The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and the Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) are concerned that several presenters of the state-owned Tamil-language radio station, MinnalFm, have been taken off the air pending the outcome of an investigation into their alleged involvement in the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally in Kuala Lumpur.

On 4 December 2007, Tamil-language daily "Makkal Osai" quoted the presenters as saying that they were being investigated for allegedly attending the rally organised by Hindraf on 25 November. In the meantime, seven of them, K Meenakumari, K Sillalee, V Jamuna, Mahendran Veluplay, Kavirajan Jagarajan, Vijayan Muruti, Dhayalan Sharmugan, have been barred from going on air.

News about the presenters first appeared on 3 December on the front page of "Makkal Osai" and on the online news site Malaysiakini.com, both which reported the alleged sacking of the presenters for participating in the rally on 25 November. When contacted by CIJ on 3 December, the director of the station, Raja Sekaran, declined to confirm the reports and refused to answer questions.

The Hindraf rally attracted an estimated 30,000 Indians, who marched to the British High Commission to submit a petition claiming that they have been marginalised in the country ever since they were brought into Malaya as indentured labourers. The Malaysian government condemned the rally as illegal and dismissed claims that citizens of Indian ethnicity in the country were marginalised.

CIJ and WAMI are concerned that suspicion of involvement in the rally is being used as a basis to suspend the presenters. This clearly indicates that the state-owned station views as an offence the involvement of its staff, even in their personal capacity, in public assemblies for issues deemed sensitive to the government.

CIJ and WAMI would like to stress that freedom of assembly is a right guaranteed under the Federal Constitution and the radio presenters should not be discriminated by virtue of their professional relation to the government.

We call upon MinnalFM to suspend the investigation and reinstate the presenters immediately. The action taken against the presenters only create the perception that the government is intolerant of the democratic rights of it employees.

The Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia (CIJ) aspires for a society that is democratic, just and free, where all people enjoy free media and the freedom to express, seek, and impart information.

Ends

Issued by:

Gayathry Venkiteswaran
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