ACTIVISTS are calling for the abolition of draconian laws to improve Malaysia's standing in the press freedom index.
They said the governmnent's flip-flop on reform promises also contributed to the country's poor standing.
Malaysia dropped 34 spots to place 107th in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2024’s World Press Freedom rankings. It was at 73rd spot last year.
This is the first time in three years Malaysia did not top the list for Southeast Asia. Thailand took the honour at 87th place.
Other Asean countries ranked as follows: Indonesia (111), Brunei (117), Singapore (126), Philippines (134), Cambodia (151), Laos (153), Myanmar (171), and Vietnam (174).
Human rights activist Kua Kia Soong said the decline was due to regressive legistlation, such as the Sedition Act, preventive laws which allow detention without trial, such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, Prevention of Crime Act, Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015, and racially discriminatory policies.
The former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee said the conflation of race and religion is also a major cause for the erosion of freedom of expression and the press.
"We need a truly independent press council, which must include members of the National Union of Journalists and other personalities noted for their integrity and commitment to truth and justice.
"With such a council, the Malaysian media will be able to regulate itself without government interference," Kua said.
He said Putrajaya must first repeal the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA).
Kua said the requirement to renew printing licences annually and the prohibitive penalties is the biggest threat to press freedom.
"It is time for all freedom-loving Malaysians to make the repeal of the PPPA the top national agenda," he said.
Broken promises
The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) said the government has made little effort to fulfil its promise to repeal and amend laws that restrict media freedom.
CIJ executive director Wathshlah G. Naidu said the government continues to discourage journalists from critical and unbiased reporting.
"The 2024 World Press Freedom Index spotlights the challenges we face in Malaysia as we drop to a dismal ranking of 107. Last year was when the new unity Madani government had its first full year in power.
"Though this brought expectations of reform and a sense of optimism, Malaysia still faces many challenges and has shown not only stagnancy when it comes to media freedom but also a level of regression," Wathshlah said.
"Draconian legislation continues to be prominently used by the government to uphold their agenda and archaic values."
CIJ said laws such as the PPPA, the Sedition Act 1949, Official Secrets Act and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act remain a threat to the media as it promotes self-censorship due to fear of legal repercussions and institutional red tape.
"The press here is living under a culture of threat and fear not only due to these draconian laws but also the government’s unilateral ability to use several other methods to suppress voices.
"It revoked the media passes of PAS mouthpiece, Harakah, and blocked alternative media outlet websites MalaysiaNow, Malaysia Today, Wee Choo Keong’s blog, TV Pertiwi, and Utusan TV."
Wathslah urged Putrajaya expedite the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council (MMC), staring with the adoption the work of the protem committee set up in January 2020.
"The MMC must be free of government intervention, including in its decision-making mechanisms, and adequately resourced.
"It must also have a clear mandate of its role, which should provide the MMC with the ability to establish and harmonise standards in the media while serving as an independent dispute resolution mechanism.
"The Malaysian Code of Ethics for Journalists introduced this year must be aligned with the standards set by the MMC and not act as a barrier to the independent functioning of the MMC," she said.
No reformist government
Professor Zaharom Nain said he was shocked at the decline in press freedom following the high expectations of the general election.
He said the administration isn't the reformist government of 2018 but a cobbled together unity coalition with deeply conservative, reactionary parties, such as Umno, which are averse to reform, including greater press freedom.
"Politically, regression was on the cards with this loosely glued together government post-general election," Zaharom said.
"Economically, variety in media – another sign of media freedom – has been badly reduced because old media, especially print media, continue to lose audiences to online and digital media platforms.
"A combination of audiences losing trust in the old media and the increasing costs of such (print and publishing) technology has led to a reduction of media platforms and freedom of choice."
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the World Press Freedom Index was not the gold standard for media freedom.
"Israel shut down Al Jazeera in their country and yet RSF ranked it at 101, while Malaysia was at 107.
"We did not close any media outlets here. However, I am prepared to study proposals from RSF on measures to improve Malaysia's position," Fahmi said. – May 2, 2024.
.jpg)
.jpg)
