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The Printing Presses and Publications Act - Anas Alam Faizli Magna Est Veritas Prae Velabit - The Truth is Mighty and will always Prevail! Sun, 21 May 2017 15:55:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Information Freedom, the Fourth and Fifth Estate: Hail the Media and the Whistleblowers /information-freedom-the-fourth-and-fifth-estate-hail-the-media-and-the-whistleblowers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=information-freedom-the-fourth-and-fifth-estate-hail-the-media-and-the-whistleblowers Wed, 26 Oct 2016 07:00:38 +0000 Back in 2009, Dato’ Seri Najib Razak launched the New Economic Model (NEM), intended to spur the shift of a Government-led economy to the private sector. He proclaimed that “the era where the Government knows best is over.” Subsequently, in a 2014 interview at UMNO’s 68th anniversary, he reiterated, “And, with all sense of humility, … The post Information Freedom, the Fourth and Fifth Estate: Hail the Media and the Whistleblowers first appeared on Anas Alam Faizli.]]> Back in 2009, Dato’ Seri Najib Razak launched the New Economic Model (NEM), intended to spur the shift of a Government-led economy to the private sector. He proclaimed that “the era where the Government knows best is over.” Subsequently, in a 2014 interview at UMNO’s 68th anniversary, he reiterated, “And, with all sense of humility, we consider ourselves not as know-alls. I have said that the era of the Government knows best is over.“ What the Prime Minister said is perfectly accurate and must be applauded. While the context might have been with regards to giving the lead to the private sector or receiving criticism from the general public, his statement will be meaningful only if public participation is included in the Government’s operations and policies. This can only be achieved if the public is given access to government documents; in order to pave the way or provide constructive criticism. There are two ways to do this effectively; periodical release of data for the general public to consume, analyse, and scrutinise and secondly, the granting of rights for the public to request government documents and information. Entering into a new era where the public is empowered to know best, several reforms are inevitable. First, Malaysians must be accorded with the rights to freedom of information. Secondly, the rights to expression and speech. Thirdly, we need to strengthen the Separation of Powers Principle currently with the three estates, as enshrined under Article 127 of the Federal Constitution – the executive, legislature and judiciary. The Media to be liberated as a watchdog known as the Fourth Estate and the Whistleblowers exposing inside corruption as the Fifth Estate. Freedom of Information In Malaysia, we are not constitutionally guaranteed the freedom of information, nor is there any Act that legally provides this basic human right; except in the State of Selangor through the Freedom of Information Enactment (Selangor) Act 2010 and Penang through the Freedom of Information Act 2011. These Acts allow the public to access state documents except information classified under the Federal’s Official Secrets Act (OSA). Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which Malaysia has ratified states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” The same right must be provided to all Malaysian citizens. By providing information, the public can participate and ensure that the government is doing its best. The availability / accessibility of information on government activities and operations will significantly reduce opportunities for corruption and the abuse of power. The transparency would hold public servants and the executives accountable. Furthermore, this would increase public confidence in the government. More than 95 countries around the world including China, India, Zimbabwe, and Thailand have implemented some form of such legislation in this regard, and other countries are working towards introducing such laws. In the United Kingdom, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 introduces the right to know and request for any information by government bodies, with few exceptions. Surprisingly, China too in 2007 declared the Open Government Information regulation which laid frameworks for Freedom of Information within its sovereignty. Closer to home, Thailand’s The Official Information Act of 1997 grants citizens the right to access public information which applies to all government offices and agencies. Indonesia in 2010 adopted the Freedom of Public Information Act. These legislative efforts by various nations have reportedly brought to light a multitude of corruption scandals. Freedom of Expression and the Fourth Estate (Media) In Malaysia, every citizen is guaranteed the right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association by Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. There are however concerns that highly discretionary laws like the Sedition Act 1948, the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA) 2012, and now the newly introduced Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) 2015 are restricting or conflicting with the above constitutional rights. In our current state, can our media be recognised as the fourth estate? Let us take a look at the current state of affairs for the Malaysian Media; according to a report by The Reporters Without Borders on the World Press Freedom Index, Malaysia ranks at number 146 of a total of 180 ranked countries. Let’s visit prominently featured Acts that regulate the media and whistleblowers. The Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) Amendment 1987 The PPPA is the governing act for the control of printing, importation, production, reproduction, publication and distribution of publications in Malaysia. This act grants the power to control all licenses for printing presses on yearly renewal by the Home Affairs Minister. In short, it is a criminal offense to possess or use a printing press without a valid license granted by the ministry. Proponents defend this law on the basis that it is used to ensure news is genuine, to regulate the printing presses, and to ensure there that are proper legal guidelines governing reporters. Opponents, on the other hand, argue that PPPA is an attack on freedom of speech and is actually used to restrict political discourse, silencing political opponents, and indirectly ensuring that news delivered to the public conveniently falls within the Government’s appetite. Additionally, an amendment in 1987 provided a clause that the Court cannot question actions by the Home Affairs Minister and in section 7(1) of the PPPA the Home Affairs Minister has the power to ban the publication of any book. This intensifies the argument that the Act is indeed a means to provide the Government with total power and control over printing presses. The call and demand of the day are for the PPPA to be repealed, and that newspapers should be free to publish without a license. There are enough civil protections and laws in place such as the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and also the Defamation Act 1957 which can be used to regulate newspapers that publish false news. There are two types of defamation in Malaysia: libel and slander which can be used either by the government or an individual. However, the Defamation Act must ensure that no public officials can benefit from special protection under the law and no government agencies should be able to bring defamation suits. The Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) Amendment 1986 This Act provides the government the capacity to render any documents a State ‘Secret’ if they are deemed to threaten national interest. Conceivably, national security documents that are of military nature, sensitive diplomatic relationships, and intelligence-related should reasonably be classified as ‘Secret’. However, the amendment in 1986 has given unlimited power to all the Ministers to classify any document under the sky as Confidential. Any leak can be treated as a criminal offense and perpetrators can be deemed as an enemy of state with a mandatory jail term. On top of these two Acts, there is also The Broadcasting Act 1988 which allows the Information Minister to decide who can own broadcasting stations, naturally allowing the industry to be monopolized by a few key players subsequently stunting media’s independence. Crackdowns and the Gerakan Media Marah (GERAMM) Throughout the years, there have been various crackdowns on media and publishing activities including arrests, threats of license suspension for the media, and banning of books. GERAMM, a loose coalition of journalists, media representatives, and activists, was founded on 20 December 2013 as a reaction to the government’s decision to suspend the license of a weekly magazine called ‘The Heat’. This move is widely seen as an obstruction to media freedom. Subsequently, The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily was also suspended for three months for a report on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. In essence, GERAMM, the Institute of Journalists Malaysia (IoJ), Centre For Independent Journalism (CIJ) and other civil society organisations are fighting for freedom of the press, the abolishment of publishing permits, the abolishment of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984, and to uphold the spirit of freedom, fairness, and human rights for media. The Fifth Estate: The WhistleBlowers There must be a level of confidentiality in the Government’s dealings especially when sensitive matters are involved. However, there is a grey area between secrecy and transparency. In scenarios where mediums and means to make Government or organisations accountable are lacking, whistleblowers are the perfect alternative source that can bring to light useful and relevant information. For Whistleblowers to come forward there must be a strong form of protection to allow them to be able to report any misconducts, in turn allowing for a more accountable Government. Protect a man and he will tell you everything. The existing Whistleblower’s Protection Act 2010 (WPA) does not provide adequate protection. The protection lapses if the whistleblower communicates to any party other than a government agency and this protection can be revoked if the enforcement agency is of the opinion that the report “principally involves questioning the merits of government policy, including public body”. Quite a dead end. In essence, if you disclose information instead of reporting a crime, you are technically a whistleblower but will bear the risk of committing a crime should the authorities not be in your favour. If you report it, you are not a whistleblower and is committing a crime. Magna Est Veritas Prae Velabit – the Truth is Mighty and Will Always Prevail In early April of 2016, the International Consortium of Journalists leaked 2.6 terabytes of data from the Mossack Fonseca law firm in Panama and linked 140 world leaders to secret offshore accounts in 21 different tax havens. As a result of the leak and the subsequent backlash from the public, Iceland’s Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and Spain’s acting Industry Minister, Jose Manuel Soria; have resigned from office. They had both been linked to offshore companies. Many