Citizen Journalism Blog

I still recall the cold sweats I endured when I first went to a press conference alone as a citizen journalist at the Penang State Legislative building. There was lots of protocol and dress codes to follow. My confidence was already shattered early in the morning because I was wearing a 3/4 sleeve blouse. The guard, knowing I am a newbie refused to allow me in. I had to made a mad rush home to change into a long-sleeve blouse just to get into the compound. Going into the hall needs black lounge suits or baju kurung for women.

I was there because of a protest and memorandum handover related to high rise buildings. I made one mistake of asking one of the member a question. The whole gang of ‘real’ journalists mobbed him the moment I asked a question.

Now I am much more experienced and I would do the same too. Whenever we hang around an event or situation, our senses are on alert. Eyes, ears are open to see if there is anything happening. The moment we notice or hear something, we will rush with our cameras.

So, I am now part of the mob. But I don’t have as much knowledge as the veterans. They recognise all the VIP faces, who are the big guns to aim for and where or what they do.

Recently, I was kneeling down on the carpet floor of the Town Hall building with my video camera (to get good shots, the camera has to be shoulder height of the subject,hence the odd kneeling position). The topic is about town council, city status and things that are foreign to me. I don’t even know much how the MPPP works. There are directors and there are councillors. Who is who. How are they related? Who is the big boss of them all? So many things unclear to me.

Suddenly, the Chief Minister who was sitting on the sofa directly facing me said to me, “Lilian, you know right, what is a (I forgot what he said but it is something like making Penang a city status)?”

I bluntly shook my head and told him, “No wor, I don’t.” I seriously do not know because I don’t exactly know how my island is run. He thought I was just trying to be smart by pretending to be stupid.

He said, “Clever lah you people (the reporters), say don’t know so that I have to explain it. That way you all don’t have to write so much.”

Peer pressures would have cause many people to say, “Yes, I do.” That way one cannot be embarrassed in a gang knowledgeable journalists. But not me. I don’t want to act clever when I am really clueless and blur about an issue.

After the CM explained, it dawns on me that if the council takes over the whole island, we probably won’t have so many problems of Fed Gov controlled JKR pushing the buck to MPPP and MPPP doing the same to them. I know how tedious it is for CJs to find the right authority when dealing with public properties like bad roads, bad structures etc. I wanted to ask but this time, peer pressure stopped me.

I can just imagine the whole gang of reporters who were standing behind me staring at me from behind, “You stupid or wert?”