Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah today has promised that the government will ensure that the press will be free to report within the confines of the law.
In a statement today, Saifuddin said that the government will be open to feedback that would benefit the public.
"I take this opportunity to say that the government guarantees that it will provide ruang yang seluas-luasnya (the widest space possible) for the media to report in line with the Federal Constitution," he said.
However, Saifuddin said there was a need for governments worldwide to deal with false information in the fight against Covid-19.
In Malaysia, Saifuddin said the situation necessitated the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance No 2, which specifically dealt with the spread of false information regarding Covid-19 and the proclamation of emergency.
"To prevent the spread of false information does not mean that the media is not free. In fact, the media and the government have a good relationship and are proactively dispelling false information.
"The media's role is not only to spread facts, but to protect society from the spread of false information that can threaten the stability and harmony in this country," he added.
This was in response to Reporters Without Border's (RSF) 2021 press freedom index, which ranked Malaysia 119 out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom, down from 101 the year prior.
This placed Malaysia in the company of the Republic of Congo (118) and Nigeria (120).
RSF cited "more authoritarian rule" in 2020, which had led to the prosecution of journalists, police searches, the expulsion of journalists and a whistleblower as well as the violation of journalist confidentiality.
"To protect against the government's offensive, many journalists have had to censor themselves," said RSF.
Last year, the authorities raided Al Jazeera's office in Kuala Lumpur over a documentary that claimed migrants were mistreated under the guise of Covid-19 prevention efforts.
A key source in the documentary - Bangladeshi national Mohd Rayhan Kabir - was eventually deported.
RSF also noted that several laws which stifle press freedom are still in place as of last year - the Sedition Act 1948, Official Secrets Act 1972 and Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Incidentally, Saifuddin, as a minister, is empowered by the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. - Mkini
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