by Leven Woon on 16 Jun, 2010
Tagged: 528 Tak Mau Potong • Freedom of Expression • PPPA • Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
in Kuala Lumpur, News.

Various media and civil right groups are inviting every citizen to pull out a nail from a large nail artwork at Selangor Chinese Asssembly Hall to protest the infamous Printing, Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA).

The artwork, made with more than 1000 nails that form the words “Printing, Presses and Publication Act 1984”, is an extensive effort from the groups since last month’s 528 “Tak Mau Potong” event.

528 Media Action Group Coordinator and Writers Alliance of Media Independence (WAMI) representative Ng Yap Hwa said the event aims to raise concern among the public on the shrinking media freedom under PPPA 1984.

“By pulling out a nail, (it is a)public act to request the repeal of PPPA which is shrinking the country’s media sphere.

“This is also their demand for a greater freedom of expression from the ruling,”

The artist, Liew Teck Leong said he decided to use nails as his material to symbolise the grassroots society with low income.

“I use nails, hammer,pliers and others hardware materials. It cost me one week to complete it.”

The display is opened to the public from 9am to 7pm everyday until June 28.

The event is jointly-organised by 528 Media Action Group, WAMI, Civil Right Community of Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and Centre of Independent Journalists (CIJ).

“HEAVEN OF DEMONS” BY WONG ENG LEONG

The artist uses video clip downloaded from internet, by using editing techniques, the original digital video has been compressed, distorted and gradually changes to digital symbol; There is outline but cannot be distinguished, the politician’s speech is akin to noise.

Mass media no longer freely reflects people’s view. Moreover, it has put aside the well-being and democracy of people. It does not feel shameful for becoming a propaganda machine of UMNO and no longer as a channel of exploring the truth.

In order to find the truth, people will be desperate to “drill into” narrower and smaller tunnel

“BLACK OUT” BY WONG ENG LEONG

The mainstream media in our country is controlled by the political parties and business tycoon. They tend to support the government, and work as the voice machine of government officers, political parties and businessman. This art performance is a dissent voice against those actions which impose restriction to the press and editorial freedom, and the mainstream reports that losing their objective ground.

The artists paint the Chinese word “Black(黑)” to white colour and paint the “White (白)” to black colour

A banned books list compiled by artist Sharon Chin, as attached, see what kind of books banned by the home ministry. Part of the statistics shown in 528 tak nak potong night.

Read more at her blog Banned Books and Other Monsters

handout 528

(Lack of photos – 18 MP by Amir Muhammad )

The Participants

Mei Yee & Sarah from Komas explain what happened to “Selepas Tsunami”, Gaduh & Freedom Film Festival

Chief Editor of Kabar Era Pakatan, Mr. Mat Zahari Ali is talking about his experience of dealing with KDN on printing permit.

Artist cum academic Sharon Chin shares one of her “monster” and the result of banned book research

“Lonely KL Press” by Lim Sow Seng, sharing and exhibition

Artist Wong Eng Leong and friend are performing “Black out”, they use 200-300 units of newspapers, turn black (黑) word to white (白) colour, turn white word to black colour

“I am proud to be women” by Wong Su Zane

“Ignoring freedom of media is trampling our future” by satu hulu action group

“Election Daze” script reading by Faiqsyazwan kuhiri, roger liew & Mark Teh

Poetry reading by Teh Hon Seng & Yong Ai Lin, Malay translation by Lim Hong Siang

Pop Tee Vee, Interview with Chou Z Lam on Bakun documentary

Raja Petra Kamaruddin speaks in support of Malam Tak Nak Potong 528

“Heaven of Demons” by Wong Eng Leong. “鬼造天堂”

“Pull Out : Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984″ by Liew Teck Leong

P

“Action to be confirmed” by Chai Chang Hwang. “干吗？”蔡长璜制作

“Najib’s head stolen from billboard” by Fahmi Reza

“Right to read” – Snakes ladder games and banned books installation  by Tan Hui Koon

“Gedung Kartun” exhibition by Zunar

Aidila Razak
May 29, 10
3:34pm

The Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) last night hosted a three-hour carnival of dissent to ridicule censorship.

