Why Kalimullah didn't die a 'bloody death'
Rocky's Bru was asked by his reader whether he thought there's more press freedom in the mainstream media now compared with when he was still there as editor in the mainstream media.
In his frank reply, Rocky said:
the answer is no. there was a lot more freedom then. but not because the government allowed the media to be freer or dr m was more tolerant. there was more freedom then because there were editors and journalists then who were pushing the line of tolerance because they craved for that freedom for themselves and for their readers.
Giving live examples, he also talked about why Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan didn't die a 'bloody death' and I quote him verbatim:
just before kalimullah joined the NSTP, i told him at austin chase in bangsar, which used to be his favourite hangout before i decided to take over, that he would die a bloody death, just as editors before him did. he told me he will not. true enough, he did not.
In his blog today, Rocky also said:
And, not known to many outside Balai Berita, the political editor was the first post Kalimullah Hassan abolished when he took over Balai Berita in 2004. He would also dismantle her political desk as part of a mad strategy to let the 4th Floor operators control the flow of the news that matters in the mainstream media, NST particularly.
The 'her' here refers to Nuraina A. Samad, whose father is a Tokoh Wartawan jailed before, who has started blogging at 3540 Jalan Sudin. And the list of journos who blog grows longer.
Now, find out why.Kalimullah survived that 'bloody death'.
when i was made acting editor of business times (97) pak samad told me that i must, if i wanted to make a difference as editor in this country, swim against the tide/current. that i have tried to do, which is why i've never been ashamed to say, yes, i was editor of the mainstream media before.among many editors then, there was no fear of losing our positions as editors. editors were supposed to "die bloody deaths", anyway. (kadir jasin, dolah kok lanas, johan jaafar, nazri abdullah, rejal arbee, ahmad talib, zainudin maidin, mazlan nordin, and even pak samad were all booted out, sacked, or asked to leave at one time or another for their views and the stand they took).
just before kalimullah joined the NSTP, i told him at austin chase in bangsar, which used to be his favourite hangout before i decided to take over, that he would die a bloody death, just as editors before him did. he told me he will not. true enough, he did not.
but that's because he was not pushing any barriers or parameters, he wasn't doing what an editor should be doing. he had stopped being a journalist a while ago. he was at nstp to take care of his and some people's interests. he does not believe in press freedom because a free press would have devoured him - and his friends - alive.
the situation is not hopeless, though. theSun, on certain days, gives me hope. Syed Nadzri, the new group editor of NST, will be pushing harder than Brendan. And we have Malaysiakini and MalaysiaToday and AgendaDaily and KMU. And the blogs and bloggers, like you and i..
Got it?
Comments
roger that... loud and clear. keep 'em coming man.
Posted by: bryant![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 10, 2007 11:34 AM
judging by how my blog entry entitled "Pak Lah replaces Alicia Silverstone in 'Clueless'" was censored I have to agree.
Posted by: aput83![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 10, 2007 11:38 AM
guys like Nazri Abdullah and Kadir Jasin died bloody deaths because they were being journos? Please la. They die bloody deaths because their political masters did la. Trying to paint a noble picture now makes it even more sick of what they did. During their reigns, the NST was as much a joke. Nazri was patently part of the AI-MRCB cotterie, forming the political/journalistic limb when guys like Murad Khalid did the financial/economic side, and Kadir was laughed off as a jelly back too, in his time. Bloody deaths for journalistic reasons? Bloody hell...hahahahaha
Posted by: ianteh![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 10, 2007 02:06 PM
eh the reader is me la!
Posted by: freelunch2020![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 10, 2007 11:57 PM
Oh bangau, oh bangau,
Kenapa kau mimpi,
Y not?, Y not?
Better than reality, better than reality!
Posted by: barney flinstone![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 11, 2007 01:32 AM