Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	KELAB SELANGOR, KUALA LUMPUR 
Tarikh/Date	: 	12/10/81 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	MAJLIS JAMUAN MAKAN MALAM ANJURAN 
			KELAB KEBANGSAAN WARTAWAN MALAYSIA 




Yang Di Pertua Kelab Kebangsaan Wartawan-wartawan Malaysia, Encik Mazlan
Nordin Ahli-ahli Jawatankuasa, Dif-dif Kehormat, Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan
sekelian.

Saya mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Kelab Kebangsaan Wartawan-wartawan
Malaysia kerana menjemput saya ke Majlis pada malam ini untuk meraikan
saya. Saya merasa sungguh bahawa kadangkala wartawan-wartawan adalah lebih
berpengaruh daripada ahli-ahli politik.

2. Saya telah diberitahu bahawa Kelab Kebangsaan Wartawan-wartawan
Malaysia ini selain daripada mengadakan jamuan-jamuan makan, dan ini
tidaklah salah, juga akan menambahkan lagi aktiviti-aktiviti yang
berkaitan dengan bidang kewartawanan. Ini memanglah baik dan saya harap
usaha-usaha seumpama ini dapat ditingkatkan dari masa ke semasa.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

3. It is indeed a pleasure for me to be with you, distinguished members of
the press. In extending to me the invitation for the function tonight,
which I am told is in dinner I do not have much choice but to excede to
the request.

4. Now may I take this opportunity to share with you some of my thoughts
on the subject of the role and responsibilities of the Press in
Malaysia. Perhaps I should say, let me reiterate some of my already known
views about the press in Malaysia and everywhere else. We in Malaysia are
committed to a democratic form of government. This is embodied in our
Constitution, in the Rukunegara and in the manifestos of the various
political parties. For democracy to function effectively and thrive we
need an informed public. In a democracy, it is the people who in the final
analysis decide the policy and the direction of the Government. And kthe
party elected by them to form the Government is the one which they
consider is capable of implementing and pursuing policies which they
generally approve. The better informed the opublic is on all issues the
better are they able to make the right decisions as to which party should
form the government. Therefore an important function of the Press in a
democratic society is to educate and inform the public on issues so as to
enable them to make their choice.

5. I am happy to see that the Press in this kcountry has discharged this
important function admirably. Of late the Press have been even more active
in this area. New techniques and approaches are being used in order to
elucidate public concerns, behaviour and reacteras. This is a healthy
trend. However, I noticed, that in some cases a few of our reporters in
their enthusiasm and zeal were somewhat carried away with the result that
the reporting tends to be rather non-factual and verging on
sensationalism. There have also been cases where the reporting has been
anything but objective. While the Press reporting is balanced you will be
failing in your important function of keeping the public informed. As much
as you have a right to expose any shortcomings you also have an equal
responsibility to ensure accurancy in you reporting.

Failure to maintain balanced reporting will result in the creaters of an
image of a country. That doesn't seem to be able to do anything right. You
know very well that we do a lot of rithts things in this country. How else
can you explain the prosperity and the good life. Even the poor in this
country are better of than the poor elsewhere. As to the objects of your
investigative reporting, it is important to remember that they are largely
human. Their ability to defend themselves is very limited. In accurate and
possibly slanderous reporting will create despondency and will not help
achieve the good results that we are all after. This is particularly so of
Government officers, who by and large are able and hard-working.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

6. In our multi-racial society the responsibility of the Press goes beyond
just accurate reporting. The sensitivities of the various races have to be
considered.

Political stability and the peaceful co-existence among the races are two
important conditions which the Government strives to promote and
preserve. In all our actions and policies the Government takes special
care that these two factors are always taken into consideration. It would
be inimical to the efforts of the Government if the Press in their
overzealousness were to report events without giving due consideration to
the sensitivities of the various races.

7. Some of you regard the need to exercise certain restraint in order not
to ruffle these sensitivities as a limitation to the proper and effective
working of the media.

I believe, however, that these constraints should be regarded as a
challenge to the skill and maturity of our journalists, broadcasters and
others in the media and also as a test of their sense of responsibility.