The event was dubbed ‘Malam Tak Nak Potong’ (The no-cuts night), with exhibitions, performances and video clips all chorusing the central message: end institutionalised and self-censorship.

Jointly organised by the 528 Media Action Group, the Writers Alliance for Media Independence (Wami), the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and the Civil Rights Committee of the KLSCAH, the annual event commemorates the day that MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) took over the Nanyang media group on May 28, 2001,

The recent resignation of ntv7 producer Joshua Wong and axing of RTM producer Chou Z Lam’s work have given this year’s event deeper resonance.

Wong had resigned citing “political interference” while documentary producer Chou rubbed RTM the wrong way over his series on the Bakun dam.

With momentum built up by the recent series of flashmobs on press freedom, the event attracted a crowd of about 300.

All Women’s Action Society Malaysia (Awam) deputy president Ho Yock Lin (left) warmed up the crowd with her cheeky and personable style, ignited the young and multiracial crowd into a lively slogan chanting throughout the engaging evening.

The crowd took to the performance of ‘Election Daze’, a reading of the censored script used in Five Arts Centre’s 2004 production of Huzir Sulaiman’s ‘Election Day’.

In the lighthearted item, actor Faiqshazwan Kuhiri was repeatedly struck with a ruler for uttering terms deemed inappropriate by censors, poking fun at the latter for barring the company’s 2004 production from using the words like “Wan Azizah”.

To comply, Five Arts was at the time forced to substitute the PKR president’s name with “gentle woman doctor in a tudung”.

Wong Su Zane delivered another powerful performance where she repeated “I am proud to be a woman” while covering areas of her body with labels reading ‘censored’ and hitting herself with a frying spatula.

Najib most popular

Amir Muhammad’s short video ’18MP’ kept the audience in stitches with his collection of ‘politicians’ darndest comments’. The video was shot after 18 parliamentarians had watched his controversial 2007 film ‘The Last Communist’.

Former culture minister ‘Rais Yatim’ got the most laughs when he tried to sidestep the controversy by critiquing the cinematography instead of the content.

Rais delivered the final punchline when he finally concluded that the film was being banned, among other reasons, for “not being violent enough”, sending last night’s audience roaring with laughter.

Of the visual art displays that accompanied the programme, Fahmi Redza’s ‘Najib’s Head Stolen from Billboard’ (left) caught the most attention especially of the shutterbugs.

The piece features the prime minister’s head cut out from a billboard advertisement, and is fashioned after the infamous cover of punk band Sex Pistols’s ‘God Save the Queen’ album, complete with police cordon.

It was originally exhibited at Valentine Willie Fine Art Gallery in 2009, but was allegedly removed after pressure from a gallery visitor who was also an aide working for the PM’s office.

The gallery maintains that they only did so to make room for another function.

Other notable visual presentations include Liew Teck Leong’s piece (right) requiring the audience to pull out nails that made up the word ‘Printing Presses and Publishing Act 1981′.

RPK speaks from exile

Capping the night was the screening of fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s video messages made specially for the event.

Raja Petra (right) stressed that repealing the Printing Presses and Publishing Act 1981 was the only way to end media censorship.

“Why do we need a licence for newspapers? Make it an economic decision… the best newspaper will sell and the lousy (ones) will not.

“If they print lies, people are free to file civil suits to claim damages… that is how things should be controlled,” he said in the night’s finale.

Earlier, speakers included editor Mat Zahari Ali of Kabar Era Pakatan whose newspapers were seized by the Home Ministry, censored comic writer Lim Sow Seng and Sharon Chin, a researcher into banned books.

Representatives from communications NGO Komas, whose video ‘Selepas Tsunami’ were seized for alleged sedition, also gave a presentation, while poets Ten Jong Seng and Yong Ai Lin read colourful poems on the current state of affairs.

Event a ‘failure’

More than just an evening affair, ‘Malam Tak Nak Potong’ also organised a media boycott that night, calling on all to switch off their televisions from 8 to 9pm, and to shun mainstream newspapers on May 28 each year.

Despite what appeared to be a vibrant evening, organiser and the man behind the ’1Black Malaysia’ campaign Wong Chin Huat told the crowd he deemed the event a “failure”.

“If this was a successful event, then there would be FRU trucks outside the building,” he reasoned.

