Press release by Article 19 on the new emergency regulation on ‘fake news’ relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Article19 Activities and Events
ARTICLE 19 and 83 other human rights, humanitarian and civil society organisations sent an open letter to the Prime Minister of Malaysia urging action to address the recent proliferation of ‘hate speech’ and violent threats against Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia.
The Perikatan Nasional government has undermined and obstructed the exercise of fundamental freedoms during its first twelve months in power, said ARTICLE 19 and CIVICUS in a new report published today.
Press release by Article 19 on the conviction of Malaysiakini on contempt of court charges.
The world was once again shocked by terrorist attacks in France, namely the killing of the teacher Samuel Paty in connection with his use of caricatures of the Prophet during a classroom lesson and the knife attacks at a church in Nice. Mahathir Mohamad commented on these events with a number of concerning posts, endorsing the attacks and seemingly encouraging Muslims to kill French people.
ARTICLE 19 calls on the Federal Court of Malaysia to respect international freedom of expression standards on intermediary liability in the case against Malaysiakini, a leading Malaysian web-based news portal known for its impactful reporting on human rights issues.
ARTICLE 19 and CIVICUS are concerned about contempt proceedings and a criminal investigation against online news media outlet Malaysiakini based on comments by readers on the Malaysiakini website.
A recent wave of criminal proceedings against civil society actors and others signals a worrying turn toward oppression by Malaysia’s new government
On 2 June, police arrested five individuals during a protest outside Ipoh Hospital in Kuala Lumpur. The protesters were raising concerns about the lack of personal protective equipment for hospital employees, arbitrary changes to work schedules, and denial of a government-authorised allowance for frontline workers.
Malaysian police have summoned South China Morning Post journalist Tashny Sukumaran concerning her reporting on the recent mass arrest of foreign nationals in Kuala Lumpur.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced on 23 March that it was working with the police to investigate five new cases against individuals accused of spreading ‘fake news’ about coronavirus.
ARTICLE 19 and the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) condemn online attacks against Kow Gah Chie, a woman journalist who writes for Malaysiakini.
Wong Yan Ke, a recent graduate of Universiti Malaya, was yesterday charged in Kuala Lumpur’s Magistrate’s Court, for acts of protest during the university’s convocation ceremony in October.
ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned about a proposal by officials in Terengganu, a Malaysian state, to regulate entertainment and cultural performances according to a conservative interpretation of Islam that discriminates on the basis of gender.
On 13 February, Malaysia’s Court of Appeal took an important step to defend the right to freedom of expression and the right freedom of religion or belief by overturning a ban on three books published by a think tank promoting moderate Islam
On Thursday, 7 November, an Islamic court in Selangor convicted five men for “attempting intercourse against the order of nature”, imposing sentences of caning and six or more months imprisonment.
ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned by the recent arrest of four individuals in relation to social media posts touching on issues of race and religion.