8. As members of the Press you are, no doubt, concerned with the Freedom
of the Press. You know my views on the freedom of the press. I don't
believe that absolute freedom of the press exists anywhere, even in the
liberal western countries. There is always some restraints exercised if
not by the Government at least by the owners, advertisers, the freedom he
wants in a socialist paper and vice-versa.

And of course a socialist reader will not get the freedom of the press in
a conservative paper. Even if the people who disagree with the slant of a
particular paper are given space, their views are immediately smothered by
the editors reply or comments which are published immediately. Thus the
freedom of the press are for those who agree and even these few are not
too free. The media exercises its own censorship, not in accordance with
national needs but according to the narrow views of the people who control
the paper.

9. These are facts which I state. Even now as the Prime Minister I do not
get the freedom of the press. Within the country and more so outside, my
words are often twisted in order to suit the purpose of the particular
journal, which frequently is nothing more than the desire to popularise
and increase the circulation of the paper. Recently I received a call from
BBC London who asked for my comments on the Government's policy well
regards to British suppliers. I refused this telephone interview becauce I
know everything I said would be used against me and against Malaysia. For
me the BBC is not a part of the free press system.

10. What I say is impleasant. But if you examine yourself you wil admit
that frequently reporting by the press has done a lot of harm particularly
sensationalist reporting.

The exposures of private views have rendered diplomacy not only difficult
but less effective. If everone of us knows of the private thought that we
entertain of each other, we will not be on talking terms. Apply this to
nations and the result will be strained relations if not war. A case in
point is the statement attributed to Mrs. Ghandi recently.

The Thai response was completely predictable and justified.

However, I cannot imagine a head of Government of Mrs.

Ghandi's stature being so undiplomatic. Now of course it has been denied
that she made those remarks on Thailand.

But the "fat's already in the fire". Relations will never be quite the
same again.

11. Freedom of the Press should be exercised with restraint and
responsibility. But quite a few of those in the profession feel that
restraint and responsibility means a limitation on the freedom of the
press. If total licence is considered as freedom of the press, than
freedom of the press does not exist anywhere in the world. And in the view
of the people outside the select group who control the press in one way or
another, freedom of the press also does not exist. Freedom of the Press is
a myth, a myth invented by the so-celled liberal west to serve their own
purpose--since they, through their world-wide control of the media, stand
to benefit most. Our press should not subscribe to that kind of freedom,
much less be a part of their indirect intellectual hegemony. We should
think of what is good for our country and our people as a whole.

12. If we think of our country and our people then the narrow interests of
the press as an institution fades into insignificance. The needs of the
nation and the people are infinitely greater. And towards these greater
needs the press is in a most eminent position to contribute. Just as you
can agitate the people, you can also calm than and help them develop those
values that can contirubute most towards their well-being. Malaysia needs
a period of stability during which to consolidate its gains and to build
up the work ethics and values that will make it strong and viable.

The Government will do its best. But the Government needs the cooperation
of everyone, including of course the press.

You have done will so far, buthere is much more kto be done before all the
peoples of Malaysia are united with one single objective, to build a
greater Malaysia, where peace and prosperity and the freedom of the
responsible are assured.

Tuan-tuan dan Puan-puan.

13. Bagi mengakhiri ucapan saya, saya sekali lagi mengucap terima kasih
kepada The National Press Club yang telah sudi menjemput saya dan memberi
peluang saya berucap. Saya berharap saya tidak dianggap terlalu
dogmatic. Sebagai seorang yang biasa di banned dari mengedar pendapatnya
melalui tulisannya saya faham betapa tinggi nilainya peranan media. Di
samping itu saya juga percaya bahawa "the loss of a minor freedom for an
individual is of little consequence as compared to the well-being of a
nation". Saya berharap pendapat saya ini ditimbang oleh tuan-tuan dan
puan-puan.

Sungguhpun apa yang saya perkatakan ini tidak menyenangkan, tetapi saya
percaya jika tuan-tuan dan puan-puan membuat bandingan antara sekarang dan
dahulu, antara Malaysia dan beberapa negara lain, tuan-tuan dan puan-puan
akan dapati bahawa "the bark is worse than the bite".

Sekian, terima kasih.