Malay Mail’s Wong Sai Wan among late journalists memorialised in World Press Freedom Day celebration

PETALING JAYA, May 21 — Late journalists including former Malay Mail editor-in-chief Datuk Wong Sai Wan were remembered today as part of a World Press Freedom Day celebration by media activism groups Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) and Centre for Independence Journalism (CIJ).

An epitaph in remembrance of Wong, who died in May last year and written by Malay Mail’s Yiswaree Palansamy, was read out at the event.

Also memorialised were former Borneo Today founder and editor Colin Forsythe as well as former Astro vice-president, Yahoo! editor-in-chief and New Straits Times journalist Marc Lourdes. Forsythe died of illness late last year while Lourdes was killed in a road accident in February.

In the event today, a forum titled Cabaran Wartawan Melawan (challenges of journalists fighting back) was also held with Indonesian journalists from Indonesia Journalist Alliance (AJI) Shinta Maharani and Eben Haezer Panca.

Shinta spoke of journalists’ struggle in bringing up the case Udin, a press worker who was slain in 1996 for reporting of case in Yogjakarta, Indonesia.

Eben talked about how the Surabaya journalists alliance along with the whole Indonesian journalist community sought justice for Tempo reporter Nurhadi who was assaulted by police in his country while on duty last year.

From Malaysia, two journalists from The Vibes journalists, Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain and Lancelot Theseira, shared their experience of being harassed by a security guard while covering long wait times at an Immigration Department branch.

Geramm also handed out nine solidarity awards to media personalities from various categories.

* The article previously contained three misspelt names and has been edited to correct these.