“But I expect this event will be even bigger next year,” he told the audience, who ended the night with reverberating chants of “Tak Nak Potong!”

Photos by Andrew Khoo

李伟伦
5月28日
晚上 10点54分

不一样的528南洋报变周年纪念活动，有不一样的出席及参与者。大约300人今晚聚集在隆雪华堂，以别出 心裁的艺术表演等节目，成功把9年前的报变之痛，放大至整个艺文界的“不剪”诉求。

2001年5月28日马华公 会及星洲媒体集团掌舵人张晓卿，凭着政治势力，联手强行入主我国历史悠久、曾是最大规模中文报业集团的南洋报业集团，一举掌控四大中文报纸《星洲日报》、 《光明日报》、《南洋商报》及《中国报》，激起华社激烈反弹，而衍生“528报变”纪念日及一系列的“反收购”、“反垄断”及80位撰稿人“罢写”四大报 专栏及“黄丝带”运动至今。

柏特拉短片压轴播放

由于报变9周年适逢发生两名电视台前制作人黄 义忠及周泽南节目被剪事件，一批公民社会团体联办了“不剪之夜”，邀请多名艺文工作者，与公众分享作品遭删剪的经验。

主办单位在活动开始前，呼吁出席者以手机短讯方式，通知亲朋好友在晚上8点到9点，关掉电视，拒绝观看电视新闻。

今晚的重头戏，则是目前自我流放的著名部落客拉惹柏特拉，在英国录制的短片，畅谈新闻自由课题。

讽主流报章黑白不分

两名艺术工作者也使用黑白漆涂满近50叠的主流报章，借此抗议报章的自我审查。

创作者是将报章排成倒反的黑、白两个字，过后在“黑”字上涂以白漆，在“白”字上涂以黑漆，借此嘲讽主流报章黑白不分与是非颠倒。

今晚这场“528不剪之夜”是528媒体行动组织、维护媒体独立撰稿人联盟、独立新闻中心和隆雪华堂民权委员会所发动， 号召公众明日不买报纸，以及在晚上8点至9点关上电视，拒看电视新闻。

主办单位也会播放与展出多部被删剪的作 品，并邀请作品的主人上台与大家分享不同的“删剪故事”。

揭内 政部不合理会面

当一个个艺文工作者在台上道出他们的经验时，都显示出当权者的荒谬嘴脸，一些更加 是媒体的自我审查。

《民联时代报》(Kabar Era Pakatan)总编辑末查哈里（Mat Zahari Ali）就揭露，本身在该报遭到内政部对付前，曾接到该部官员的短讯，提出一项非常不合理的会面。

“我在10点 早上接获手机短讯，要求我在11点45分到内政部与他会面。这么仓促的时间，赶得及吗？”

他随即笑道，其实他就 住在布城，本来是赶得及到布城内政部，不过就是偏偏要刁难该名官员，欺骗后者他无法到达。

“我告诉他，我现在在 怡保，其实我那时候正在家里与孩子玩乐。”

内政部是在日前以《民联时代报》没有出版准证为由，在全国 915个地点，没收了该报6108份报纸。

“敏感字眼”直接 打叉

绘本作者者林绍胜也讲述了他的绘本作品《鸡笼坡》在2006年出版时，所面对的审查荒谬事。

他是在2007年9月配合吉隆坡茨厂街大众书局宣传该绘本，炮制了25幅《鸡笼坡报》系列作为《鸡笼坡》绘本的延续。

这批画作拟仿一般华文报首页排版形势，暗喻各大华文报被垄断的僵化，孰料在展出前夕，主办单位忽然下达一道指令，要求 创作者把所有敏感字眼去除，包括了“贪污指数”、“国库数据”及“遭攫杀人数”等。

林绍胜向台下公众展示3年前 的照片，可见当时的展览上，一些字眼直接打个交叉，显得非常讽刺。

罢写运动跨越新闻界

其他的演出及展出节目包括了导演阿米尔莫哈末的“十八国会议员”短片、艺术家陈爱琼的“禁书与其他 魔鬼”展览（Banned Books and Other Monsters）、社会传播中心（KOMAS）的“海啸之后”短片（Selepas Tsunami）、Liew Teck Leong的“撤销1984年出版及印刷法令”（Pull Out: Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984）、漫画家祖纳的《漫画库》漫画集、诗人郑云城的政治诗朗诵、黄英隆的“污”（Black Out）、王妤娴演出的“我以身为女人而荣”、Mark Teh演出的“迷乱的选举”等等。

