REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS : MALAYSIA HERO TO ZERO IN JUST FOUR MONTHS

 Pakatan Harapan supporters can relax, it looks like you are not the only dunggus. The whole world has been conned. 

Just four months ago around May 5, 2023 the international media watch group Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontierres or RSF) gave an A+ rating to Malaysia's sudden press freedoms. They said Malaysia had jumped 40 spots in their press freedom ranking.

 

Now just FOUR MONTHS later the same Reporters Without Borders outfit has this to say about press freedom in Malaysia  :

 

On 29 August 2023, senior Malaysian journalists issued joint statement denouncing the MCMC regulatory agency, for “censoring or blocking portals and online news content”. 

In recent weeks, several news websites publishing articles critical of the government have been suspended in the country and required to remove some of their contents by this regulatory body.

Upon order of the MCMC, an agency supervised by the Ministry of Communications and Digital, the news website TV Pertiwi has been unavailable in the country since mid-August. 

The MCMC has also ordered the media to remove several contents from its website, but the TV Pertiwi staff refused to comply with this injunction.

Earlier, just before the state elections of 12 August, the online media UtusanTV was blocked for several days. 

Malaysia Now, another news website, was also rendered inaccessible for 48 hours on 27 and 28 June, without any official explanation, despite repeated requests from the editorial team.

"RSF is very concerned by this wave of suspensions by Malaysian authorities, without any explanations nor judicial control, of news websites critical of the government. 

We urge the Minister to put an end to these acts of censorship which can only have a negative impact on Malaysia’s democracy.

Cédric Alviani
RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau Director 

 

My Comments :

Well Cedric Alviani thank you for speaking up for press freedom in Malaysia. I think the situation is going to get worse.  In just four months the gomen has gone from hero to ZERO in the eyes of the RSF. Lets see what else the gomen can do in another FOUR months. 

You can read that joint statement by that group of senior Malaysian journalists here. Of the eight people who signed the statement I know four of them very well. 

We have to ponder where the diktat comes from. Just like that statement "That vision, in my opinion, has been utterly shattered to pieces" that was made at the "august assembly" recently. 

A leopard simply cannot change its spots.

 

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.