I WAS Chairman of the Malaysian Press Institute when it celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 2005. I remember the occassion clearly because of an interview Tan Sri A Samad Ismail gave to a special souvenir programme issued to commemorate the event.
I assigned two ex-journalists from Jalan Riong to do the special interview. In the article, Mior and Manan highlighted Pak Samad's views of the media then. The icon for Malaysian journalism made several typically candid statements based on his close involvement of the industry which he loved so much, and in return, owes him a lifetime of dedication.
Pak Samad gave some few choice quotes that speak volume of his perception of the media. The interview was more of the journalists' chat with their mentor, with an icon whose influence on Malaysian journalism will continue to be seen and felt for a long time to come.
I must share excerpts of the interview here. I don't recall any newspaper lifting the interview to be published in their newspapers or magazine. The interview was minimally edited because I wanted those reading it to read it in its most original version. Here goes:
MPI: Apakah pandangan Pak Samad mengenai media massa hari ini?
PS: Tak exciting, no challenge.
MPI: Adakah Pak Samad masih mengikuti perkembangan persuratkhabaran tanahair?
PS: Ya
MPI: Apakah akhbar yang Pak Samad baca?
PS: Masih baca (New) Straits Times, Star, Sun, Berita Harian dan Utusan (Malaysia)
MPI: Apa pandangan Pak Samad tentang akhbar sekarang?
PS: Tak ada perkembangan. They don't go in-depth. Selapis sahaja.
MPI: Bagaimana dengan kebebasan akhbar?
PS: Dulu tak ada interference, lebih-lebih lagi Utusan Melayu.
MPI: Adakah akhbar sekarang dapat memainkan peranan mereka sebagai "watchdog" dengan berkesan?
PS: Ada limit to what the press can do. You are not privy to (government's) secret information.
MPI: Kenapa pengedaran banyak akhbar tidak dapat meningkat seperti diharapkan sedangkan akhbar China terus berkembang?
PS: They don't provide the kind of news people want to read. Pembaca anggap akhbar sebagai "guidance." Tak harus terlalu membelenggu, mengongkong. Public pay for information, tapi papers depend on Government news.
MPI: Bagaimana pula dengan media yang cuba mengawal maklumat?
PS: Ini bahaya
MPI: Berita bagaimana yang harus dilaporkan?
PS: Public grievances banyak, yang dilapor yang remeh temeh. Political analysis tak banyak. Mungkin suasana sekarang tak conducive. Workers movement weak, opposition (parties) tak ada modal, NGO pun tak berapa effective. Editors tak berani face the wrath of the Government.
MPI: Banyak media kecilkan saiz akhbar, kononnya pembaca lebih suka saiz kecil, lebih mudah dibaca. Apa komen Pak Samad?
PS: The real issue is content.
MPI: Apa tanggapan Pak Samad mengenai wartawan muda sekarang?
PS: Reporters banyak terumbang-ambing sebab leadership kurang.
MPI: Tapi sekarang kebanyakannya ada ijazah atau diploma.
PS: Budak-budak ni, when it comes to practical, they are lost. Higher learning
institutions should work closely with companies in preparing the syllabus.
MPI: Banyak akhbar juga menghadapi masaalah mendapat iklan. Mengapa agaknya?
PS: Iklan terlalu mahal
MPI: Iklan TV lagi mahal
PS: Tapi orang lebih suka tengok TV!
MPI: Pak Samad masuk penjara beberapa kali, akhir sekali 1976> Adakah kerana tulisan Pak Samad?
PS: (Tan Sri) Ghazali Shafie tak suka aku. Diab tangkap aku.
MPI: Bagaimana hubungan Pak Samad dengan Tan Sri Ghazali?
PS: Sekarang ok. Aku jumpa dia beberapa kali.
MPI: Apa yang paling menggembirakan Pak Samad dalam kerjaya sebagai wartawan?
PS: Masa aku dekat Utusan dan kemudian Berita Harian. BH dari nothing to a leading newspaper in the country. Dulu dianggap "carbon copy" NST. Ini period paling challenging but rewarding.
MPI: Any regrets?
PS: Pada aku kerjaya wartawan exciting. No regrets walaupun gaji kecil.
Anyone involved in the media business should take a deep breadth and mull over Pak Samad's words. He may have departed from the face of the earth, but Pak Samad lives in all right-thinking journalists and wanna-journos! In truth, Pal Samad is the benchmark for Malaysian journalism, very much for the future as well as in the past.
May you rest in peace Pak Samad.
Moga-moga rohnya disemadikan bersama mereka yang mengikuti jalan yang lurus yang Engkau telah tunjukkan. Amin.
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4 comments:
Tok,
Ketika di bilik berita Berita Harian, saya mengikut ajaran Pak Samad untuk melatih wartawan dengan pelbagai aspek bukan saja dari segi etikanya tetapi tanggungjawab berat yang perlu dipikul. Asasnya berkata benar dan membina nusa bangsa.
Kewartawanan bukan satu kerjaya tetapi ia adalah hobi menulis, menganalisis dan membaca semua sumber yang tidak akan pudar walaupun individu itu berada di atas kerusi beroda atau terbaring.
Tidak hairanlah individu yang bersifat "wartawan" yang sedang menikmati nasi lemak yang dibungkus oleh surat akhbar akan berhenti makan dan membaca berita yang terkandung dalam kertas bungkus nasi itu jika beliau merasakannya cukup menarik.
Saya turut mendoakan roh tokoh wartawan negara itu ditempatkan bersama roh orang-orang yang soleh, ketika bersembahyang jenazah di Masjid UIA, Petaling Jaya, tempoh hari.
Semoga roh Pak Samad sihat, tenang dan dirahmati Allah SWT.
Al-Fatihah.
Salam Datuk,
Tracks of arwah Pak Samad must not be left to fade. Journalists and writers must be bolder and more intelligent in producing their works and at the same time pursue for a more liberalised environment (of course a guided liberalisation). We have writers and journalists who are now (and in the past) MPs to pursue towards the objective. Push them to work harder for this, or else their representation will be of little use to the community. Pak Samad's legacy must live on! Im no writer, but Im a fan of him.
Zaib
Are you writing about yourself Datuk? It cannot be possible that the standard of journalism simply dropped like a rock after you and your friends left the industry. The fact is that the decline was gradual and much of it occurred during the editorship of some of you who are now criticising from outside. You know what's the best job in the world Datuk? Its that of an armchair critic -- everyone except me is wrong.
Anon 1:33,
Put your name down and let's discuss. If you hide beneath anonymity, there's nothing more to say.
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