senior figures in government positions worldwide have subsequently been investigated and questioned. There have been many other instances around the world where the fourth and the fifth estate play a pivotal role in bringing corruptors to justice; such as the Watergate Scandal, the Pentagon Papers, WikiLeaks, and others. Where government is allowed to operate in secret; abuse and corruption will breed and prosper without fear. The truth will make you mad, miserable but in the end, set you free. The Road to Good Governance and Accountability The time has come for the Federal government to adopt a Freedom of Information Act. A Whistleblowers’ Protection Act that encompasses more than just the government and its agencies must be empowered to protect those who disclose information so as to expose malpractice and matters of similar concern. The Official Secrets Act should be restricted for use on materials that are in connection with and/ or gravely endangers our national security, defense, and foreign relations. A bi-partisan select committee must be set up in Parliament to review the sensitivity of these documents. Critically, if there is a public interest in disclosure, there must be a provision that allows for the document’s classified status to be challenged. A time limit must also be imposed reasonably on OSA documents which will be declassified upon expiry. The Sedition Act 1948 inherited from the former colonial British government must be repealed to allow for greater freedom of expression and reasonable, constructive critique of our national policy. The Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) should only require media outlets to register with the Information Ministry without printing licenses and annual publishing permit requirements. The Swedish government has granted its citizen the freedom of information rights as early as 1766. We need to catch-up our missed train of 250 years. Embrace the 21st century by enabling our citizens with basic human rights to freedom of information, speech, and expression, and empowering our media and the whistleblowers as check and balance to the Government. We are presently fighting corruption only on the surface, fighting intermittent fire without any ray of light at the end of the tunnel sentenced to fail. Implementing the above proposals can rescind even the most repressive and corrupt of regimes; extinguishing it directly at its source. *A version of this article first appeared on Astro Awani The post Information Freedom, the Fourth and Fifth Estate: Hail the Media and the Whistleblowers first appeared on Anas Alam Faizli.]]>


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Transformational - Anas Alam Faizli Magna Est Veritas Prae Velabit - The Truth is Mighty and will always Prevail! Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:48:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 The Leadership of Akio Toyoda /the-leadership-of-akio-toyoda/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-leadership-of-akio-toyoda Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:07:43 +0000 Question: How would you describe Akio Toyoda’s leadership style?  Explain. Akio Toyoda’s leadership style can best be described as a combination of a transformational and entrepreneurial leadership.  Transformational leadership is a leadership that inspires the entire organisation and affects the employee’s belief by gathering their wills and encouraging employees to perform to their leader’s vision.  … The post The Leadership of Akio Toyoda first appeared on Anas Alam Faizli.]]> Question: How would you describe Akio Toyoda’s leadership style?  Explain. Akio Toyoda’s leadership style can best be described as a combination of a transformational and entrepreneurial leadership.  Transformational leadership is a leadership that inspires the entire organisation and affects the employee’s belief by gathering their wills and encouraging employees to perform to their leader’s vision.  (Certo & Certo, 2006, pp 370) Transformational leaders motivate employees by synchronizing the leader’s vision with their employees, pulling to the idea rather than pushing it. Transformational leadership can also be related to showing of charisma, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration with the ability to bring changes in an organisation.  Transformational leader are often required to turn around companies or to transform the entire organisation for new concept or strategy. Toyoda has a high standard of moral and ethical conduct and is held by Toyota’s employees in high regard exemplifying his charisma.  He also has a strong vision for the future and is always challenging Toyota’s norm by intellectual stimulation.  This is shown when he is set to abandon “kakushin” or “revolutionary change which is the prior President’s approach to redesigning plants and operations. He believes that Toyota is over concentrating on high technology, superior but costly processes and too excited in expanding the market and making decision with very few top executives. Toyoda is set to change this and to set Toyota for building reliable, practical, affordable vehicles for the mainstream consumer. Toyoda believe that this is what the consumer wanted and what he is determined to give.  Toyoda has been known to push Toyota’s global standing among other automobile competitors, taking Toyota further than its Japanese roots and has been emphasizing styling and performance in Toyota’s automobiles.  This shows that Toyoda is willing to bring changes and is willing to change the entire concept of the organisation.  Toyoda ensured that his employees understand why the need of the changes exemplified his vision and brings the corporation for change.  Toyota employees embrace this and set for this new vision of transforming Toyota. Entrepreneurial leadership is a leadership style that the leader acts as if he is self employed.  This leadership calls for strong leaders who act as if they are playing a critical role in the organisation.  Entrepreneurial leadership has a strong urgency to achieve and perform.  Best described by (Oliver Cromwell, 1599 -1658), who once remarked, “He who stops being better, stops being good.”  Entrepreneurial leader takes their own initiatives and makes their presence felt by the employees, demonstrate creativity and consistently pursue new opportunities.  Entrepreneurial leader take risk and is always open for new ideas and provide direction to their subordinate.  Even if they fail, it will be used as a lesson learnt for future endeavors. Toyoda is a strong believer of “genchi genbutsu” or “see it for yourself” which is a Toyota’s key tenet meaning to get out of your desk and see the source of the problem yourself.   That’s exactly what Toyoda did when he visited a Toyota dealership in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He wanted to personally investigate a pickup truck recall. Toyoda made the trip so secret that even Toyota’s public relations staff didn’t know he was there. While at the dealership, he reportedly got down on his hands and knees to examine the undercarriage of a truck and getting dirty at it (Micheline Maynard, 2009 New York Times). As John C Maxwell rightly put “A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”  This fits seamlessly into collaborative culture and methods. He is also challenging old Japanese executive method where top Japanese executives are rarely seen but he can be seen everywhere from office, at site, at dealership shops and also even plants and loading docks.  In his recent appointment as President of Toyota in January this year, he announced that he would pop up everywhere as he did in Ann Arbor.  Toyoda also said that “I want to be president closest to the site,” and “I’ll try to make changes without being tied down by the past.” Toyoda behave as if he is self employed.  He could have easily used his power to ask his subordinates to visit the sites but he prefers to see it himself.  Toyoda reflected how the role he is playing in the organisation as very critical. This reflects on his entrepreneurial leadership. This shows how Toyoda is determined to bring changes to Toyota.  One of his early initiative and reform plans is also to revamp the entire senior management of Toyota.  He plans to change his four executive vice presidents and many of his 19 senior managing directors.  In bringing changes he will need followers that will assist him in influencing the grassroots and empower the employees to understand Toyoda’s vision.  The new appointed vice presidents and managing directors will aspire and share the same vision like Toyoda and will be a great asset in helping him achieve this vision of transforming Toyota again.  Having committed to this new vision then only his employees will be able to understand and aspire to achieve Toyoda’s vision. This also fits into Toyoda’s transformational characteristics.  Transformational Leaders are always visible and will stand up rather than hide behind their troops. They show by their attitudes and actions how everyone else should behave. They also make continued efforts to motivate and rally their followers, constantly doing the rounds, listening, soothing and enthusing. (Bass, B. M.,1985). Taking the helm when Toyota announces first global sales drop in 10 years, Toyoda is perfect for the job.  Watanabe, his predecessor describes Toyoda as the best person to lead as he can bring a new point of view (entrepreneurial) and has the ability to act (transformational). Toyoda during his senior management tenure in China played a vital role in completing the merger.  The prior joint venture that he had is troubled by a financial problem partner.  Toyoda pushed for another partner and by influencing the top management and government officials he completed the merger.  Toyoda behaved as if he is taking the risk that he will lose the whole venture but will receive huge returns if one is made.  Toyoda took the risk, played a critical role. Toyoda have a strong urgency to achieve and perform and he couldn’t sit idle and watch the venture to collapse.  Instead of waiting he took the risk and made the profit. Managers with entrepreneurial leadership have a strong screen of opportunity and have a high need for excellence (McClelland, 1983). He also revamped the entire concept of how department heads can now report directly to executive president and has successfully eliminated the long bureaucratic process.  The moves that Toyoda made really impacted on how things were done in China.  This exemplifies how he positions himself in order to materialize Toyota’s organisation’s objectives which are a trait of a transformational and entrepreneurial leader. The post The Leadership of Akio Toyoda first appeared on Anas Alam Faizli.]]>


