(Created by and used with the permission of Walski )
That was this morning.
Yesterday, a ‘Boycott the Newspapers!’ online petition was launched. The petition can be accessed and signed online at http://www.petitiononline.com/hartal/petition.html
This morning the press conference to launch ‘Paper Free Tuesday’ and to announce the several civil society initiatives related to the ‘Boycott the Newspapers’ initiative was held at the Blog House. The committee has asked me to extend my thanks to the Protem Committee of the National All Blogs for their assistance in the use of Blog House and their support in this initiative.
Invitations to the press conference were sent out last Thursday and Friday to all the local mainstream media.
The Star, The Sun, The Oriental Daily, Malaysiakini, S-Keadilan, Artis Pro Aktif and Centre for Independent Journalism sent representatives to cover the press conference. Also present were blogger friends as well as individual well-wishers. The committee wishes to extend its gratitude to all who came.
I will reproduce below the press statement that was issued on behalf of the committee this morning.
After the press statement was read out, to formally launch the boycott, an sms announcing the same was sent to the Big Chiefs at NST, The Star, Berita Harian and BERNAMA.
Registration
Committee members ( Chew, Helen, Capt Yusof, Shar and myself ) at the PC. 3 others not in the photo are Bernard (Zorro), Nanda and Fari.
Blogger / non-blogger friends
Our friends from the media
More friends from the media
Birdseye view of our media friends
You would have noticed that the committee and many of our friends were in yellow T-shirts.
Yes, to help publicise this initiative and to try and raise funds for this effort, we have also produced a ‘Boycott the Newspapers’ T-shirt.
Front view of the T-shirt
It cost us slightly over RM10.00 per T-shirt. We are selling them at RM15.00 each. If you would like to purchase this T-shirt and help us with this effort you can send us an e-mail at thepeoplesparliament.boycott@gmail.com or give Shar a call at the hartalmsmhotline at 012-2484794 for details of payment and delivery arrangements. Please note that there will be an additional charge for outstation orders to cover courier / pos laju charges.
People, the online petition is yours. ‘Paper Free Tuesday’ is also yours. Its success or otherwise is up to you.
Below is the press statement released today by the committee
___________________________
MEDIA STATEMENT
On ‘Boycott the Newspapers’ initiative by The People’s Parliament
‘Hartal MSM’ working committee: When & Why
This committee comprising 8 individuals was set up in late December 2007 when it became apparent from participants’ comments in The People’s Parliament that there was a genuine concern in society over how news reported by the mainstream media (MSM) did not always tally with facts.
The earnest discussions in our blog and numerous suggestions by readers on strategies to address this concern clearly indicated that many treated the shortcomings of MSM with the seriousness they deserved. It also became obvious that some structure and methodology would have to be put into place if the suggestions to tackle MSM’s failings were to be effectively implemented.
Hence the formation of our committee to manage a boycott of newspapers.
Which newspapers make up MSM?
In the context of The People’s Parliament initiative to tackle the matter of dishonest news reporting, we have to say that, regrettably and without exception, but to varying degrees, this would include all of the local newspapers.
False reporting by MSM
In truth, this is not a recent phenomenon but has been going on for some time. However, a reference to recent events of public importance and the less-than-honest coverage of the same by the MSM would be sufficient.
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On 9 Oct 2007, Malaysiakini reported that the Ipoh Timur parliamentary constituency had seen an increase of 8,463 in the number of registered voters within the space of three months. Of particular concern were the new 3,208 postal voters even though there are no new army camps or new police stations in the constituency. MSM did not carry any report on this.
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On 10 Nov 2007, a civil society-driven rally in Kuala Lumpur was attended by some 60,000 people of diverse backgrounds, calling for electoral reforms. Bersih supporters peaceably marched to the palace of the Yang DiPertuan Agong to deliver a people’s memorandum on the electoral reforms sought. Yet a report in The Star of the following day gave the impression that this rally comprised no more than 4,000 people and was effectively dispersed by the authorities.
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On 20 Nov 2007, senior political correspondent Lydia Lim of the Singapore Straits Times reported on the 10 ongoing International Court of Justice hearings between Malaysia and Singapore to decide on the dispute between the two nations for sovereignty over the Pedra Branca. Lim’s report said that the Malaysian legal team had resorted to the use of a photograph of dubious authenticity lifted from an anonymous blog to create a photographic illusion and exaggerate the proximity of Pedra Branca to Johor. This scandal was reported in numerous blogs. However none of the MSM published this piece of disturbing news.