主办单位之一的维护媒体独立撰稿人联盟黄进发表示，从今晚的活动看来，528报变罢写运动，已经不再 只局限于中文媒体，甚至跨越了新闻界的局限。

“我们看到各种团体参与，不只是新闻界，还有艺文界代表，显示出这 个争取新闻自由的运动，已成为大江东水滔滔不绝。”

他希望明年的活动能有更多人参与，并且相应拒买报纸、拒看电 视的行动。

编按：感谢Andrew Khoo提供部分照片

作者／本刊曾薛霏 May 28, 2010 11:55:21 pm

【本刊曾薛霏撰述】“当审查让 我们不能说话的时候，我们每个人都是很寂寞的，”艺术工作者林绍胜说。在528不剪之夜，每个人都有一个作品曾遭审查的故事，但现场约二百个出席者的反 应，传达出一个讯息，即在一个不剪的自由之夜，每个人都可以愉快地吸收资讯，并且嘲讽审查作品者的荒谬。

穿着黑衣的林绍 胜（左图）在讲解其25份绘本作品《鸡笼坡报》于2007年在大众书局展览前夕，因该书局的要求而不得不删除掉如贪污指数、国库等字眼的情景。

林 绍胜说，他也被通知在回应观众的发问时不要说出这些被删剪的字眼，但是这个删除的动作恰恰传达了其作品欲传达的讯息，即媒体的不自由，让人无法畅所欲言的 情况。

他说：“当审查让我们不能说话的时候，我们每个人都是很寂寞的。”

由维护媒体独立撰稿人联盟(WAMI)、独立新闻中 心(CIJ)、隆雪华堂民权委员会和528媒体行动小组联办，并获得“20年行动方略”支持的“528不剪之夜”（528 Malam Tak Nak Potong），呈现了19份作品，涵盖短剧、遭审查作品、装置艺术、行动艺术作品等，以创意传达有关媒体自由的讯息。

今晚的活动源 自于私营电视台NTV7前制作人黄义忠因不满政治干预与电视台自我审核愤而辞职，此外第二电视台《前线视窗》制作人因揭露电视台腰斩巴贡水坝系列二遭停 职，而发起的系列活动。

值得一提的是，今天也是南洋报业遭马华公会收购九周年，此次爱好新闻自由的社运人士能够与艺术工作者合作，以创意和 有趣的方式，带出媒体自由的重要性，同时也通过呈现一些曾遭删剪的作品，在打破媒体管制与审核之余，也幽了审查者一默。

现 在才说不自由有点太迟

今晚的节目由社 会传播中心（KOMAS）的选民教育短片《海啸之后》片花开始，并以流亡英国的部落客拉惹柏特拉（Raja Petra Kamaruddin）畅谈我国新闻自由的短片结束。

拉惹柏特拉在短片中表示，打从1970年代开始，便出现了部长助理或内政部长致电给编 辑部要求审查报道内容的情况，为何时至今日资深的媒体工作人才说媒体不自由，“有点太少，太迟了”（too little, too late）。

他 认为，唯一能根除媒体自我审查的方案便是废除出版准证，因为当媒体担心会失去准证，便会言听计从。一旦废除了出版准证后，让市场决定媒体的存亡，若一家媒 体没有公信力，就不能生存。若任何人感到媒体诽谤他们，随时可以入禀法院起诉媒体诽谤。

观众对反讽作品反映热烈

此外，现场的 观众对反讽审查者的作品反映热烈。独立导演阿米尔莫哈末的《18个国会议员》短片、五艺中心再演绎短剧《迷乱的选举》、郑云城与杨艾琳念出的政治诗反映热 烈，频频报以热烈的掌声和笑声。

《18个国会议员》主要呈现了18个国会议员在观察了阿米尔莫哈末遭禁的《最后共产党人》（The Last Communist）之后的回应，并呈现出当时的文化部长莱益斯雅丁（Rais Yatim）不断强调该片的拍摄手法属业余。