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Tyra Hanim - Anas Alam Faizli Magna Est Veritas Prae Velabit - The Truth is Mighty and will always Prevail! Fri, 01 May 2015 15:56:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Deklarasi Gabungan Merdeka Rakyat /deklarasi-gabungan-merdeka-rakyat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=deklarasi-gabungan-merdeka-rakyat Tue, 28 Apr 2015 15:00:44 +0000 DEKLARASI GABUNGAN MERDEKA RAKYAT @gmerdekarakyat 28 APRIL 2015 Malaysia dirahmati dengan hasil mahsul tidak ternilai, namun kekal misteri apabila jurang kaya-miskinnya sangat lebar, kos sara hidup dan kemiskinan meruncing, tahap pendidikan yang corot muncul dari korupsi meluas, ketirisan berleluasa, ketidakcekapan urustadbir, salahlaku kuasa polis, jenayah sosial yang meningkat dan ditambah pula kekangan kebebasan suara, penahanan … The post Deklarasi Gabungan Merdeka Rakyat first appeared on Anas Alam Faizli.]]> DEKLARASI GABUNGAN MERDEKA RAKYAT @gmerdekarakyat 28 APRIL 2015 Malaysia dirahmati dengan hasil mahsul tidak ternilai, namun kekal misteri apabila jurang kaya-miskinnya sangat lebar, kos sara hidup dan kemiskinan meruncing, tahap pendidikan yang corot muncul dari korupsi meluas, ketirisan berleluasa, ketidakcekapan urustadbir, salahlaku kuasa polis, jenayah sosial yang meningkat dan ditambah pula kekangan kebebasan suara, penahanan pehimpun aman dan ahli politik, pemenjaraan wartawan, pembisuan ahli akademik, universiti dikilangkan, sekolah jadi penjara, isu perkauman diapi-apikan, demokrasi pincang, rakyat diperbodohkan dan pelbagai musibah yang terus melanda negara. Menyedari bahawa terdapat penindasan, ketidakadilan dan jurang sosial yang semakin menekan di negara yang dicintai ini, kami sesungguhnya berikrar dengan segala kudrat dalam jasad kami untuk memperjuangkan kemerdekaan rakyat. Gabungan ini beriltizam menegakkan keadilan yang holistik buat semua rakyat negara ini. Kami dengan ini menuntut perjuangan 7 kebebasan demi negara: 1) Kebebasan Suara, Himpun dan Persatuan Mansuh Akta Hasutan 1948 dan Akta Perhimpunan Aman 2011 yang mencabar kedaulatan Perkara 10 Perlembagaan Malaysia. Mansuh akta drakonian yang mempunyai fasal tahanan tanpa bicara. Perkasa dan selia pembukaan ruang awam untuk bersuara, berhimpun dan berpersatuan. 2) Kebebasan Politik dan Demokrasi Bebaskan semua tahanan politik dan hentikan pendakwaan terpilih. Ahli politik tidak wajar disekat, diugut atau dipenjarakan secara politik. Pilihanraya yang adil dan telus. Kebebasan penuh oleh Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Malaysia (SPR) dan pengauditan dari badan bebas untuk sempadan pilihan raya dan bilangan kerusi pilihanraya. Laksanakan 22 cadangan Jawatankuasa Khas Parlimen buat reformasi pilihanraya (2012) dan 8 tuntutan BERSIH 2.0 Hadkan Perdana Menteri yang sama kepada maksimum 2 penggal. Kembalikan Pilihanraya Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT) untuk ruang dan perwakilan menyeluruh kepada suara masyarakat. 3)   Kebebasan Urus Tadbir dan Keadilan Mansuh Akta Kerahsiaan Rasmi untuk buka ruang kepada ketelusan urus tadbir negara. Teladani urus tadbir, integriti dan ketelusan prinsip dan garis panduan yang dianjurkan oleh Global Compact PBB, Transparency International dan Global Financial Integrity. Kuasa pendakwaan oleh Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM). Isytihar harta dan aset oleh semua Menteri dan Ketua Setiausaha Negara (KSN). Tingkatkan kecekapan perkhidmatan awam merentasi semua kementerian dan pemansuhan tugas bertindih antara agensi kerajaan. Menginstitusikan kabinet bayangan dan perlantikan Ketua Pembangkang sebagai pengerusi Jawatankusa Kira-Kira Wang peringkat persekutuan dan negeri. Ratifikasi Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) untuk hasil Petroleum dan bumi negara. Pemilihan Hakim oleh Suruhanjaya Hakim Negara tanpa campurtangan badan Eksekutif. 4)  Kebebasan Ekonomi Kadar kemiskinan mutlak tidak lagi boleh diguna pakai. Gunakan kadar kemiskinan relatif dan wujudkan gaji minima yang adil dan saksama buat semua. Pekerjaan yang wajar dan gaji yang adil untuk semua rakyat. Secara prinsip, tiada seorang pun yang bekerja sepenuh masa harus berada di dalam kemiskinan. Iktiraf hak kolektif pekerja dan hadkan penggunaan pekerja asing dalam industri tertentu Setiap rakyat perlu diberi peluang untuk memiliki sebuah rumah yang sesuai untuk kehidupan mereka. Pembangunan sektor sosial untuk membantu menangani kemiskinan dan masalah sosial Batalkan Cukai GST. Cukai Keuntungan Modal dan Cukai Warisan terbukti cukai yang lebih baik dalam merapatkan jurang pendapatan antara yang kaya dan miskin. Batal dan tarik diri daripada perbincangan Perjanjian Perkongsian Trans-Pasifik (TPPA). 5)  Kebebasan Akademik dan Kesihatan Berikan pendidikan percuma yang saksama sehingga universiti dan baiki hubungkait antara tenaga kerja tempatan dan piawaian sumber manusia. Autonomi pentadbiran penuh buat semua sekolah kerajaan dan institut pengajian tinggi. Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti 1971 menyekat kebebasan berakademik. Universiti wajib diberikan autonomi serta ditadbir oleh mereka yang layak dan bebas daripada cengkaman mana-mana pihak. Martabatkan universiti sebagai tempat pencarian penyelesaian atas masalah dan krisis negara. Perkasa Bahasa Kebangsaan sebagai bahasa ilmu dan wujudkan budaya akademik; hujah dibalas hujah, bukan penjara. Sediakan kemudahan kesihatan percuma dan baik kepada semua lapisan warga. 6) Kebebasan Media dan Pembocor Maklumat Perkasakan Media sebagai ejen semak imbang kepada prinsip pemisahan kuasa negara. Pembocor maklumat rasuah dan salah laku tadbir perlu dilindungi dari sebarang pendakwaan. Mansuhkan Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan 1984 dan Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998 dan sebarang fasal yang menyekat kebebasan pengamal media. Tubuhkan Majlis Media yang bebas, mandiri di bawah kawal selia pengamal media sepenuhnya. Tunaikan 8 tuntutan Gerakan Media Marah (GERAMM). 7)  Kebebasan Keselamatan Keharmonian dan Alam Sekitar Tubuhkan Suruhanjaya Bebas Aduan dan Salah Laku Polis (IPCMC). Pemeliharaan hak asasi sejagat semua rakyat. Autonomi kepada institusi agama dari cengkaman mana-mana pihak. Kempen bersepadu untuk anti-sentimen rasisme dan menuju ke arah pemansuhan politik perkauman. Hentikan eksploitasi alam sekitar yang mengganggu gugat kestabilan ekologi. Hentikan pembaziran tenaga. Tingkatkan tenaga boleh diperbaharui dan kecekapan tenaga serta batalkan rancangan pembinaan loji Nuklear. Gabungan ini berpegang dengan keamanan dan akan berjuang menelusuri undang-undang dan menjunjung perlembagaan negara serta berpegangkan prinsip keadilan yang adil dan saksama. Demi negara yang lebih baik, gabungan ini menyeru semua warga untuk menyertai perjuangan ini. Malaysia milik warganya. Merdeka dan bebaskan rakyat! GABUNGAN MERDEKA RAKYA ————————————————————ENGLISH VERSION———————– MERDEKA RAKYAT DECLARATION   28 APRIL 2015 Malaysia is blessed with abundant natural resources, but it remains a mystery why its citizens continue to face a myriad of disasters. We are bogged by an alarming increase of income disparity, rising cost of living, poverty, wide spread corruption, degrading education standards, government leakages, administrative inefficiencies, abuse of police powers and rising crime rates. These issues are adds on to the series of violation to fundamental civil liberties. We have seen freedom of speech suppressed, detention of peaceful protestors and political dissidents, imprisonment of journalists, silencing of academics, education institutions turned into certificate mills, racial sentiments intentionally flamed and the many other issues we can only imagine in underdeveloped countries. In view of the ongoing oppression, widening of social gap and injustices around the country, we pledge to free Malaysia from all these shackles. We set our sights to right the wrong and uphold justice holistically regardless of race and religion. As such we demand for striving of 7 freedoms for the nation: 1)  Freedom of Speech, Gathering and Association Repealthe Sedition Act 1948 and Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 which violates Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. Repeal any draconian legislations that provide clauses for detention without trial. Strengthen channels to exercise freedom of speech, assembly and association. 2)   Freedom of Politics and Democracy Release all political detainees and put an immediate stop to political persecution. Politicians should not be threatened or politically imprisoned. Free and fair elections. Grant the Election Commission full autonomy and establish an independent body to audit delineation and seat addition exercises. Implement all 22 recommendations presented by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for election reforms (2012) and fulfil the 8 demands from BERSIH 2.0 Limit the services of the Prime Minister to a maximum two terms in office. Return local council elections to ensure fair representation and encourage participatory democracy. 3)   Freedom of Good Governance and Justice Repealthe Official Secrets Act 1972 to ensure accountability and transparency in government dealings. Model governance, integrity and transparency principles and guidelines advocated by the UN Global Compact, Transparency International and Global Financial Integrity. Legislate prosecution powers for the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC). Mandatory asset declaration by all Ministers and Chief Secretary to the Public. Elevate efficiency of the public service across all Ministries and abolish all overlapping roles between government agencies. Institutionalise Shadow Cabinet and legislate the Opposition Leader as mandatory chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Ratify the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) for Petroleum and natural resources. Appointment of judges by a Judiciary Commission free of the executive’s influence. 4)   Freedom of Economy Poverty Index is no longer relevant. Implement the usage of Relative Poverty Index and implement fair minimum wage. Fair wages to all Malaysians. As a principle, no person in full-time employment should be in poverty. Recognise the collective rights of workers and limit the use of foreign workers in certain industries. Every citizen should be given the opportunity to own a house fit for living. Develop the People or Social Sector to help tackle poverty and social problem. Abolish GST. Implement Capital Gain Tax and Inheritance Tax which has been proven to bemore effective in reducing income disparity gap. Stop and pull out from the ongoing Trans-Pan Pacific Agreement (TPPA) negotiations. 5)   Freedom of Academic Freedom and Health Provide free education until University and improve the connectivity between local labour force and human resource requirements. Full administrative autonomy for all school and universities. The University and University College Act 1971 impedes academic freedom. Universities must be given autonomy and administered by academicians. Empower and upgrade universities to be a place for solutions to national issues. Empower the use of the national language as a language of knowledge and  nurture a culture of seeking knowledge expansion; ideas rebutted with ideas, not imprisonment. Provide free and quality healthcare services to every Malaysian citizen. 6)    Freedom of Media and Whistleblowers Strengthen media as an agent of checks and balance for the principle of the separation of power. Whistleblowers must be protected from any forms of prosecution. Repeal the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and any other legislations impeding media freedom. Establish an independent Media Council responsible of monitoring the etiquettes of media personnels. Fulfill the 8 demands of Gerakan Media Marah (GERAMM). 