Geramm condemns red paint attack on journalist's home

PETALING JAYA: Media advocacy group Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) has condemned the incident where red paint was splashed on the house and car of a journalist in Penang.

“The duty of a journalist is only to report facts and Geramm once again urges the authorities to investigate any element of threats in order to prevent a repeat of the incident, ” the group said.

The Star reported that Malaysiakini assistant editor Susan Loone had red paint splashed on her house gate and car earlier Friday (Jan 17).

She said that it could have been about something she had written about previously.

Loone has lodged a police report over the incident.

Geramm also referred to a statement from Gobind Singh Deo, who previously urged police to take stern action after a death threat was issued against a journalist on duty.

The Communications and Multimedia Minister had said that the public should not resort to threats, violence or act outside the law if they disagreed with reporting by the media.

This was in response to TV3 broadcast journalist Mohd Ishak Abdillah Ngah receiving a death threat on Jan 1.

The death threat was posted on the journalist's Facebook page after a video exposing alleged deplorable conditions at Sekolah Rendah Islam Darul Iman Wakaf Mempelam in Terengganu went viral.

Mohd Ishak lodged a police report on the death threat at the Kuala Terengganu police headquarters the following day.