而 《迷乱的选举》则呈现了吉隆坡市政厅审核胡兹尔苏莱曼（Huzir Sulaiman）于2004年制作之《选举日》的被审查剧本。剧中，审核者的审核方式十分直接，只要念出剧本的演员提及政党名字、商业品牌或银行名字就 必须被审核者用尺打手掌一次，台下的观众看到演员被打时，都惊呼一番。

书本等同于怪兽

此 外，视觉艺术工作者陈爱琼讲解了她在2007年一项有关禁书的作品，并解释了政府从非理性角度，特别是道德、性爱、宗教、内容是否危害国家的层面查禁出版 品的做法。

她说，我们可以 看到是非理性的层面在主导我们的思考，即当我们看到令我们不舒服的作品时，或我们不愿见到的作品，我们就会担心，而身为大家长的政府，会觉得这些作品就像 在孩子床下的怪兽。

她发现，在1987年茅草行动以及1998年烈火莫熄运动时，政府并未查禁太多书本，或许是政府忙于应付政事之故。此 外，在前首相阿都拉巴达威上台后，也可看到政府查禁的书本增加了许多。

从1971年开始至2010年，政府供查禁了1872本书。

装 置和行动艺术反媒体钳制

此外，艺术工 作者刘德梁也以铁定和木板制作了一个装置艺术，上面组成《1984年印刷机与出版法令》字眼，并要求观众互动，参与用钳子拔出钉子，每颗钉子代表着一年， 以显示需要许多年的时间才可废除这项恶法。

黄英隆则以行动艺术，将报纸排成黑、白两个字，并分别在黑字涂上白漆以及在白字上涂上黑漆以显示 媒体黑白不分，是非颠倒。

蔡长璜的装置艺术“干吗？”则要求出席者将垂挂，并写着“政治干预”与“自我审查”的报纸，撕下，然后用剪纸机把 报纸剪碎。这个尚待完成的动作，势必要观众的参与才能完成。

今天的出席者除了年轻人之外，也包括中年人和一些社运人士，大家席地而坐，在主 持人何玉苓与黄翠妮英文和华语的双语主持下，可轻松地了解节目的内容。

不剪之夜展出且呈现的作品如下：

1.《海啸之 后》（Selepas Tsunami），社会传播中心（KOMAS）
2.陈爱琼的“禁书与其他怪兽”（Banned Books and Other Monster）
3.《十八国会议员》，阿米尔莫哈末（Amir Muhammad）制作
4.《鸡笼坡报》，创作者林绍胜
5.528 不剪之夜短片
6.政治诗，郑云城
7.行为艺术“污”（Blackout），黄英隆创作与演出,
8.短剧“我以身为女人而荣”，编 剧Julya Ooi, 导演Tan Hui Koon, 王妤娴演出
9.短剧《迷乱的选举》（Election Daze），Faiqsyazwan Kuhiri, Roger Liew和郑家荣演出,《迷乱的选举》是五艺中心（Five Arts Centre）演出，读出Huzir Sulaiman于2004年制作的《选举日》的被审查剧本。
10.网络节 目Pop Tee Vee专访周泽南有关巴贡水坝短片遭腰斩经过。
11.短片：部落客拉惹柏特拉（Raja Petra Kamaluddin）谈新闻自由。
12.展览：祖纳的《漫画库》（Gerdung Kartun）
13.展览：“从广告布条偷走纳吉的 头”，法米惹扎（Fahmi Reza）创作，本是在孟沙Valentine Willie Fine Art艺术坊展览的装置艺术。由于受到访客的压力，该作品被逼取下，这个访客后来成了首相署的一个助理。
14.“阅读 的权利”—蛇棋游戏和禁书装置，陈慧君制作
15.”拔起:1984年印刷与出版法令”装置，刘德梁制作
16.”干吗？”（Action to be confirmed）装置，蔡长璜制作
17.“鬼造天堂”装置，黄英隆创造
18.“忽视媒体自由就是践踏我们的未 来”，Satu Hulu Action Group
19.展览《民联时代报》，玛扎哈利阿里（Mat Zahari Ali）