7)   Freedom of Security, Harmony and Nature Establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). Protect the fundamental civil liberties of every citizens. Religious institutions to be given full autonomy and free from political influence. Integrated campaign to condemn racist sentiments and move away from racially inclined politics. Stop all exploitation towards mother nature. Increase use of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and abort the plan for nuclear power plant. This coalition is aligned to peace and will fight and demand for the issues mentioned above through existing laws in line with the Federal Constitution and principles of equal justice for all. We call upon each and everyone of you to join this struggle for a better Malaysia. Malaysia belongs to its citizens. Independence and freedom to all! GABUNGAN MERDEKA RAKYAT ————————————————————MANDARIN VERSION———————– 《人民自主联盟宣言》 2015年4月28日 马来西亚虽拥有丰富的天然资源，却吊诡地长期面对贫富悬殊，生活费和贫穷率攀升，以及教育水平落后的问题。这都源于贪污腐败，低效管理，警方滥权等现象，以及不断上升的社会性犯罪率。再加上言论自由受打压，和平集会参与者与政治人物屡被扣留，媒体工作者遭囚禁，学者无法发声，大学工厂化而学校则犹如牢房，种族课题经常被煽动，人民长期受愚弄，这种种乱象都持续为害着国家。 有感于我们深爱的祖国面对日益严重的压迫，不公和社会差距扩大问题，我们立志尽全力为人民自主而斗争。 人民自主联盟承诺不分族群与宗教，为全民谋求正义。我们争取以下7项自由： （1）言论、集会和结社自由 废除违反《国家宪法》第10条文的《1948年煽动法令》和《2011年和平集会法令》。 废除允许未审先扣的恶法。 致力于开拓让国民发言，集会和结社的公共空间。 （2 ）政治和民主自由 释放所有政治扣留犯并停止选择性提控，政治人物不应该因为政治立场而受到骚扰、威胁或囚禁。 确保选举公正和透明，让马来西亚选举委员会拥有实权，自由地去进行选区划分和议席分配，而独立机构有权利监督选委会的工作。 采纳2012年国会特别遴选委员会所提出的改革选举制度22项建议，以及净选盟2.0的8项诉求。 限制首相的任期不可超过两届。 恢复地方选举制度，让能够代表人民的代议士拥有管道发声。 （3）透明行政和追求公正的自由 废除《官方机密法令》，透明化国家行政管理。 效仿联合国全球契约、透明国际组织（Transparency International）和全球金融诚信组织（Global Financial Integrity）所提出的管理方法，诚信和透明原则，以及行事守则。 赋予马拉西亚反贪污委员会提控权。 公布部长和国家首席秘书的个人资产。 提高政府部门的办事效率，消除不同部门之间的职能重叠。 建立影子内阁制度，推举反对党领袖为国会及州议会公共账目委员会主席。 遵照《采掘业透明度行动计划》（ETI）生产石油和开发土地资源。 司法任命委员会可在不受其他行政机构的干预下委任法官。 （4）经济自由 绝对贫穷率已不适用于评估贫穷程度，应采用相对贫穷率，并且设定平等及公正的最低薪金制度。 为全民提供合理的工作和适当的薪资，原则上没有一个全职工作人士应该活在贫困之中。 承认工人的集体权利，限制某些工业雇佣外国工人的人数。 居者有其屋，国民应拥有适合居住的住所。 发展社会服务部门，协助处理贫困和社会问题。 废除消费税，征收更有利于缩小贫富收入差距的资本利得税和遗产税。 反对《泛太平洋战略经济伙伴关系协定》（TPPA），退出该协定的谈判。 （5）学术和医疗自由 平等地提供直至大学的免费教育，着力于改进本地劳动力以使之符合市场需求。 给予政府学校和高等教育机构完全的管理自主权。 《1971年大专法令》限制了学术自由，大学应拥有自主权，由符合学术资格的人在不受其他势力的干预下管理。 重视大学，在大学中寻找解决国家危机的方法。 强化国语，使国语成为学习新知识，建立学术文化和交流看法的共同语言，而不是禁锢思想的语言。 为国民提供免费和良好的医疗设施。 （6）媒体和吹哨者自由 在国家权力分立的原则之下，赋权于媒体执行其制衡工作。 贪污腐败案件的吹哨者必须受到保护，免于因揭露丑闻而遭到提控。 废除《1984年印刷机及出版法令》、《1998年通讯与多媒体法令》以及限制媒体自由的任何条款。设立独立的媒体理事会，以负责监督媒体工作者的操守。 采纳愤怒媒体运动（GERAMM）所提出的8项诉求。  （7）拥有安全、和平和自然环境的自由 设立投诉警方不当行为独立委员会（IPCMC）。 维护所有国民的基本人权。 赋予宗教机构管理自主权，让它们免受其他势力的干预。 推广反对种族主义的团结运动，朝着抛弃族群政治的方向迈进。 停止破坏生态平衡的发展工程。 停止浪费能源，增加使用再生能源和提高现有能源效率，中止建立核电厂计划。 人民自主联盟信守和平，我们的自由斗争既遵循现行法令与国家宪法，也符合公正和平等原则。为了让国家变得更好，我们呼吁所有公民参与这场自由斗争。 马来西亚属于国民，让人民自由自主！默迪卡！ 《人民自主联盟宣言》 ————————————————————TAMIL VERSION————————————————— சுதந்திர மக்கள் கூட்டணியின் பிரகடனம் (கபுங்கான் மெர்டேக்கா ரக்யாட்) மலேசிய வளங்கள் நிறைந்த நாடு. ஆனால் ஏழை பணக்காரர் இடைவெளி அதிகமாக இருப்பது மர்மமான ஒன்றாக உள்ளது; வாழ்க்கை செலவினம் மற்றும் சுற்றப்பட்ட வறுமை, பரந்த ஊழல், அநாவசிய செலவு, ஒழுங்கில்லாத நிர்வாகம், போலீஸ் அதிகார துஸ்பிரவேஷம், சமுதாய குற்றச் செயல்கள் அதிகரிப்பு மேலும் சுதந்திரமாக குரல் கொடுப்பதற்கு தடை, அமைதியாக ஒன்றுக் கூடிடும் அரசியல்வாதிகளை தடுத்து வைப்பது, நிருபர்களை கைது செய்வது, கல்விமான்களை ஊமையாக்குவது, பல்கலைகழகத்தை தொழிற்சாலையாக்குவது, பள்ளிக்கூடம் சிறைச் சாலையாகிறது, இன மதவாத்தை தூண்டி விடுவது, ஜனநாயகன் செயலிழந்து போகிறது, மக்கள் முட்டாளாக்கப்படுகிறார்கள், மற்றும் பல பேரழிவுகள் நாட்டை தொடர்ந்து தாக்கி வருகிறது. நாம் நேசிக்கும் இந்த நாட்டில் ஒடுக்குமுறை, அநியாயம், மற்றும் சமுதாய ஏற்றத்தாழ்வு இருப்பதை அறிகிறோம். ஆகையால், இந்நிலை மாற, மக்களின் உண்மையான் சுதந்திரத்திற்கு போராட உறுதி மொழி எடுக்கிறோம். ஆக, இந்நாட்டு மக்களின் முழுமையான நீதி நியாத்தை நிலைநாட்டும் வேலைகளில் இவ்வணி ஈடுபடும். ஆகையால், நாங்கள் நாட்டின் சுதந்திரத்திற்கான 7 கோரிக்கைகளை முன்வைக்கின்றோம்: சுதந்திரமாக குரல் கொடுத்தல், ஒன்றுக் கூடுதல், மற்றும் சங்கமமைத்தல் தேச நிந்தனை சட்டம் 1948, மற்றும் மலேசிய அரசியலமைப்பு சட்டத்தின் 10-வது விதியை சவால் விடும் அமைதியாக ஒன்றுக்கூடும் சட்டம் 2011 ஆகியவற்றை ஒழித்தல். விசாரனையின்றி தடுத்து வைக்கும் கொடூரமான சட்டங்களை ஒழித்தல். .சுதந்திரமாக குரல் கொடுக்க, ஒன்றுக்கூட, மற்றும் சங்கம் அமைக்க மக்களை பலப்படுத்த வேண்டும். அரசியல் மற்றும் ஜனநாயக சுதந்திரம் அரசியல் கைதிகளை விடுதலை செய்; தேர்ந்தெடுத்து குற்றம் சாட்டுவதை நிறுத்து; அரசியல்வாதிகளை கட்டுப்படுத்துவது, பயமுறுத்துவது அல்லது அரசியல் காரணத்திற்காக சிறையிடுவது ஆகியவற்றை நிறுத்த வேண்டும். தூய்மையான நியாயமான தேர்தல் வேண்டும். தேர்தல் ஆணையம் சுதந்திரமாக செயல்பட வேண்டும். தேர்தல் எல்லைகள் மற்றும் தேர்தலில் போட்டியிடும் தொகுதிகளை தனித்த ஒரு அமைப்பு நிர்ணயிக்க வேண்டும். தேர்தலில் மறுமலர்ச்சியை கொண்டு வரவும், பெர்சே 2.0-வின் 8 கோரிக்கையை அமலாக்கம் செய்ய நாடாளுமன்ற சிறப்பு செயற்குழு கொடுத்த 22 ஆலோசனைகளை அமல்படுத்துக. ஒரே பிரதமரை அதிகபட்சம் 2 தவணைக்கு மட்டுமே வரம்பிடுக. மக்களின் குரலை வெளிக்கொனர ஊராட்சிமன்ற தேர்தலை மீண்டும் கொண்டு வருக. 3) சுதந்திரமாக நியாயமாக நிர்வகித்தல் நாட்டின் நிர்வாகத்தை வெளிப்படையாக நடத்த அதிகாரப்பூர்வ இரகசிய சட்டத்தை ஒழிக்க வேண்டும். உலக ஜநா சமை, சர்வதேச வெளிப்படைதன்மை, மற்றும் உலகளாவிய நிதி நேர்மை ஆகியவற்றின் கொள்கைகள், வழிகாட்டிகளை நல்லதொரு நிர்வாகத்திற்கு பின்பற்ர வேன்டும். இலஞ்ச ஒழிப்பு ஆணையத்தின் வழக்கு விசாரனை அதிகாரம். நாட்டின் தலைமை செயலாலர் மற்றும் அமைச்சர்கள் அவர்களின் சொத்துக்களை பொதுவில் அறிவிக்க வேண்டும் எல்லா அமைச்சுகளின் பொது சேவை திறன்களை மேலோங்கச் செய்ய வேண்டும். அரசாங்க முகமைகளுக்குலுள்ள ஒன்றோடு ஒன்று முறன்பாடுள்ள பணிகளை ஒழிக்க வேண்டும். நிழல் அமைச்சரவையை நிறுவனமயமாக்குக. நாட்டின் எதிர்கட்சி தலைவரை மத்திய மற்றும் மாநில பணக் கணக்கு செயற்குழுவின் தலைவராக நியமித்தல். வெளிப்படையானபெட்ரோலியம் மற்றும் இயற்கை வளம்  பிரித்துக்காய்ச்சி தொழில்கள் முயற்சி ( eiti ) ஒப்புதலும் கையொப்பமிட வேண்டும் நிர்வாக செயலவையின் தலையீடு இல்லாமல், மலேசிய நீதிபதி ஆணையம் நீதிபதிகளை தேர்ந்தெடுக்க வேண்டும். 4) பொருளாதார சுதந்திரம் முழுமையான வறுமை விகித முறை இனி பயன்படுத்தக் கூடாது. ஒப்பீட்டு வறுமை விகிதம் பயன்படுத்த வேன்டும். அனைவருக்குமான நியாயமான, சரிசமமான குறைந்தபட்ச சம்பளத்தை கொண்டுவர வேண்டும். அனைத்து மக்களுக்கும் முறையான வேலை, நியாயமான சம்பளம் வழங்கப்பட வேண்டும். கொள்கைப்படி, முழு நேரமாக வேலை செய்யும் எவரும் வறுமையில் வாழக் கூடாது. ஒன்றுப்பட்ட உரிமைகளை அங்கீகரிக்க வேண்டும். குறிப்பிட்ட சில தொழில்துறைகளின் வெளிநாட்டு தொழிலாளர்களின் பயன்பாட்டை கட்டுப்படுத்த வேண்டும். ஒவ்வொரு குடிமக்களுக்கும் வாழ்வதற்கு ஏதுவாக ஒரு சொந்த வீடு இருக்க வேண்டும். சமுதாய பிரச்சனையும் வறுமையும் களைவதற்கு சமூகத் துறை வளர்ச்சியின் உதவி தேவை. ஜி.எஸ்.டி வரியை இரத்து செய். ஏழைப் பணக்காரர் இடைவெளியை குறைப்பதற்கு தேவையானது மூலதன ஆதாய வரி மற்றும் சொத்து வரி ஆகும். திரான்-பசிபிக் கூட்டு வாணிப ஒப்பந்த பேச்சுவார்த்தையிலிருந்து மலேசியா பின்வாங்க வேண்டும். கல்வி மற்றும் சுகாதார சுதந்திரம் § பல்கலைக்கழகம் வரை கல்வி இலவசமக்கப்பட வேண்டும். உள்ளூர் பணியாளர் மற்றும் மனிதவள தரம் ஆகிய இரண்டிற்கும் உள்ள தொடர்பை சரிபார்க்க வேண்டும். அனைத்து அரசாங்க பள்ளிகளுக்கும், மேற்கல்வி நிலையங்களுக்கும் முழு தன்னாட்சி நிர்வாக சுதந்திரம் வழங்கப்பட வேண்டும். கல்விச் சுதந்திரத்தை தடுக்கும் பல்கலைக்கழக மற்றும் கல்லூரி சட்டம் 1971-யை ஒழிக்க வேண்டும். நாட்டில் நிகழும் பிரச்சனைகள் மற்றும் நெருக்கடிகளை தீர்க்கும் இடமாக பல்கலைக்கழகம் அமைய வேண்டும். தேசிய மொழியை கல்வி மொழியாக உருவாக்குதல். கற்கும் கலாச்சாரத்தை உருவாக்க வேண்டும். வாதத்திற்கு பதில் வாதம், சிறைச் சாலை அல்ல. இலவச சுகாதார சேவையை அனைத்து மக்களுக்கும் வழங்க வேன்டும். பத்திரிக்கை சுதந்திரம் மற்றும் தகவல் கசிவு நாட்டின் அதிகார பிரிவுகள் அவரவர் அதிகாரத்தோடு செயல்படுவதை நடுநிலையாக நின்று சரி பார்க்கும் ஏஜென்டாக பத்திரிக்கை விளங்க வேண்டும். இலஞ்சம் மற்றும் நிர்வாக துஷ்பிரயோகத்தின் தகவல்களை வெளியிடுபவர்கள் எல்லாவித வழக்கு விசாரனையிலிருந்தும் காக்கப்பட வேண்டும். அச்சு இயந்திர மற்றும் வெளியீடு சட்டம் 1984, தொடர்பு மற்றும் பல்லூடக சட்டம் 1998, மற்றும் பத்திரிக்கை சுதந்திரத்தை தடுக்கும் அனைத்து சட்டத்தையும் ஒழிக்க வேண்டும். கெராக்கான் மீடியா மாரா (GERAMM)-வின் 8 கோரிக்கையை நிறைவேற்ற வேண்டும். பாதுகாப்பான நல்லிணக்க மற்றும் சுற்றுச் சூழல் சுதந்திரம் போலீஸ் துர்நடத்தை புகார் ஆணையத்தை (IPCMC) நிறுவ வேண்டும். அனைவரின் மனித உரிமையையும் பேண வேன்டும் மத நிறுவனங்களுக்கு மற்றவர்கள் பிடியில் இல்லாமல் சுதந்திரம் செயல்பட வேண்டும் இனவாத அரசியலை ஒழிக்க வேண்டும் சுற்றுச்சூழல் அழிவை நிறுத்த வேண்டும் ஆற்றலை/கச்தியை விரயமாக்கக்கூடாது. புதுபிக்கத்தக்க சக்தியை அதிகரிக்க வேண்டும். அணு ஆலை திட்டத்தை இரத்து செய்ய வேண்டும். இந்த அணி நாட்டின் அமைதியக் காத்து, சட்டத்தில் உலாவி போராட்டம் நடத்தி, நாட்டின் அரசியலமைப்பு சட்டத்தை நிலைநாட்டி, நியாயம், தர்மம், மேலும் சமநிலை கொள்கைப் பிடிப்பில் செயல்படுவோம். சிறந்த நாட்டை உருவாக்க, அனைவரும் எங்களுடன் இணைந்து போராட இவவணி அழைக்கிறது. மலேசியா நமது நாடு. மலேசியா  மக்களை சுதந்திரமாக்குவோம். Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Kebebasan Bersuara, Berhimpun & Berpersatuan – Adrian Lim Chee En Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Kebebasan Demokrasi & Politik – Mandeep Singh Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Kebebasan Urus Tadbir dan Keadilan – Naqiuddin Nazrin Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Kebebasan Ekonomi – Mohd Ammar Atan Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Kebebasan Akademik dan Kesihatan – Siti Norbahijah Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Kebebasan Media dan Pembocor Maklumat – Hanif Mahpa Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Kebebasan Keselamatan, Keharmonian dan Alam Sekitar – Tyra Hanim Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Wakil Gerakan Media Marah (GERAMM) – Radz Razak Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Wakil Anak Muda Harapan Malaysia (AMHM) – Adam Fistival Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Majlis Permuafakatan Mahasiswa Selangor (MPMS) – Ku Hariz Farhan Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan Pidato Merdeka Rakyat – Pelancaran Gabungan Merdeka Rakyat   ENDORSEES AS OF 28 APR, 9.00 am: Aliran Anak Malaysia Anti Nuklear (AMAN) Anak Muda Harapan Malaysia (AMHM) Anak Muda Sarawak (AMS) Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (WargaAMAN) Bersih 2.0 Bersihkan Malaysia Perth Centre for Political and Economic Transcendence (COMPETENT) Federation of Malaysian Indian Organisation (PRIMA) Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Se-Malaysia (GAMIS) Gabungan Mahasiswa SEDAR Gabungan Mahasiswa UKM (GMUKM) Gerakan Bunga Raya Gerakan Media Marah (GERAMM) Gerakan Menuntut Pendidikan Percuma (GMPP) Global Bersih Melbourne Global Bersih Sydney Himpunan Hijau Hands of Malaysian Extended (HOME) Independent Students Front IIUM (INSTEF) Institute for Development of Alternative Living (IDEAL) Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT) Jihad for Justice Jingga 13 Malaysia Johor Yellow Flame (JYF) Kelab Bangsar Utama (KBU) Komuniti Muda Independen Johor (KMI) Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Women Section (KLSCAH Women) Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section (KLSCAH Youth) Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Independen (KAMI) Mahasiswa Ganyang Mahasiswa Keadilan (MKM) Mahasiswa Progresif Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (SISPRO USIM) Majlis Permuafakatan Mahasiswa Selangor (MPMS) Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (MIPAS) Malaysian Indians Transformation Action Team (MITRA) Malaysian Progressives Australia (MPOZ) Malaysian Progressives United States (MPUS) Malaysian Youth and Students’ Democratic Movement (DEMA) Malaysian Youth Care Association Mama Bersih National Indian Rights Action Team (NIAT) Oriental Hearts and Mind Study Institute (OHMSI) People Welfare and Rights Organisation (POWER) Perak Green Pioneer Persatuan Hak Asasi Manusia ‎Malaysia (PROHAM) Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER) Persatuan Komuniti Prihatin Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur (PRIHATIN) Persatuan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya (PMUM) Persatuan Rapat Malaysia (RAPAT) Pertubuhan Alam Sekitar Sejahtera Malaysia (Grass Malaysia) Pro Mahasiswa Nasional Pro Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya (ProM UM) Pro Mahasiswa Universiti Malaysia Sabah (ProM UMS) Progressive University of Malaya Projek Dialog Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (KOMAS) Pusat Membanteras Rasuah dan Kronisme (C4) SAVE Rivers Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia Australia (SABM Australia)‎ Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Hokkien Association Youth Section (Hokkien Youth) Serikat Mahasiswa Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) Student Progressive Front Universiti Utara Malaysia (SPF UUM) Student Progressive Front USM (SPF USM) Student Representative Council International Islamic University Malaysia (SRC IIUM) Student Unity Front Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (SUF UKM) Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) Tindak Malaysia Transformasi Mahasiswa Universiti Utara Malaysia (TMUUM) Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Chinese Student Council Universiti Terbuka Anak Muda (UTAM) University of Malaya Association of New Youth (UMANY) We Are Malaysians We Are One Race- Human Race We Unite for Islam (WUFI) UIAM Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) Yayasan al-Jenderami Youth Action Group (YAG) The post Deklarasi Gabungan Merdeka Rakyat first appeared on Anas Alam Faizli.]]>


