KUALA LUMPUR: Media advocacy groups in Malaysia have expressed "serious concern" after the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate Court had yesterday, fined 37-year-old delivery rider R. Krishnan RM2,000 for assaulting Twentytwo13 co-founder and editor, Haresh Deol.
The National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM) and Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) issued a joint statement today questioning the thoroughness of the investigation into the Nov 25, 2025 attack in broad daylight in Bangsar, and the perceived leniency of the outcome regarding the incident.
While acknowledging the court's decision, the groups highlighted two primary areas of contention - missing suspects and the motive of the attack.
Two individuals assaulted Haresh while a third, who shouldered Haresh, causing him to fall, recorded the incident.
The groups questioned why only one person has faced charges, suggesting a lack of "full accountability."
The organisations argued that the motive behind the attack remains "insufficiently explained" and cautioned against treating such violence as a simple altercation.
Haresh, an award-winning journalist and deputy president of the National Press Club Malaysia, has been reporting extensively on sports integrity issues, including the doctored documents scandal involving the Football Association of Malaysia and seven heritage footballers who were fined by Fifa. FAM has since appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
"Acts of violence against journalists cannot be divorced from their professional role," the statement read.
"It is essential that any potential link between the assault and journalistic work be transparently examined."
The groups emphasised that journalists act in the public interest and must be able to work without fear of reprisal. They warned that an unsafe environment for media practitioners directly undermines democratic accountability.
"A safe and enabling environment for journalists is fundamental to press freedom," the statement continued, calling on authorities to ensure future investigations are "proportionate to the seriousness of the offence."
The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) had also raised concerns over the RM2,000 fine imposed on Krishnan, questioning whether the sentence adequately reflects the seriousness of the offence or serves as an effective deterrent against future attacks on media professionals.
Speaking to news website, Scoop, MMC secretary Radzi Razak said: “The MMC is concerned that the fine imposed does not seem proportionate to the severity of an attack on a journalist performing his professional duties.”
He added that such a minimal fine alone is unlikely to achieve the intended deterrent effect and noted that the sentence fails to send a strong enough message against violence directed at journalists.
Radzi also questioned whether the full gravity of the offence had been acknowledged.
“The sentence risks sending the wrong signal — that violence or intimidation against journalists may be treated as a minor offence,” he was quoted as saying.
Radzi warned that this decision could contribute to a chilling effect on journalists, making them feel exposed, unsupported, and discouraged from tackling sensitive stories that the public has a right to know.