27.05.08 - 28.05.08, Malaysia,

Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi has enjoined media to foster solidarity among the human family which is vital to its survival as a species.

He said that the solidarity must transcend religious, national, ethnic, cultural, class and gender identities, The Malaysian leader also said" more than in any other time in history, the media today has the responsibility of fostering understanding, compassion, empathy and unity among the human family."

Prime Minister Badawi delivered this message in a keynote speech read by. Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, at the opening of the Asia Media Summit in Kuala Lumpur on 27 May 2008. Some 536 delegates from more than 50 countries worldwide attended the two-day Summit. The conference examined new visions and new strategies broadcasters can pursue to address the competitive media landscape and the demands of development.

Harnessing New Media Technologies

In his speech, Prime Minister Badawi recommended a few strategies to harness new technologies, among them:

• Invest in expanding broadband infrastructure and ensure its advantages are not limited to a few;

• Adopt policies that offer opportunities for narrowing social and economic inequities and supporting sustainable wealth creation;

• Develop local content to remove barriers to communication;

• In the area of health, media can help spread awareness and knowledge in the prevention and treatment of diseases and enable doctors to make better and more informed decisions;

He further said traditional media would remain at the leading edge of providing content even as it loses its monopoly on the people's attention. He called on media "not to be taken in by the bells and whistles of technology but to hold fast to your established virtues of accuracy, intelligence, fairness and grit.

No Such Thing as Unlimited Freedom

Commenting on the discourse on responsible journalism, the Malaysian leader said that in a globalised world where news travels in the blink of an idea and is accessible to many, "cultural insensitivities and arrogance can lead cultures to clash and nations to collide."

He said that freedom of speech is a fundamental right, but it is not absolute."The right to freedom of speech and expression cannot be used as a pretext or excuse to violate and abuse the reputation and dignity of a people, to slander and libel or to defame religious or religious symbols. If this were the case, there would be no laws of defamation or libel or laws against those who incite racial or ethnic violence," Prime Minister Badawi pointed out.

Improving Dialogue

The Prime Minister said the" Asia Media Summit is well placed to improve the dialogue among the many interested parties in the universe of the media and communications. The goal of nurturing dialogue is preventive of conflict and inclusive in nature."

During a question and answer session after reading the Prime Minister's speech, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that the alternative media in Malaysia has enjoyed popularity, but this should not be a green light for writers to act with impunity. He said while the government was open to criticism, there were limits to what could be expressed.
At the Inaugural session, Ms. Ladavan BuaAim, executive director of the Foreign Office, National Broadcasting Services of Thailand, and acting AIBD president, delivered the opening remarks. Ms. Ladavan said the advent of new technologies has opened doors to information access and wide exchange among peoples. "If well managed, this holds enormous promise for the people of the Asia- Pacific region and the world - to improve health, trade, education, governance and ultimately, individual lives," she said.