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On 25 Nov 2007, some 30,000 Malaysians joined the Hindraf march headed for the British High Commission. In the early hours of that same day, several thousand Malaysians were forcefully contained in the compound of the Batu Caves. The Star reported on Nov 26 that the IGP had said no teargas or water cannons had been used at the Batu Caves. Nonetheless, many blogs and alternative news sources on the Internet published photographic evidence to the contrary. To date, The Star has not shown any inclination to pursue this matter with a view to giving its readers the truth. In fact, in the days following, there appeared to be a concerted and contrived effort through the MSM to unabashedly vilify this public rally as an attempt by Indians to stir up racial unrest.
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On 19 Dec 2007, Malaysiakini reported a statement issued by Anwar Ibrahim in which the ex-deputy premier implicated former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik and his successor Chan Kong Choy in the RM4.8 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project irregularity. None of the MSM carried this news item. Interestingly, MSM have also not seen it fit to undertake an investigation into this scandal.
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On 21 Jan 2008, most, if not all of the MSM reported a crowd of some 21,000 at the MIC-sponsored ‘Meet the PM’ rally at the Badminton Stadium in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur the previous day. Yet our own committee member who attended the event reported that the number of attendees ranged between 6,000 and 8,000 at best.
Our expectations of MSM
We want responsible, ethical news reporting. Balanced and unbiased.
MSM must cease their practice of continually downplaying issues of grave concern to the reading public and their lack of transparency in reporting (or omitting to report) national scandals and revelations of high-level corruption.
We are also concerned for our friends in journalism. We often hear from them of their frustrations in having their reports edited to a point where fact becomes displaced by fiction. This must stop; professionalism must prevail.
Readers pay good, hard-earned money to receive honest news reporting. They should not be duped into settling for less.
Our concerns on elections coverage
Given that the next general elections are expected to be held very soon, our ‘Boycott the Newspapers!’ campaign is imperative if Malaysia is going to have any chance of a cleaner poll. As the Bersih manifesto for electoral reform clearly states, we urgently need a free media and fair access for opposing views.
MSM presently are neither free nor fair.
What history has shown is that MSM have always had a field day disseminating falsehood to Malaysian voters because of the uneven playing field and public space restrictions imposed by the incumbency who are the media owners or whose owners are closely affiliated to the ruling parties. The recent acquisition of Nexnews shares in The Sun and The Edge by tycoon Vincent Tan reinforces the nexus between political and corporate interests.
Signature Campaign
Yesterday evening, we launched an online signature campaign calling for a boycott of the MSM. The petition is a vehicle for ordinary Malaysians to put on record that they do not condone the duplicity of MSM pretending to speak as vox populi and the patent lies that they print. The petition can be viewed at http://www.petitiononline.com/hartal/petition.html
Today, we call on all Malaysians to join us to make every Tuesday a ‘Paper-Free Tuesday’. Let this be the start. We hope that MSM will get the message and if they do not, we will have to give some thought to the other days in the week.
Currently, MSM spindoctoring is going into overdrive on the authorities’ perennial tried-and-tested track of communalism, misrepresentation and fear-mongering. To counter their deliberate inaccuracy, we shall put together a brief summary of ‘alternative news’ for our ‘Balik Kampung Bawa Berita Benar’. It is an experimental initiative to be picked up at The People’s Parliament shortly.
Closing statement
The People’s Parliament holds that MSM are now hardly voices of the people but rather mouthpieces of the government. If Malaysia is to see any change at all, the rakyat must know the truth and this truth is unfortunately not forthcoming from MSM.
We hold that a boycott of local newspapers is one way we can check the rot in our country and a means for civil society to take constructive action. Malaysia deserves a free press.
The People’s Parliament
Hartal MSM committee
28 Jan 2008
The People's Parliament 
Littlebird
January 28, 2008
I guess I am the few ones who since 1998 still boycotting the MSM. But thank you to people like Uncle Yap (Berita Malaysia), Sangkancil and etc who kept me informed with what’s going on then. And now The free Sun was quite independent (but I doubt it will be so for long.) Anyway, if only someone could come up an alternative way to get the financial and advertisemnts from the MSM pages on the internet then we can be sure MSM will be gone or transformed in couple of years.
