to acquittal.
I am of the opinion that he should be acquitted in both cases.
I have earlier argued that Azam Aris and his fellow journalists are just doing their jobs.
It is therefore totally unacceptable that they were charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code over the pieces.
I always believed that those pieces were the representation of events and fair reporting relating to penny stock manipulations.
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 cyber world, it is important for the government to allow the mainstream media, which has strict in-house check and double-check rules, to operate in a freer environment.
I strongly believe current press laws should not be abused to curb credible journalism practices and investigative reporting.
The mainstream media still have an important role in nation-building. They must be allowed to strive and not be stifled, to remain relevant as a reliable partner in nation-building.
Media practitioners should be given the freedom to operate freely and fairly, for a free press is the bedrock of a functioning democracy. – The Vibes, November 23, 2022
Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar is a veteran journalist and a National Journalism Laurette
