More groups have come forward to condemn online attacks against Malaysiakini journalist Kow Gah Chie, sparked by a Facebook post that alleged one of her recent articles that quoted Environment Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man was fabricated.
In a joint statement, Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and rights group Article 19 urged all parties including the government and social media platform Facebook to work together against such threats to independent journalism and freedom of expression.
CIJ executive director Wathshlah Naidu said the work must be done to identify effective and rights-respecting measures to protect journalists and combat online hate speech.
"Special consideration should be given to the unique risks faced by women journalists," stressed Wathshlah who called on Facebook to engage with civil society organisations and media actors to understand the local context and related challenges.
"Timely action by Facebook and other social media platforms is crucial in curbing online attacks, which commonly include trolling and doxing.
"Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, but we must also recognise the impact abusive content has on journalism and public discourse," she said.
"We need to find ways to collectively push back against hate speech and halt the online abuse of journalists and media actors."
Meanwhile, Article 19 Malaysia's programme officer Nalini Elumalai (below) said women journalists and those from minority groups are particularly vulnerable to such attacks either online or offline.
"While it is encouraging that the minister has condemned the vicious online attacks on Kow, the government should be considering further measures to protect journalists and counter intolerance in line with international standards and best practices," said Nalini.
Tuan Ibrahim yesterday said he disagreed with personal attacks made against journalists, although he insisted that misunderstandings, quotes taken out of context and inaccurate summaries are normal issues.
The PAS deputy president was referring to a barrage of personal attacks against Kow who was ridiculed on Facebook over a report on Wednesday that allegedly quoted the minister as having defended logging activities in Kelantan.
On Thursday, a Facebook post implied that the Malaysiakini article had been fabricated as it was not asked during Tuan Ibrahim's press conference the day before, which had been streamed live.
The ministry subsequently claimed that the article was inaccurate, but Malaysiakini stood by its report which was based on a doorstop interview after Tuan Ibrahim's clock-in ceremony and press conference in Putrajaya.
Below is the video clip of the doorstop interview.
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