Sean
January 28, 2008
I’ve just called my newspaper man and asked him not to deliver the Star to me on every Tuesday. I told him that I am participating in a movement to boycot mainstream newspapers to protest their biased news reporting. However, I told him that I do not want his business to suffer, which may affect his family. Hence, I allow him to charge me RM0.60, i.e. half the price for a copy of the Star, for NOT delivering it to me on Tuesday. He accepted without any complaint.
I believe, this way, I can direct the attack of the boycott to the newspapers owners without impacting the innocent.
Thank you, Sean, for making the effort in this initiative.
zorro
January 28, 2008
Littlebird/Sean your support and sentiments will surely snowball. thanks…very much.
Sean
January 28, 2008
My wife supports my action but said I should not pay the newspaperman RM0.60 for something I do not get. But I am looking at a broader perspective. If the movement becomes popular and when the non-subscriptions on Tuesday increase exponentially, it may hurt the newspapermen income. Furthermore, every month, I only pay him RM0.60 x 4 = RM2.40 (what can u buy with RM2.40 these days?) I took time to explain to the man so that he is aware of the movement and truly understands that we are aiming at the top people up there and not him. And the RM0.60 is to show him that I am walking my talk.
uzair
January 29, 2008
http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/15422.html
moggy
January 29, 2008
bro, i have stopped reading the MSM for quite sometime -even purchase of the sunday papers for Jeremy Clarkson’s articles. Now i resort to scouring the internet for news and columns.
Well and good what we are doing here. But how do we get news to the Pakciks and Makciks in the kampungs and new villages, that we are being fed hogwash and they need not fear an open society.
Also on this subject, advertisers in MSM need to realise that nobody would be reading the papers hence their product placements would be of no avail or effect.
Finally,
Maybe this not the forum, but if only each and every one of us can take the pain to talk to certain number of people acroos the country everyday, maybe, just maybe we can get the message across.
Count with me my sisters and brothers, …Count with me
HOW MANY ARE YOU SPEAKING TO TODAY…….
Biggum Dogmannsteinberg
January 29, 2008
Haris,
I put up a posting in support of PP’s initiative.
Why Tuesday la????
Tuesday is Tech Tuesday la……so interesting la! Not Saturday either (Biz week pull out!).
Sunday la…the best. Dont have to read all the editorials/political columns etc etc etc.
Littlebird
January 29, 2008
Sean.
If I am not wrong they make 20 sen for each paper sold. So, you are more than genorous for giving 60 sen.
baiti
January 29, 2008
it’s high time for a migration to alternative news sources and arrangements; here’s to alternative news ‘community’!
Klaw
January 29, 2008
Lot’s of people complaining about lack of In.Tech.
Does this cover enough? http://star-techcentral.com/
Angela Ooi
January 29, 2008
I do not believe the MSM spin since I found out the Raja Petra was in detention in 2005 and I wasn’t aware of this though I read all the English dailies. Enough is enough, we are fedup and angry with the irresponsible press. Viva this petition!
lostasylum
January 29, 2008
petition signed and stopped buying newspapers a long time ago. will get my family to be involved as well…. heheh.. keep up the good work.
Jake
January 29, 2008
Hi, i like what you guys are doing.. Honestly i have stopped buying newspapers 1 year ago simply because of all the lies, i recently heard that Malay Mail was recently been bought over by private media company.. any insides to this?
zorro
January 29, 2008
Haris, pasting here what buaya69 commented on my posting:
Blogger Buaya69 said…
signed! this morning as i was driving along Jln Tun Razak nearer to the japanese embassy, I saw a lot of newspapers strewn on the side of the road and i was thinking “wahlaueh, boycott started already ah?” 😀
January 29, 2008 3:35 PM
Its happening!
mosesfoo
January 29, 2008
Since it is not bracketed with the upcoming general election in mind and with the long term idea, I’ll wait for the day when advertisers sit up and take notice of declining newspaper sales figures.
At least one office mate heard and read about this MSM hartal at Mstar today.
Let’s make it work.
Thank you to Haris and team for all the hard work to get this initiative going.