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Whistleblowers - Anas Alam Faizli Magna Est Veritas Prae Velabit - The Truth is Mighty and will always Prevail! Sun, 21 May 2017 15:55:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Information Freedom, the Fourth and Fifth Estate: Hail the Media and the Whistleblowers /information-freedom-the-fourth-and-fifth-estate-hail-the-media-and-the-whistleblowers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=information-freedom-the-fourth-and-fifth-estate-hail-the-media-and-the-whistleblowers Wed, 26 Oct 2016 07:00:38 +0000 Back in 2009, Dato’ Seri Najib Razak launched the New Economic Model (NEM), intended to spur the shift of a Government-led economy to the private sector. He proclaimed that “the era where the Government knows best is over.” Subsequently, in a 2014 interview at UMNO’s 68th anniversary, he reiterated, “And, with all sense of humility, … The post Information Freedom, the Fourth and Fifth Estate: Hail the Media and the Whistleblowers first appeared on Anas Alam Faizli.]]> Back in 2009, Dato’ Seri Najib Razak launched the New Economic Model (NEM), intended to spur the shift of a Government-led economy to the private sector. He proclaimed that “the era where the Government knows best is over.” Subsequently, in a 2014 interview at UMNO’s 68th anniversary, he reiterated, “And, with all sense of humility, we consider ourselves not as know-alls. I have said that the era of the Government knows best is over.“ What the Prime Minister said is perfectly accurate and must be applauded. While the context might have been with regards to giving the lead to the private sector or receiving criticism from the general public, his statement will be meaningful only if public participation is included in the Government’s operations and policies. This can only be achieved if the public is given access to government documents; in order to pave the way or provide constructive criticism. There are two ways to do this effectively; periodical release of data for the general public to consume, analyse, and scrutinise and secondly, the granting of rights for the public to request government documents and information. Entering into a new era where the public is empowered to know best, several reforms are inevitable. First, Malaysians must be accorded with the rights to freedom of information. Secondly, the rights to expression and speech. Thirdly, we need to strengthen the Separation of Powers Principle currently with the three estates, as enshrined under Article 127 of the Federal Constitution – the executive, legislature and judiciary. The Media to be liberated as a watchdog known as the Fourth Estate and the Whistleblowers exposing inside corruption as the Fifth Estate. Freedom of Information In Malaysia, we are not constitutionally guaranteed the freedom of information, nor is there any Act that legally provides this basic human right; except in the State of Selangor through the Freedom of Information Enactment (Selangor) Act 2010 and Penang through the Freedom of Information Act 2011. These Acts allow the public to access state documents except information classified under the Federal’s Official Secrets Act (OSA). Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which Malaysia has ratified states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” The same right must be provided to all Malaysian citizens. By providing information, the public can participate and ensure that the government is doing its best. The availability / accessibility of information on government activities and operations will significantly reduce opportunities for corruption and the abuse of power. The transparency would hold public servants and the executives accountable. Furthermore, this would increase public confidence in the government. More than 95 countries around the world including China, India, Zimbabwe, and Thailand have implemented some form of such legislation in this regard, and other countries are working towards introducing such laws. In the United Kingdom, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 introduces the right to know and request for any information by government bodies, with few exceptions. Surprisingly, China too in 2007 declared the Open Government Information regulation which laid frameworks for Freedom of Information within its sovereignty. Closer to home, Thailand’s The Official Information Act of 1997 grants citizens the right to access public information which applies to all government offices and agencies. Indonesia in 2010 adopted the Freedom of Public Information Act. These legislative efforts by various nations have reportedly brought to light a multitude of corruption scandals. Freedom of Expression and the Fourth Estate (Media) In Malaysia, every citizen is guaranteed the right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association by Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. There are however concerns that highly discretionary laws like the Sedition Act 1948, the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA) 2012, and now the newly introduced Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) 2015 are restricting or conflicting with the above constitutional rights. In our current state, can our media be recognised as the fourth estate? Let us take a look at the current state of affairs for the Malaysian Media; according to a report by The Reporters Without Borders on the World Press Freedom Index, Malaysia ranks at number 146 of a total of 180 ranked countries. Let’s visit prominently featured Acts that regulate the media and whistleblowers. The Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) Amendment 1987 The PPPA is the governing act for the control of printing, importation, production, reproduction, publication and distribution of publications in Malaysia. This act grants the power to control all licenses for printing presses on yearly renewal by the Home Affairs Minister. In short, it is a criminal offense to possess or use a printing press without a valid license granted by the ministry. Proponents defend this law on the basis that it is used to ensure news is genuine, to regulate the printing presses, and to ensure there that are proper legal guidelines governing reporters. Opponents, on the other hand, argue that PPPA is an attack on freedom of speech and is actually used to restrict political discourse, silencing political opponents, and indirectly ensuring that news delivered to the public conveniently falls within the Government’s appetite. Additionally, an amendment in 1987 provided a clause that the Court cannot question actions by the Home Affairs Minister and in section 7(1) of the PPPA the Home Affairs Minister has the power to ban the publication of any book. This intensifies the argument that the Act is indeed a means to provide the Government with total power and control over printing presses. The call and demand of the day are for the PPPA to be repealed, and that newspapers should be free to publish without a license. There are enough civil protections and laws in place such as the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and also the Defamation Act 1957 which can be used to regulate newspapers that publish false news. There are two types of defamation in Malaysia: libel and slander which can be used either by the government or an individual. However, the Defamation Act must ensure that no public officials can benefit from special protection under the law and no government agencies should be able to bring defamation suits. The Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) Amendment 1986 This Act provides the government the capacity to render any documents a State ‘Secret’ if they are deemed to threaten national interest. Conceivably, national security documents that are of military nature, sensitive diplomatic relationships, and intelligence-related should reasonably be classified as ‘Secret’. However, the amendment in 1986 has given unlimited power to all the Ministers to classify any document under the sky as Confidential. Any leak can be treated as a criminal offense and perpetrators can be deemed as an enemy of state with a mandatory jail term. On top of these two Acts, there is also The Broadcasting Act 1988 which allows the Information Minister to decide who can own broadcasting stations, naturally allowing the industry to be monopolized by a few key players subsequently stunting media’s independence. Crackdowns and the Gerakan Media Marah (GERAMM) Throughout the years, there have been various crackdowns on media and publishing activities including arrests, threats of license suspension for the media, and banning of books. GERAMM, a loose coalition of journalists, media representatives, and activists, was founded on 20 December 2013 as a reaction to the government’s decision to suspend the license of a weekly magazine called ‘The Heat’. This move is widely seen as an obstruction to media freedom. Subsequently, The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily was also suspended for three months for a report on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. In essence, GERAMM, the Institute of Journalists Malaysia (IoJ), Centre For Independent Journalism (CIJ) and other civil society organisations are fighting for freedom of the press, the abolishment of publishing permits, the abolishment of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984, and to uphold the spirit of freedom, fairness, and human rights for media. The Fifth Estate: The WhistleBlowers There must be a level of confidentiality in the Government’s dealings especially when sensitive matters are involved. However, there is a grey area between secrecy and transparency. In scenarios where mediums and means to make Government or organisations accountable are lacking, whistleblowers are the perfect alternative source that can bring to light useful and relevant information. For