LFL calls out PM over 'tough action on 3R' defence

Lawyers for Liberty has called out Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for defending the government’s tough action on inflammatory speeches and dismissing Malaysia’s declining ranking in the World Press Freedom Index.

LFL director Zaid Malek in a statement said Anwar’s message, delivered during the National Journalists Day (Hawana) celebrations in Kuching, Sarawak, yesterday, was “embarrassing, dishonest and totally unacceptable”.

“Coming from a sitting prime minister, it smacks of arrogance.

“It is the kind of response that one would expect from a leader of a banana republic,” claimed the lawyer, whose clients include political activist Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah who was investigated last year over an alleged insult to the prime minister’s wife.

Anwar, who yesterday noted criticisms from international watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said “it does not matter if Malaysia was downgraded because we are tough against the racists and the religious bigots”.

Zaid (above), however, insisted that Anwar had failed to address the real basis of RSF’s criticisms and instead fallen back on the often-repeated 3R excuse.

“In fact, the real basis of RSF’s report on Malaysia was the blocking of news portals that are critical of the government such as Utusan TV, TV Pertiwi, MalaysiaNow, etc.

“TikTok videos of government critics have also been blocked by the MCMC,” said Zaid.

“Hence, Anwar’s claim that the fall in the index was because of government action on 3R issues is a deliberate distortion and false spin of the RSF report,” he stressed.

Take Malaysia’s downgrade seriously

Anwar yesterday said that while he has not compromised his stand on a free media’s role in a democracy, a line must be drawn on alleged attempts to incite racial hatred or sentiments against the royal institution.

He cited the example of the recent controversy surrounding media reports on a purported casino project in Forest City, Johor, indirectly linked to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Zaid, on the contrary, claimed that public criticism was actually focused on the prime minister’s alleged involvement in the purported talks, rather than on the king.

“By using the Bloomberg news as an example, the PM exposes the government’s recent tactics in censoring the press and freedom of speech, by using the King as a convenient wall of defence for the government crackdown,” he claimed.

As such, Zaid urged the government to take Malaysia’s downgrade in the World Press Freedom Index seriously and to accept that it is caused by the increasing action in blocking or censoring critical press.

“It is not enough to claim that the government respects freedom of the press; they must take proactive action to uphold freedom of the press by not interfering with the crucial work of the media, as the fourth estate upholding democracy,” he said.

Malaysia’s position in the World Press Freedom Index fell 34 places to 107th position compared to 73 last year, with a score of 52.07 points. - Mkini