KUALA LUMPUR – About 100 members of the Malaysian press gathered at Dataran Merdeka this morning in solidarity for fellow journalists killed while covering Israel’s war in Gaza.
The Save Press 4 Gaza (SP4G) campaign brought together representatives from 26 media groups, some of whom brought their children, to condemn the violence that has been ongoing since October 7 and seen more than 12,000 killed on both sides.
Gerakan Media Merdeka spokesman Radzi Razak highlighted figures by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which has recorded more than 40 media workers and their families in Gaza who have been killed in the last six weeks.
“The number is getting bigger. We want to stand in solidarity because most of us could never do what they are doing right now in the name of truth,” Radzi said at the gathering.
He added that SP4G’s goal is to voice condemnation of Israel for targeting and killing journalists and media workers who were carrying out their jobs.
Radzi lauded the dedication of “brothers and sisters” who are sacrificing their lives to report on events there.
Al Jazeera Malaysia bureau chief Samer Allawi, who is Palestinian, said he believed the number of journalists and media workers killed in Gaza may exceed CPJ’s count, and be well over 60 people if freelancers, YouTubers and bloggers are counted.
Samer added he is grateful for the support media practitioners in Malaysia have shown for their counterparts working in Gaza.
“Our brothers and sisters who are covering (the situation) in Gaza and the West Bank are facing a very terrible situation.
“They receive warnings from the Israeli military and are forced to move from their house, or their house would be destroyed.”
Berita Harian crime desk journalist Alang Azizah Mokhtar said journalists should be protected and not targeted.
“They should be protected to report the news transparently and accurately,” she said.
CPJ’s count of journalists killed in the current Israel-Palestine war as of November 17 stands at 42 journalists, of which 37 were Palestinian.
The global, independent non-profit organisation also said nine journalists have been injured, three are missing and 13 have been arrested since Israel’s war began on October 7. – November 18, 2023