Whistleblowers to come forward there must be a strong form of protection to allow them to be able to report any misconducts, in turn allowing for a more accountable Government. Protect a man and he will tell you everything. The existing Whistleblower’s Protection Act 2010 (WPA) does not provide adequate protection. The protection lapses if the whistleblower communicates to any party other than a government agency and this protection can be revoked if the enforcement agency is of the opinion that the report “principally involves questioning the merits of government policy, including public body”. Quite a dead end. In essence, if you disclose information instead of reporting a crime, you are technically a whistleblower but will bear the risk of committing a crime should the authorities not be in your favour. If you report it, you are not a whistleblower and is committing a crime. Magna Est Veritas Prae Velabit – the Truth is Mighty and Will Always Prevail In early April of 2016, the International Consortium of Journalists leaked 2.6 terabytes of data from the Mossack Fonseca law firm in Panama and linked 140 world leaders to secret offshore accounts in 21 different tax havens. As a result of the leak and the subsequent backlash from the public, Iceland’s Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and Spain’s acting Industry Minister, Jose Manuel Soria; have resigned from office. They had both been linked to offshore companies. Many senior figures in government positions worldwide have subsequently been investigated and questioned. There have been many other instances around the world where the fourth and the fifth estate play a pivotal role in bringing corruptors to justice; such as the Watergate Scandal, the Pentagon Papers, WikiLeaks, and others. Where government is allowed to operate in secret; abuse and corruption will breed and prosper without fear. The truth will make you mad, miserable but in the end, set you free. The Road to Good Governance and Accountability The time has come for the Federal government to adopt a Freedom of Information Act. A Whistleblowers’ Protection Act that encompasses more than just the government and its agencies must be empowered to protect those who disclose information so as to expose malpractice and matters of similar concern. The Official Secrets Act should be restricted for use on materials that are in connection with and/ or gravely endangers our national security, defense, and foreign relations. A bi-partisan select committee must be set up in Parliament to review the sensitivity of these documents. Critically, if there is a public interest in disclosure, there must be a provision that allows for the document’s classified status to be challenged. A time limit must also be imposed reasonably on OSA documents which will be declassified upon expiry. The Sedition Act 1948 inherited from the former colonial British government must be repealed to allow for greater freedom of expression and reasonable, constructive critique of our national policy. The Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) should only require media outlets to register with the Information Ministry without printing licenses and annual publishing permit requirements. The Swedish government has granted its citizen the freedom of information rights as early as 1766. We need to catch-up our missed train of 250 years. Embrace the 21st century by enabling our citizens with basic human rights to freedom of information, speech, and expression, and empowering our media and the whistleblowers as check and balance to the Government. We are presently fighting corruption only on the surface, fighting intermittent fire without any ray of light at the end of the tunnel sentenced to fail. Implementing the above proposals can rescind even the most repressive and corrupt of regimes; extinguishing it directly at its source. *A version of this article first appeared on Astro Awani The post Information Freedom, the Fourth and Fifth Estate: Hail the Media and the Whistleblowers first appeared on Anas Alam Faizli.]]>


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AAF Dallas The American Advertising Federation of Dallas Thu, 28 May 2026 15:50:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 wp-content/uploads/2022/09/cropped-D-32x32.jpg AAF Dallas 32 32 188503486 AAA SPONSORSHIP aaa-sponsorship/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aaa-sponsorship Tue, 16 Jan 2024 15:16:24 +0000 ?p=2282 The post AAA SPONSORSHIP appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> AAA SPONSORSHIPS AAF Dallas membership is comprised of more than 1000+ career-minded professionals interested in supporting the Dallas advertising community with industry knowledge and influential relationships. If you are interested in an Annual AAF Dallas Sponsorship that includes AAA perks, click here The post AAA SPONSORSHIP first appeared on AAF Dallas.The post AAA SPONSORSHIP appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> 2282 THE WINNERS ARE IN! the-winners-are-in/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-winners-are-in Fri, 09 Apr 2021 19:14:19 +0000 ?p=1744 On April 6, 2021, we learned that 21 professional entries and 14 student entries received gold, silver, or bronze awards at the 2021 District 10 American Advertising Awards! The post THE WINNERS ARE IN! first appeared on AAF Dallas. The post THE WINNERS ARE IN! appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> THE WINNERS ARE IN On April 6, 2021, we learned that 21 professional entries and 14 student entries received gold, silver, or bronze awards at the 2021 District 10 American Advertising Awards! Congratulations to The Richard’s Group for winning Judges Special Award for professionals, and Emil Miralda from Texas A&M University-Commerce at Dallas for winning Student Special Judges Award! Professional Entries Gold  Gold: The Shop Garrison Brothers Bottle Design Packaging Campaign Gold: The Richards Group The Leaning Tower of Dallas 020 – Guerrilla Marketing Gold: The Infinite Agency Traptize Ky 020 – Guerrilla Marketing Gold: Children’s Health Children’s Health Gratitude Tunnel Out-Of-Home Installation Gold: Groove Jones Givaudan Virtual TasteTrek Citrus Virtual Reality Gold: The Marketing Arm DieHard is Back Regional/National Television Commercial Gold: The Marketing Arm DieHard is Back Branded Content & Entertainment for Television Gold: The Marketing Arm DieHard is Back Cinematography—Single Silver  Silver: Johnson & Sekin Local Hive Packaging Silver: Caliber Creative Greenhouse Vodka and Gin Packaging Campaign Silver: Push. Push Holiday Gift 2020 Special Event Materials (printed or digital) Silver: Propac Agency PepsiCo Retro at Kroger Social Media, Campaign Silver: Richards/Lerma #HomemadeCinco Social Media, Campaign Silver: The Matchbox Studio Bonton Farms Brochure 088C – Brochure/Sales Kit Bronze  Bronze Productions Real. Local. Journalism. Local Television Commercial Campaign  Bronze Augustine Agency #2FAST2TASTY Integrated Advertising Campaign – Regional/National – Consumer  Bronze Kickstand Doctor Mallard Internet Commercial  Bronze Push. Dallas College Rebrand Integrated Brand Identity Campaign  Bronze Richards/Lerma Safeword: Colonoscopy Integrated Advertising Campaign – Regional/National – Consumer  Bronze The Matchbox Studio Red Gap Brewing Margarita Gose Packaging  Bronze The Shop Modern Pour Logo Design Student Entries Gold  Gold: Southern Methodist University 23andMe: The Story of You Meredith Welborn S19B – Campaign  Gold: Southern Methodist University Fight Nature with Nurture Grace Peek S07B – Campaign  Gold: Southern Methodist University Fight Nature with Nurture Grace Peek S09B – Campaign  Gold: Southern Methodist University Nair for Men Ethan Rios S23 – Copywriting  Gold: Texas A&M University – Commerce at Dallas Spotify – Set the Mood Emil Miralda S19B – Campaign  Silver  Silver: Southern Methodist University 23andMe: The Story of You Meredith Welborn S27B – Campaign  Silver: Southern Methodist University Fight the New Drug Meriel Upton S09B – Campaign  Silver: Southern Methodist University Nair for Men Ethan Rios S10D – Campaign  Silver: Texas A&M University- Commerce Change on the Inside Daria Tucker S21 – Consumer Campaign  Bronze Bronze: Southern Methodist University Dallas Museum of Art Maria Archundia S13B – Campaign  Bronze: Southern Methodist University Feel Better Olivia Childs S11B – Campaign  Bronze: Southern Methodist University Marshall Amplification SophieVos S19A – Single  Bronze: Texas A&M University – Commerce War on Plastic Brandon Castelo S07B – Campaign  Bronze: University of North Texas 7-Eleven Branding Campaign Douglas May S22B – Integrated Brand Identity Campaign – Campaign If you are a district Gold winner, your entry has already been advanced to the national level of competition at no cost to you. AAF National will contact all Silver winners via email to ask if they want their Silver entry advanced to the national level of competition at an additional cost.   If you do not receive your Silver advancement email, you need to contact Amanda Dehart at AAF National. Awards will be shipped to the local clubs’ American Advertising Award Chair for distribution. Duplicate District awards can be ordered HERE.   Our 2021 District 10 ADDY Judges: Matt Hanson Director of Digital Marketing Strategy | Digital Helium, LLC Saint John, Indiana John McCafferty President/Creative Director | McCafferty Advertising Louisville, Kentucky Gil Arevalo Lead Creative | Harley-Davidson Milwaukee, Wisconsin Allison Robbins CEO/Owner | Aspect 6 Creative Muncie, Indiana Congratulations and sincere thanks to all of those that participated!  The post THE WINNERS ARE IN! first appeared on AAF Dallas.The post THE WINNERS ARE IN! appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> 1744 AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS 2021 PRESS RELEASE aaa-addys-2021-press-release/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aaa-addys-2021-press-release Mon, 22 Mar 2021 15:40:18 +0000 ?p=1731 On March 11th, we had the best time celebrating the amazing creativity coming out of Dallas! We had so much fun working with Fortunato on the #SafestADDYsEver theme for this year. They did a phenomenal job bringing this event to life! If you missed the show, check out our Instagram @aafdallas and see the press release below! The post AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS 2021 PRESS RELEASE first appeared on AAF Dallas. The post AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS 2021 PRESS RELEASE appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> 2021 ADDYS On March 11th, we had the best time celebrating the amazing creativity coming out of Dallas! We had so much fun working with Fortunato on the #SafestADDYsEver theme for this year. They did a phenomenal job bringing this event to life! If you missed the show, check out our Instagram @aafdallas and see the press release below! PRESS RELEASE The post AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS 2021 PRESS RELEASE first appeared on AAF Dallas.The post AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS 2021 PRESS RELEASE appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> 1731 2021 SUITS AWARDS ANNOUNCED BY AAF DALLAS 2021-suits-awards-announced-by-aaf-dallas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2021-suits-awards-announced-by-aaf-dallas Wed, 03 Mar 2021 21:06:25 +0000 ?p=1653 The Suits Awards is an award program designed to recognize and honor individuals across various advertising disciplines who support the creation, execution, and delivery of great creative work from the Dallas advertising industry. Each year, AAF Dallas selects one individual from each of the ten categories to honor. The post 2021 SUITS AWARDS ANNOUNCED BY AAF DALLAS first appeared on AAF Dallas. The post 2021 SUITS AWARDS ANNOUNCED BY AAF DALLAS appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> 2021 SUIT AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED The Suits Awards is an award program designed to recognize and honor individuals across various advertising disciplines who support the creation, execution, and delivery of great creative work from the Dallas advertising industry. Each year, AAF Dallas selects one individual from each of the ten categories to honor. AAF Dallas will be recognizing these recipients and others on Thursday, March 11. Meet our recipients below! CLIENT OF THE YEAR Jenni Pustinger, CMO, OrganiCare, LLC Jenni is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at OrganiCare, LLC, a rapidly growing start-up in Austin, TX, whose brands include FemiClear, an all-natural and highly efficacious line of products for women’s health that rally behind Joie de Hooha. This line-up includes the breakthrough new over-the-counter products for genital herpes symptoms – a first for national drug store chains.  