Malaysia slides down RSF's press freedom index

 

Malaysia is down 18 rungs on Reporters Without Border's (RSF) annual press freedom index.

Ranked 119, Malaysia is sandwiched between the Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

Regionally, only Indonesia (113) is ranked higher than Malaysia. The best ranked Asian country was South Korea (42).

Malaysia's best ranking was in 2020 (101 out of 180 countries ranked) while the worst ranking was in 2014 and 2015 (147).

RSF said that Malaysia's press freedom situation improved dramatically after the 2018 elections, but things have gone in reverse since Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin took over.

"For the media, the restoration of more authoritarian rule in 2020 has led to prosecutions, police searches, expulsions (of journalists and a whistleblower) and flagrant violations of the confidentiality of journalists’ sources.

"To protect themselves against the government's offensive, many journalists have had to censor themselves," he said.

In August last year, the authorities raided Al Jazeera's office in Kuala Lumpur over its documentary on the alleged mistreatment of migrants.

A key source in the documentary - Bangladeshi national Mohd Rayhan Kabir - was eventually deported.

Among others, RSF attributed the revival of the Special Affairs Department - which it described as a government propaganda tool - to have taken a toll on press freedom but did not elaborate.

RSF noted that several laws which stifle press freedom are still in place as of last year - Sedition Act 1948, Official Secrets Act 1972 and Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

"Under these laws, which deserve a complete overhaul, the authorities have strict control over publication licences and journalists can be sentenced to 20 years in prison on sedition charges," said RSF. - Mkini