Kim Quek
January 29, 2008
Congrats to Haris and the “Hartal MSM” working committee for this gallant move – it has been long overdue. I will tell my newspaper delivery boy to stop delivering the Star every Tuesday forthwith.
fred
January 29, 2008
I’ve signed the petition and will be getting all my news from Malaysiakini and the BBC (I hope there will be more subscribers to Malaysiakini – I feel like an advertisement for them, sometimes – but without paid subscribers, they cannot expand the extent of their news coverage. Sign up!).
Sir, another idea would be attacking the sources of income of newspapers and tv sources of news: attack the advertisers. Move to boycott companies which wish to advertise in the MSM (including TV). There are a number of groups online in the states and elsewhere who run effective campaigns to identify major corporations that use sweatshops, who support inhumane practices and the like to inform the public about what buying from these corporations mean.
And it works.
If it is possible to encourage corporations to abandon the mainstream media (and turn to alternative media…?), that would be undercutting MSM revenue and make papers like the Sun, the Star and the Edge truly unsustainable.
Or better yet, really force these media outlets online, where bloggers can duke it out in a field of our own choosing – where we’re most effective.
Pratamad
January 29, 2008
Perhaps it’s a little too late, but the t-shirt should have some URL printed on it. I am coming up KL this weekend and a few Malaysians here in Singapore are already asking me to buy them the shirt. It’s a very effective advertising tool, but we should publish a central campaign site for info.
Ben
January 30, 2008
Good for all who participated. I am sure you are a little more sober by not reading all that crap. Stick to it for another week and you will see the light. No buy No lies! One up for civil society.
Kean
January 30, 2008
Petition signed. Congratulation for the success of the press conference. I saw the video clip on Malaysiakini website and Haris’s announcement is solid and straight forward. However, I was hoping you to ‘tembak’ those MSM with more aggresive words XD . I had send an e-mail to for the t-shirt enquiry, looking forward to get those t-shirt.
mahendran
January 30, 2008
haha..im still recalling when was the last time i bought newspapers :p
walski69
January 30, 2008
Sadly I am on the road, and the Internet access where I am is unpredictable – at the very least DOES NOT WORK in my hotel room… therefore, I’ve not managed to post on the press conference (my apologies, bro).
I will, however, make amends at the soonest available time (tonight, God willing).
Great initiative, and one that I hope snowballs… when the buying stops, so will the lying!
kaki ayam
January 30, 2008
err…can we have the T’Shirt in Bahasa, Chinese and Tamil?
That will help to spread the message. And since CNY is coming pretty soon, why not one in Red?
I will get 2, if there is one…
Dig
January 30, 2008
Should have included the URL (web adress) of this site on the T-shirts..?
Nanda
January 30, 2008
Dear all, the URL is included at the back of the T-shirt.
Checkout the picture at Shar101’s blog.
David Yong
February 1, 2008
I have stop buying this so call newspapers a year ago.
Amin
February 1, 2008
Signed the petiton. I stopped buying MSM for almost 10 years. It’s great to see this kind of initiative. Hope it snowball to Borneo as well. Gud luck and never lose hope. Reform we will.
Kly
February 1, 2008
I was waiting for something like this for years.Thank you for sticking it up to the corrupt unjust bastards.I am proud we Malaysians are standing together as one.We will eventually forget our petty differences and just focus on what is just ,true,and fair.I will not give up on my country as yet,thanks to you brave guys .Hidup Rakyat!
VJ
February 1, 2008
Boycott should not be restricted to Tuesdays only. We must stop feeding the rich by doing something like till then they will run the country like their backyard. Malaysia will be a communist country by 2010.
“Satu lagi projek kerajaan Barisan Nasional”
Joshua Y.C. Kong sabah
February 2, 2008
Since newspapers refused to publish this:-
it is about the Frauds of General Elections 2004 and go to this
Joshua Kong – LATEST BOOK – “A case of victory – landslide or rigslide” on the Malaysian General
Elections 2004 GOVERNMENT RIGS ELECTIONS ALL TIMES (GREAT)
GOVERNMENTS RAMPANT INTERNAL ELECTIONS FRAUDS (GRIEF)
http://p214.ezboard.com/ [M’sia Forever]
VJ
March 1, 2008
The Sun was the only one publishing true stories . But heard that the Gov has intervened to distract The Sun’s effort . Can someone share how far this is true ?