KUALA LUMPUR: World Press Freedom Day is crucially important for a vibrant civil society and a properly functioning system, says Developing Eight (D8) secretary-general Dr Seyed Ali Mohammad Mousavi.
He said the media constituted a significant and inseparable part in each society to bridge the state and its people.
"The media, in particular the press, is of vital importance to uphold the practice of democracy and good governance through establishing transparency among institutions that interplay within a state.
"Freedom of the media, therefore, is of primary importance to ensure that the people's voices are heard," he said in a D8 statement.
Congratulating the local and global media on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day today, Syed Ali noted the relevance of building public opinion and awareness in the entire gamut of the public domain, which was translated into shaping public institutions, in line with popular demand.
He said freedom was a criterion that was naturally attributed to the media because of its responsible, pervasive and crucial role to the greater community.
Thus, the D8 Secretariat joined in the global media community in celebrating the inspiring and constructive freedom of the press.
D8, established in 1997 and headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey groups developing countries with large Muslim populations which have formed an economic development alliance.
It consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey and aims at improving member states' position in the global economy and improve standards of living among others. - Bernama
