Don’t target the press, media group says after Chinese journalists attacked at Low Yat

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — The violent mob at Low Yat Plaza should not have attacked the three pressmen from the Chinese-language media over their ethnicity, a media group said today, pointing out that the journalists were merely doing their jobs as neutral observers out to report the news.

The Institute of Journalists Malaysia (IoJ) also urged the authorities to prosecute those who had beaten up Sin Chew Daily crime desk reporter Chan Woei Loon, as well as photojournalists Calvin Foong Yi Kian from Kwong Wah Yit Poh and Sam Kar Haur from China Press, who were covering the Malay mob at the tech mall Sunday night.

“No journalist should be attacked on the basis of race or creed,” the IoJ said in a statement.

“The IoJ reiterates that it is the professional duty of every journalist to record the news as a neutral observer. The journalist’s formal affiliation with the Malay, Chinese, Tamil, English or any other press is irrelevant to the discharge of his or her professional duties,” the professional body for local press workers added.

Chan said in a Facebook post yesterday, which was translated into Malay, that he and Sam were beaten up with helmets by between 20 and 30 people.

The ethnic Chinese journalist, however, noted that Malay reporters had tried to help him, Malay members of the Civil Defence Department (JPAM) had rushed him to the hospital, and a Malay doctor had treated him.

“The IoJ calls on the journalism fraternity in Malaysia to stand together in solidarity with their fellow professionals and to join us in denouncing the attacks on Chan Woei Loon, Calvin Foong Yi Kian and Sam Kar Haur,” said the IoJ.

The weekend violence at Low Yat Plaza in the city centre here was triggered by a Malay man allegedly stealing a smartphone from a Chinese trader at an outlet there, after which rumours spread on social media about how the Malay youth was purportedly sold a counterfeit phone that led to racist calls to boycott the “cheating Chinese”.

Shahrul Anuar Abdul Aziz, 22, however pleaded not guilty today to the charge of stealing a smartphone costing RM800.