The National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM) is calling on authorities to explain the recent police raid on a Malaysiakini journalist’s home, warning that the move risks undermining press freedom and intimidating the media.
In a joint statement today, NUJM and its Malaysiakini chapter expressed grave concern over the raid on the home of B Nantha Kumar, a senior Malaysiakini journalist under police investigation over a report on a proposed migrant worker recruitment system.
The unions described the move as a “troubling escalation” against journalists performing their professional duties, stressing that reporting on matters of public interest, including government policies and systems, is a core responsibility of the press.
“We underscore a fundamental principle in any democratic society: journalism is not a crime,” the group emphasised.
According to NUJM, raiding a journalist’s home under the pretence of investigating their work sends a chilling message to the media fraternity, while also raising concerns for practitioners' safety while on the job.
“It raises serious concerns about intimidation, the protection of sources, and the erosion of press freedom in Malaysia.
“Such actions risk deterring journalists from pursuing critical investigative work that is essential to an informed public,” it stated.
The unions called on authorities to provide a clear and transparent explanation for the raid, including its legal basis, and to respect the role of journalists by upholding media freedom.
NUJM also urged that no journalist should face harassment, intimidation, or punitive action for carrying out legitimate reporting.
In addition, the unions called on the Malaysian Media Council to closely monitor developments surrounding the probe, stressing that defending press freedom is a collective commitment shared by all journalists.
“The right to report is not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn at will. It is a cornerstone of accountability.”
Probed over migrant worker system report
Earlier today, Nantha was furnished with a search warrant stating that police had grounds to suspect his home was being used to store materials related to a proposed migrant worker recruitment system.
The warrant purported that he owned copies - both physical and material - of official documents, namely a cabinet memorandum titled “Proposal for the Implementation of the Digital System, the Universal Recruitment Advanced Platform (Turap), in the Process of Recruiting Foreign Workers to Malaysia”.
At about 2.30pm, two plainclothes police officers arrived at his residence in Seri Serdang and conducted a search that lasted roughly 45 minutes, during which no items were seized.
It is understood that the investigation was initiated following a police report lodged by the Human Resources Ministry, after it failed to respond to repeated requests for comment from Malaysiakini prior to the article’s publication.
The Sepang district police headquarters said the case is being investigated under Section 203A of the Penal Code for unauthorised disclosure of information, as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for the alleged misuse of network facilities. - Mkini
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