Before joining OrganiCare in January 2020, Jenni was VP of Category Marketing at Whole Foods Market where she led multiple pillars, including integrating with Amazon for Prime Rewards at WFM.  Prior to that, Jenni held various marketing roles at The Hershey Company and Procter & Gamble.  When not building brands, Jenni can be found training and racing triathlons in Texas and around the world.  AGENCY LEADER OF THE YEAR Kimberly Tyner, Chief Creative Officer, Spire Agency As Co-Owner and Chief Creative Officer at Dallas-based Spire Agency, Kimberly is the heart and soul of Texas’ most-awarded B2B marketing agency. She was named a “Top 25 Women in Advertising” by AAF Dallas in 2019, and the 2021 “Agency Leader of the Year.”  In 2020, Kimberly’s B2B shop became one of Dallas’ most awarded agencies with 26 major awards, the most in the company’s history. Spire was among the top five most-awarded Dallas agencies at the 2020 American Advertising Awards, and was one of just 17 agencies to win at the District 10 level. The agency also received multiple Graphis and Hermes awards, made Logo Lounge and was a two-time “Marketer of the Year” winner by the D/FW American Marketing Association. Her creative inspiration propelled the agency on to the Clutch 1000 global list of “Best B2B Agencies in the World” for the second year in a row in 2020. Spire was also named to the more-exclusive Clutch 100 list for both “Fastest Growth” and” Sustained Growth.” The agency went on to be named to B2B Marketing’s “Top 38 US B2B Agencies” and Marketing Round’s “12 Best Agencies You Should Know in 2020.” Under her leadership over the past 11 years, the agency has expanded to include a national roster of B2B clients including American Airlines, Bell Helicopters, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Briggs Equipment, Tenet Healthcare, The Howard Hughes Corporation, Texas Capital Bank and TrinityRail. Prior to joining Spire, Kimberly spent ten years leading creative initiatives for many of the country’s best-known brands, including Coca-Cola, IBM, American Heart Association, Church’s Chicken, Neiman Marcus, Popeyes, Turner Broadcasting (CNN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network), United Way and UPS. Kimberly has led presentations on the business of design for students at the University of Oklahoma and the all-women Stephens College School of Design. She has also judged the Mobius Awards International Advertising Competition and Exhibitor Magazine Exhibit Design Awards. Her work as a designer and creative director has been recognized by Graphis, Print Magazine, DSVC, Hermes, the American Marketing Association and the American Advertising Federation. Kimberly is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a BFA in Visual Communications. MOSAIC CHAMPION Kevin Green, VP, Group Creative Director at RAPP Kevin is a creative leader and diversity, equity and inclusion warrior. He began his career as a Copywriter in the Marcus Graham Project’s iCR8 Summer Bootcamp, where he learned that representation is the key to breakthrough creative and mentorship is the key to cultivating diverse talent. Since then, he’s spent his career at the intersection of diversity and creativity, holding a dual role at RAPP as VP, Group Creative Director and U.S. Lead of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  Kevin has authored compelling brand stories for brands like PNC Bank, McDonald’s, Toyota and Match.com and won awards at shows like the Dallas ADDYs, AVA Digital Awards and APPY Awards.  He currently serves as an Advisor to the MGP Alumni Board, inaugural member of the Snapchat Creative Council and Co-Chair of the ADCOLOR Advisory Board, where he and 30 other DE&I champions create a holistic career development program for ADCOLOR FUTURES.  Kevin is also an emerging speaker and thought leader, sharing his insights on podcasts like We Are Next and national industry conferences. Kevin is a creative force and calming presence, helping brands, mentees and colleagues reach their highest potential. When he’s not working, you can catch Kevin glued to the latest Mavs game or spending quality time with his three favorite people in the world: his wife Jasmin and daughters Audrey and Autumn. AGENCY MEDIA STRATEGIST/PLANNER THE YEAR Carson Tanoury, Media Planner, The Richards Group Carson Tanoury found her passion for media and advertising while being a part of the Texas Media sequence at The University of Texas at Austin. After graduating five years ago, she pursued her passion by joining The Richards Group as a Brand Media Planner and, since being there, has worked on a wide-range of different accounts in different verticals, including but not limited to: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Charles Schwab, Mohawk Industries, Omni Hotels, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Business First Bank, Great Gatherings, Life Science Logistics, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Meadows Institute. Carson has a nag for numbers and loves challenges like finding the bigger “why” behind the data and how it can strategically be evaluated to better a brand’s business and make ads reach the right people…aka why she admires media planning.  Aside from media planning, Carson also loves spending quality time with family and friends, is on an ongoing mission to try all the best Tex-Mex food in the city (Mi Cocina is her current favorite) and enjoys traveling, especially if it involves soaking up the sun on beach trips. In fact, even at the outset of her career, she’s already decided where she wants to retire: “A beach, any beach. I love the warm weather.” MEDIA SALES REP OF THE YEAR John Lods, CEO, Arm Candy John Lods is the founder and CEO of Arm Candy, a boutique agency that blends the experience and capabilities of a media agency with the innovation and spirit of a technology and data company to deliver smarter, more effective marketing campaigns. John is responsible for the management of the agency’s 50+ clients and approximately $70 million in marketing investment.  Throughout his career, John has been recognized for his strength in identifying marketing strategies that successfully deliver on a client’s goals and objectives. His ability to architect innovative media approaches has fueled his career success and led to the founding of Arm Candy.  John’s entrepreneurial spirit drove him to re-define what the modern media agency could deliver in an era of massive consumer behavior upheaval and demand for greater transparency. He founded Arm Candy with the mission to demystify advertising while providing an agency environment with a focus on employee wellness. Unlike big Madison Avenue agencies who are struggling to pivot from legacy models, Arm Candy is built for the modern age and is thriving right here in the Dallas Metroplex. John received his Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management from Purdue University.  A proud Boilermaker, when he is not working he is avidly watching Purdue sports teams or playing a round out on the golf course. AGENCY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Michael Nortman, Principal, Plot Twist Creativity Michael Nortman is a Principal and founding member of Plot Twist Creativity. Prior to launching Plot Twist, he was at The Richards Group for 11 years and Ogilvy’s headquarters in New York for 4 years.  His experience includes CPG, automotive, tech, retail, and charities. Away from work, Michael enjoys being outside, but with a twist, having completed both the Spartan Trifecta and Ragnar Texas Two Step. Michael’s wife, Brandi, is a teacher and they have two sons. CREATIVE PRODUCTION PARTNER OF THE YEAR Andy Younker, Producer, LERMA With over 25 years in the industry, Andy Younker is not only a production enthusiast but also a valuable asset to his team, clients, and agency. Andy joined The Richards Group in 1998 after spending 3 years at USA Radio Networks and recently transitioned to Lerma/ to continue his invaluable client work. Over the last 23 years, Andy has established himself as the consummate team player. He is quick to share his expertise, always making himself available as a resource for new team members. Not only does he manage a full spectrum of production projects for The Home Depot in his broadcast producer role, but he also single-handedly maintains traffic responsibilities for this mammoth of a client.  Although Andy loves every aspect of production, what he values most is the long-term friendships he’s formed throughout the years within the agency, with clients, and among industry production partners. He understands the value of solid working relationships and is considered one of the most reliable among his peers.  When not on location or in the office, Andy spends most of his time in the great outdoors. He is an avid hiker who loves a challenge; Andy has hiked trails in New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, and Costa Rica. While traveling abroad is exciting, Andy’s goal is to climb the highest peak in each of the 50 United States. So far, he’s made it to 14 peaks! AGENCY SUPPORT OF THE YEAR Macey Thompson, Production Coordinator, The Marketing Arm Macey Thompson is currently a Production Coordinator at The Marketing Arm in Dallas. TMA believes in the power of creativity and that brands should stand for more than what they’re selling.  Macey earned her Bachelor’s of Science from the University of North Texas with a concentration in Journalism, Sociology and Marketing. (Go Mean Green!) She is also the Social Media Co-Chair and Secretary for AAF Dallas.  Usually, after work, you can catch Macey with her Goldendoodle Tank playing fetch or enjoying the outdoors.  EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR Dr. Mark Allen, Professor, Temerlin Advertising Institute Mark Allen joined the Temerlin Advertising Institute at SMU in 2003 to help start and build a new creative program for aspiring art directors and copywriters centered in Dallas. Since then, work produced by his students has been consistently recognized by the advertising industry’s most respected organizations: The American Advertising Federation, The One Club, Lürzer’s Archive, Adweek and others, as well as media outlets outside the industry-standard venues, including: The Today Show, The Huffington Post, USA Today, Cosmopolitan and Elle. Such honors have paved the way for his students to work for many of the world’s most recognized brands and agencies. Allen’s own work as an art director and designer has been recognized for creative excellence in a number of professional venues. He’s done work for brands like the History Channel, the New York Yankees, A&E Networks, The Walking Dead, Martha Stewart, HBO, and the Smithsonian. Even the work he’s done for SMU has been awarded in the PRINT Regional Design Annual and various other venues. In addition to his professional experience, Allen earned a PhD in Philosophy with a concentration in aesthetics and art history. His dissertation offers a contribution to the many debates surrounding the elusive definition of art by focusing on the values of meaning, craftsmanship, and beauty, which he hopes can repair the real and perceived rifts between traditional and modern art, but also between the fine and communication arts.  YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR Tatiana Chamorro, Partner, HITE Digital Originally from Nicaragua, Tatiana settled in Texas with her husband and young son in 2014. She went on to graduate summa cum laude from A&M-Commerce, earned a Master’s in Marketing, and co-founded MOCA, a disruptive app that empowers physical therapists and their patients. Tatiana’s passion is in marketing and design, focusing on ROI-driven strategies and creating a balance between functionality and aesthetics. In 2020, she started a digital marketing agency mid-pandemic, just after receiving her US residency. In 6 months, she had scaled her agency to 6 figures. As a Latina entrepreneur, Tatiana is also committed to supporting women and minorities in business; she mentored students through A&M-Commerce’s Venture College and is an ambassador for her local Chamber of Commerce and a chair member at the Women Entrepreneur group of the neighboring Chamber of Commerce. In 2021, the opportunity arose to become owner-partner of Hite Digital Dallas, as well as Vice President of Hite Creative. Tatiana resonated with Hite Digital’s mission to empower their growing team of 80+ young professionals. Today, she is part of the change that Hite Digital is leading, not only as a digital marketing agency but as a proponent of a people-first mindset. The post 2021 SUITS AWARDS ANNOUNCED BY AAF DALLAS first appeared on AAF Dallas.The post 2021 SUITS AWARDS ANNOUNCED BY AAF DALLAS appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> 1653 LATE DEADLINE FOR 2021 AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS IS TOMORROW! 2021-american-advertising-awards/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2021-american-advertising-awards Tue, 12 Jan 2021 11:44:00 +0000 ?p=126 The final deadline for submissions is tomorrow (1/13) at 11:59 PM. This is your chance to wipe those fingers down and get to www.SafestADDYsEver.com to submit your work by tomorrow's 11:59 PM CST deadline. The post LATE DEADLINE FOR 2021 AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS IS TOMORROW! first appeared on AAF Dallas. The post LATE DEADLINE FOR 2021 AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS IS TOMORROW! appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> LATE DEADLINE FOR 2021 AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS IS TOMORROW! The final deadline for submissions is tomorrow (1/13) at 11:59 PM. This is your chance to wipe those fingers down and get to www.SafestADDYsEver.com to submit your work by tomorrow’s 11:59 PM CST deadline. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to claim advertising glory from the jaws of the mess that was 2020. Don’t have time to enter before tomorrow? NO PROBLEM!  In addition to deeper discounts, one of the best corporate member benefits is extended deadlines for the American Advertising Awards entries. Corporate membership supports the initiatives of AAF Dallas such as DE&I, Education Support, Professional Development, Public Service, and Government Affairs year round. Thank you to our current corporate members including: 3 Headed Monster Augustine Agency Belmont Icehouse Camelot Communications Fortunato Launch Agency LERMA Mindhandle PMG Publicis Hawkeye RBMM Saatchi & Saatchi Spectrum Spire Agency The Barber Shop The Richards Group The Shop VMLY&R White Pants Agency To join as a corporate member, please reach out to Allison McCaslin at allison@aafdallas.org to get started! While this year has thrown us all a ton of curve balls we are excited to announce that our award season is still underway! Now more than ever, it is important to recognize individuals within our profession who make us a greater version of ourselves and the industry a better place to work. AAF Dallas is excited to present the 2021 Suits Awards, selecting and honoring ambassadors of creative work who, in the past, have gone unrecognized during the Creative Awards Season. They put in the work behind the great work in the advertising industry. These unsung heroes and heroines have worked diligently behind the creative scenes. We think it’s time we recognize those who support great creative. If you know a professional who deserves to be recognized for the contributions they are making in the advertising and marketing industry in Dallas, nominate them today! Categories include: – Agency Leader of the Year– Mosaic Champion of the Year– Producer of the Year– Client of the Year– Agency Media Specialist of the Year– Media Sales Rep of the Year– Agency Account Exec of the Year– Agency Support of the Year– Educator of the Year– Young Professional of the Year nominate The post LATE DEADLINE FOR 2021 AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS IS TOMORROW! first appeared on AAF Dallas.The post LATE DEADLINE FOR 2021 AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS IS TOMORROW! appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> 126 SAFEST ADDYS EVER, 21 DAY RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE AND MORE! SEE WHAT’S UP WITH AAF DALLAS safest-adds-ever/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=safest-adds-ever Thu, 10 Dec 2020 15:23:00 +0000 ?p=123 It’s been a year. Through it all, our resilient ad peeps have made it work, through remote shoots and endless zoom meetings, socially-distanced concepting sessions and beyond. The post SAFEST ADDYS EVER, 21 DAY RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE AND MORE! SEE WHAT’S UP WITH AAF DALLAS first appeared on AAF Dallas. The post SAFEST ADDYS EVER, 21 DAY RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE AND MORE! SEE WHAT’S UP WITH AAF DALLAS appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> SAFEST ADDYS EVER, 21 DAY RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE AND MORE! SEE WHAT’S UP WITH AAF DALLAS It’s been a year. Through it all, our resilient ad peeps have made it work, through remote shoots and endless zoom meetings, socially-distanced concepting sessions and beyond. To reward those who’ve figured out a way, no matter what, and in true advertising fashion, we’ve spared no expense to overthink ways in which we can deliver the absolute #SafestADDYSEver. The ADDY trophies have begun their quarantine in preparation for awards season. They will be undergoing rigorous sanitizing protocols and temperature checks, and will be kept at a safe distance away from each other. All to make sure they make it safe and sound to your deserving hands.⠀ ⠀ The 2021 American Advertising Awards competition has officially begun in Dallas. Visit www.american-advertising-awards.aafdallas.org for more information about this year’s season. While this year has thrown us all a ton of curve balls we are excited to announce that our award season is still underway! Now more than ever, it is important to recognize individuals within our profession who make us a greater version of ourselves and the industry a better place to work. AAF Dallas is excited to present the 2021 Suits Awards, selecting and honoring ambassadors of creative work who, in the past, have gone unrecognized during the Creative Awards Season. They put in the work behind the great work in the advertising industry. These unsung heroes and heroines have worked diligently behind the creative scenes. We think it’s time we recognize those who support great creative. If you know a professional who deserves to be recognized for the contributions they are making in the advertising and marketing industry in Dallas, nominate them today! Categories include: – Agency Leader of the Year– Mosaic Champion of the Year– Producer of the Year– Client of the Year– Agency Media Specialist of the Year– Media Sales Rep of the Year– Agency Account Exec of the Year– Agency Support of the Year– Educator of the Year– Young Professional of the Year NOMINATE The post SAFEST ADDYS EVER, 21 DAY RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE AND MORE! SEE WHAT’S UP WITH AAF DALLAS first appeared on AAF Dallas.The post SAFEST ADDYS EVER, 21 DAY RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE AND MORE! SEE WHAT’S UP WITH AAF DALLAS appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> 123 AAF DALLAS LAUNCHES OUR FIRST-EVER D&I SURVEY – RESPONSE NEEDED BY AUGUST 25TH second-post/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=second-post Tue, 18 Aug 2020 10:23:00 +0000 ?p=120 Dear AAF Dallas Members and Friends, The Diversity and Inclusion Survey is centered around constructs of Inclusion, such as fairness, belonging, and voice. This survey also asks important, though sensitive, questions around demographics like gender identity and race/ethnicity. The post AAF DALLAS LAUNCHES OUR FIRST-EVER D&I SURVEY – RESPONSE NEEDED BY AUGUST 25TH first appeared on AAF Dallas. The post AAF DALLAS LAUNCHES OUR FIRST-EVER D&I SURVEY – RESPONSE NEEDED BY AUGUST 25TH appeared first on AAF Dallas. ]]> AAF DALLAS LAUNCHES OUR FIRST-EVER D&I SURVEY – RESPONSE NEEDED BY AUGUST 25TH Dear AAF Dallas Members and Friends,  The Diversity and Inclusion Survey is centered around constructs of Inclusion, such as fairness, belonging, and voice. This survey also asks important, though sensitive, questions around demographics like gender identity and race/ethnicity. It only takes about 5 minutes to complete. This survey is 100% anonymous, and optional, though we strongly encourage you to participate. With a high participation rate, we can confidently take actions that focus on making AAF Dallas and all our programs more inclusive and equal for all. Please find the link to the survey HERE. The survey will be open through Tuesday, August 25th at 11:59 am CST.  Should you have any questions, please reach out to us at allison@aafdallas.org and we would be happy to answer them.  Thank you! Brandi Rand & Cesar Jasso AAF Dallas – Diversity & Inclusion Co-Chairs The post AAF DALLAS LAUNCHES OUR FIRST-EVER D&I SURVEY – RESPONSE NEEDED BY AUGUST 25TH first appeared on AAF Dallas.The post AAF DALLAS LAUNCHES OUR FIRST-EVER D&I SURVEY – RESPONSE NEEDED BY AUGUST 25TH ap

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