Taking to Facebook, Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) said the recent case of an immigration department security guard who threatened and intimidated reporters surveying long queues at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Pudu Sentral highlighted the need for a law to ensure the safety of the media when performing their duties.

On Saturday, two reporters of The Vibes news portal said they had been harassed by an angry security guard who insisted they leave the premises while they were reporting on long queues at the UTC. The guard also snatched one of the reporter’s phone at one point but returned it later.

Although police reports had been lodged on the matter, Dang Wangi district police chief Noor Dellhan Yahaya today said the case had been classified as no further action (NFA), with the authorities finding no criminal offence involved.

Geramm said the formulation of any law should be based on journalism ethics and principles.

“It is the responsibility of the media to comply with ethical principles in the field, including introducing themselves as journalists, withholding the identity of individuals or sources when necessary, and providing accountability over accusations,” it said.

However, it said that any obstruction of the media in carrying out their duties, including physical or verbal aggression, should be a punishable offence.

“Geramm also reiterates its stance that any issue involving journalistic work and ethics should be managed by an independent media council,” it said.