THE arrest of Tamil news portal journalist Kalidas Subramaniom is deeply troubling and deserves unequivocal condemnation said a former MP.
Charles Santiago said journalists play a critical role in documenting realities that are often deliberately obscured, particularly when it comes to vulnerable communities.
“To detain a reporter in the course of his work sends a chilling message, not only to media practitioners but to the public, whose right to information is ultimately what is at stake.
“At its core, this incident raises urgent concerns about the shrinking space for press freedom in Malaysia. Kalidas wasn’t committing a crime by reporting on undocumented migrant workers. He was doing his job,” he said in a statement.
It was previously reported that Kalidas was detained at the Kulim district police headquarters in connection with an alleged trespass while covering issues related to undocumented migrants.
Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said eight men were detained last Saturday, while two others were arrested yesterday.
Charles said the use of trespassing laws in this context appears disproportionate and, more importantly, misdirected.
While laws exist to regulate access to certain spaces, he said, they should not be weaponised to obstruct legitimate journalistic inquiry.
“There is a clear difference between malicious intrusion and public-interest reporting. Blurring this line risks normalising the suppression of investigative work under the guise of legal compliance.
“This arrest also underscores a broader pattern in which authorities respond to scrutiny with enforcement rather than accountability,” he said.
When journalists are treated as offenders rather than watchdogs, it reflects an inversion of democratic values.
The focus should instead be on addressing the issues rather than penalising those who bring them to light, he added.
He stressed that the immediate release of Kalidas would be a necessary first step toward restoring confidence.
“Beyond that, there must be a serious reckoning with how laws are applied in cases involving journalists.” – March 31, 2026
