Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has lashed out at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his dismissive attitude towards Malaysia's decline in the global press freedom index. According to the organization, Anwar's stance reflects a pattern of evading responsibility and using the "3Rs" excuse to justify the government's crackdown on dissent.
Zaid Malek, the director of LFL, expressed strong condemnation, labeling Anwar's response as "embarrassing, dishonest, and totally unacceptable." He criticized the prime minister for what he perceived as arrogance, suggesting that such a response is more fitting for a leader of a banana republic rather than a sitting prime minister.
During a government-sponsored event for journalists, Anwar made controversial remarks, stating that he was unconcerned about Malaysia's downgrade in the World Press Freedom Index 2024. He justified the government's actions as necessary measures against "racists and religious bigots," drawing applause from the audience.
However, LFL refuted Anwar's claims, arguing that the decline in press freedom ranking was not due to the government's purported crackdown on racists and religious fanatics. Instead, they pointed to instances of censorship and blocking of news portals critical of the government, such as Utusan TV, TV Pertiwi, and MalaysiaNow, as well as the blocking of TikTok videos featuring government critics by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Furthermore, LFL highlighted a specific incident involving Bloomberg journalists being questioned by the police over a report about talks between the Agong and tycoons regarding the opening of a casino in Johor. They criticized Anwar for using the Agong as a shield to deflect criticism away from the government, arguing that such actions undermine freedom of the press.
Zaid emphasized the importance of upholding Article 10 of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech. He criticized the government for labeling any criticism as incitement of racial hatred or disrespect towards the royal institution, thereby rendering the right to free speech meaningless.
The crackdown on freedom of expression began shortly after Anwar's coalition government came to power in November 2022, with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil frequently threatening platforms like TikTok to remove content critical of the government. MalaysiaNow faced a 48-hour block without notice, while other news websites and blogs critical of the government also faced censorship.
RSF, expressing concern over these actions, warned the Malaysian government against its crackdown on freedom of expression. Cedric Alviani, the RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau director, highlighted the suspensions of news websites critical of the government, emphasizing the lack of explanations or judicial oversight.
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