Press Statement Government should embrace the Internet, not impose more restrictions to stifle news portals and blogs 23 March 2016 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the Communications and Multimedia Ministry’s proposal for online news portals and political blogs to be registered with the government, thus effectively restricting further the ever-shrinking democratic space…
The letter, from 3 Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to the Government of Malaysia concerns the arrest, detention, and charge under the Sedition Act 1948 brought against Eric Paulsen on 5 February 2015 and the arrest and detention of Zunar under the same act (Zunar was subsequently charged with nine counts…
Sarawak villagers have won their bid to regain native customary land that had been earmarked for the construction of the Baram dam, according to their lawyers. The decision meant that the nearly 20,000 villagers from up to 30 villages will now be allowed to re-enter the land that had previously been gazetted for acquisition under…
News portal The Malaysian Insider (TMI) will cease operations at midnight on Monday, March 14. “Goodbye readers from near and far, and those reading us in Malaysia despite the government block,” TMI chief editor Jahabar Sadiq (pic) wrote in an article on Monday. “The Edge Media Group has decided to shut down The Malaysian Insider…
Press Statement Cease the harassment and unconditionally release both Australian journalists 13 March 2016 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the arrest of Australian journalist Linton Besser and camera operator Louis Eroglu from the ABC Four Corners current affairs show last night in Kuching, Sarawak. Although both of them have been released, their passports were seized…
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the opposition have signed a declaration calling for the repeal of all recent laws and agreements that violate fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. “We support a restoration of the integrity of the institutions that have been undermined such as the police, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission, Bank…
The Government will “look into” a statement by the Conference of Rulers that some provisions of the National Security Council Bill 2015 should be refined. Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, who had briefed the 240th meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara on the Bill on Tuesday, told Sin Chew Daily that…
The Attorney-General’s Chambers is considering increasing the punishment on those who leak official secrets, said Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali. He said there were increasing cases of official secrets being leaked and reported by the media quoting sources. He said the Chambers was looking into amending the Official Secrets Act 1972 to punish those…
A High Court today sentenced Hishamuddin Md Rais to nine months in jail for sedition after allowing the prosecution’s appeal for a more deterrent sentence than the RM5,000 fine the activist was given last year. According to lawyer Syahredzan Johan, the court dismissed Hishamuddin’s appeal on his conviction and allowed the prosecution’s bid to set…