Drop action against outgoing newsreader, Suaram urges Bernama
Sydney Yap claims that the Mandarin unit experienced pay cuts and less airtime. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: Rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) has called on national news agency Bernama to drop any plans to haul an outgoing staff member to court for alleged defamation.
Suaram said any legal action against newsreader Sydney Yap would threaten press freedom in Malaysia.
“We urge Bernama to focus on addressing the issues that have been raised by her,” Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy said, referring to Yap’s claims of pay cuts and less airtime for the agency’s Mandarin unit.
He added that from a labour perspective, the issues raised by Yap were appropriate and legitimate, even more so after her effort to reach out to Bernama chairman Ras Adiba Radzi was ignored.
He also said Yap’s posting had indicated that she would not continue to work in the media industry, and thus she was merely sharing her personal work experience within the deteriorating media industry in Malaysia.
Earlier, FMT reported that Bernama would be suing Yap for alleged defamation over the newsreader’s claims.
According to Malaysiakini, Yap said the Mandarin news segment was seeing less airtime due to a lack of staff, which she claimed was caused by low wages and bureaucracy in hiring new employees.
She also claimed the team had dwindled to just three people from eight previously.
Malaysiakini quoted Bernama as saying Yap’s comments, which were published in a Facebook post, had tarnished the image of the state-owned agency and even the government.
It dismissed her claim that staff at the Mandarin broadcast unit were facing pay cuts, saying Bernama acquired the unit from a private firm in 2019 and had offered new contracts.
However, Bernama said the manpower shortage was an industry-wide issue for Mandarin broadcasters.
Ras Adiba told Malaysiakini that she had received a report on the matter.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) also condemned Bernama for threatening to sue Yap, describing such action as “unnecessary”.
NUJ secretary-general Chin Sung Chew said as a government news agency and authoritative media organisation in the country, Bernama should always pay extra attention to the welfare and wages of its employees.
The union suggested that the related parties solve the issue amicably through correct channels and negotiation without intimidation.
PETALING JAYA: Rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) has called on national news agency Bernama to drop any plans to haul an outgoing staff member to court for alleged defamation.
Suaram said any legal action against newsreader Sydney Yap would threaten press freedom in Malaysia.
“We urge Bernama to focus on addressing the issues that have been raised by her,” Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy said, referring to Yap’s claims of pay cuts and less airtime for the agency’s Mandarin unit.
He added that from a labour perspective, the issues raised by Yap were appropriate and legitimate, even more so after her effort to reach out to Bernama chairman Ras Adiba Radzi was ignored.
He also said Yap’s posting had indicated that she would not continue to work in the media industry, and thus she was merely sharing her personal work experience within the deteriorating media industry in Malaysia.
Earlier, FMT reported that Bernama would be suing Yap for alleged defamation over the newsreader’s claims.
According to Malaysiakini, Yap said the Mandarin news segment was seeing less airtime due to a lack of staff, which she claimed was caused by low wages and bureaucracy in hiring new employees.
She also claimed the team had dwindled to just three people from eight previously.
Malaysiakini quoted Bernama as saying Yap’s comments, which were published in a Facebook post, had tarnished the image of the state-owned agency and even the government.
It dismissed her claim that staff at the Mandarin broadcast unit were facing pay cuts, saying Bernama acquired the unit from a private firm in 2019 and had offered new contracts.
However, Bernama said the manpower shortage was an industry-wide issue for Mandarin broadcasters.
Ras Adiba told Malaysiakini that she had received a report on the matter.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) also condemned Bernama for threatening to sue Yap, describing such action as “unnecessary”.
NUJ secretary-general Chin Sung Chew said as a government news agency and authoritative media organisation in the country, Bernama should always pay extra attention to the welfare and wages of its employees.
The union suggested that the related parties solve the issue amicably through correct channels and negotiation without intimidation.
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