| Broadcast area | Worldwide, Online |
|---|---|
| Branding | RFS |
| Frequency | 17560 XHz |
| First air date | November 16, 2010 |
| Format | Talk, News, Music |
| Language | Iban, Malay, English |
| Owner | Independent |
| Webcast | iTunes link |
| Website | www.radiofreesarawak.org |
Radio Free Sarawak is a (possibly underground or pirate) radio station established by social activist and journalist, Clare Rewcastle Brown and helmed by Sarawakian social activist, Peter John Jaban better known by his on-air pseudonym, Papa Orang Utan, and Michael Ngau. First broadcasting on November 16, 2010, the station can be received by shortwave on 17560 kHz, and is also podcasted globally every day at 10.00-12.00 UTC.
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More Sarawakian get their news from alternative than from any other Malaysia government source.
In its own words, "Radio Free Sarawak is the independent radio station that brings you the news you want to hear, not what others want you to hear." [1] In a report by the London Evening Standard, it was stated that the station aims to "expose the alleged corruption of Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister of ... Sarawak ... and bring an end to his 30-year rule." [2]
The station can be seen as an attempt to by-pass the control of mass media outlets in Sarawak which are controlled by Taib's government and logging companies [3]
Born in Sarawak to British parents, Brown is best known as an environmental journalist who started her career with the BBC in 1983. In 2008, she returned to Sarawak to report on a by-election and secretly filmed companies clearing rainforests for oil palm plantations.
Incidentally, Brown is the sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.[4]
Better known by his on-air pseudonym, Papa Orang Utan, Jaban is an Iban from Sarawak and a former civil servant with the Land and Survey Office of Kuching. He was also a former DJ of the state-owned Cats FM radio station.[5] Jaban was fired from the station for allowing callers to criticize Taib in his program.[2]
Jaban also served as the Deputy Chairperson of the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association and was active as a human rights activist in Sarawak. He is now actively involved with the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement, a non-profit organisation based in London, United Kingdom.[5]
Parties and social activists opposed to the Taib and Barisan Nasional administration in Sarawak have generally welcomed this initiative [6][7] and the station has also been receiving feedback and calls from Sarawakians living in the interior sharing stories of land grab issues, their poverty, their lack of medical facilities and the lack of concern shown by the authorities towards their general well-being.[8]
Initially run anonymously and spread via word-of-mouth, Brown and Jaban publicly disclosed their involvement with the station after receiving death threats on a news website, Sarawak Report, also run by Brown as well as the mysterious death of her chief whistleblower, a disaffected former American aide to Taib named Ross Boyert.[2]
Podcasts of Radio Free Sarawak have also been distributed via CDs and VCDs into the interior of Sarawak where the internet penetration is still low. However, on 6 January 2011, there was an incident where the activists and lawyers possessing such materials were detained by the police and home ministry officials and the materials were confiscated, citing the possible violation of Film Censorship Act and section 4(1) of the Sedition Act (Malaysia).[9][10] The activists were supposed to be charged in magistrate court on 7 February, but home ministry officials did not turn up.[11]
The Sarawak Barisan Nasional had stated that they would like to see legal action taken against Radio Free Sarawak [12] and the Home Ministry of Malaysia confirmed that an investigation was being made against the station as it was spreading "malicious lies and threatening unity and harmony among races".[13]
The website of Radio Free Sarawak as well as their podcast from iTunes has been inaccessible since 9 April 2011 due to unknown reasons.[14] The inaccessibility of the website coincides with the campaigning period of the bitterly contested 2011 Sarawak elections and may be a distributed Denial of service attack. Nonetheless, the station continued their daily one-hour broadcast on shortwave from 1000 UTC - 1100 UTC. Radio Free Sarawak's sister site, Sarawak Report has also been subject to a massive cyber attack although effort is being made to get both the websites back into operation.[15] The founder, Clare Rewcastle-Brown, has commented that the attacks are "a full admission by BN that our insights and investigations have been causing them major difficulties".[15]
After its recent break Radio Free Sarawak is re-launching on Monday 3rd October 2011 with an expanded team and greater ambitions.[16]