Malaysia

In a 27 March 2000 letter to Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Badawi, RSF protested his decision to withdraw the publishing licence of “Detik” magazine. RSF asked the minister to change his decision, which it said constituted a violation of press freedom. Once again, the organisation asked the minister to renew the licences of […]

**Updates IFEX alerts of 3 March, 21, 13, 12, 11 and 6 January 2000** (WAN/IFEX) – In a 3 March 2000 letter to Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed their serious concern over the publication restrictions imposed on the opposition newspaper “Harakah”. According to reports, on 2 March the Home […]

In a 3 March 2000 letter to Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Badawi, RSF protested against threats issued by members of the government against the newspaper “Harakah”. The threats came a day after the ministry’s decision to reduce the periodicity of the opposition newspaper from biweekly to fortnightly. RSF said the change seemed like […]

The following is an ARTICLE 19 letter to the Malaysian prime minister: His Excellency Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahatir Mohamad Prime Minister Jabatan Perdana Menteri Kuala Lumpur 50502 Malaysia By fax: 00 60 3 238 3784 21 January 2000 Your Excellency ARTICLE 19, the International Centre Against Censorship, is extremely concerned by the recent charges of […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is deeply concerned by the 12 January 2000 arrests of Zulkifli Sulong, the editor of “Harakah”, the biweekly newspaper of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), and Chia Lim Thye, the owner of the company that prints “Harakah” and formally holds the newspaper’s publishing license. Police charged Zulkifli and Chia with sedition […]

**Updates IFEX alerts of 11 and 6 January 2000** (RSF/IFEX) – In a 12 January 2000 letter to Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Ahmad Badawi, RSF protested the arrest of Zulkifli Sulong, editor of “Harakah”. RSF considers that the charges brought against him by the authorities constitute a further step in the government’s policy […]

In a 10 January 2000 letter to Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mahathir Mohamad, CPJ expressed its deep concern over the Ministry of Home Affairs’ recent threats to close five Malaysian publications, including the widely-read opposition biweekly “Harakah”. In a 24 December 1999 letter, the home ministry accused “Harakah”, the newspaper of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 6 January 2000 letter to Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Ahmad Badawi, RSF expressed its concern after five newspapers were threatened with closure. RSF asked the minister to “ensure that the publication licences of the newspapers are not withdrawn by the ministry.” RSF condemned “any pressure on the private media,” […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – Murray Hiebert, the “Far Eastern Economic Review” (FEER) correspondent imprisoned in Kuala Lumpur on 11 September 1999, was released on the morning of 11 October, according to a spokesman for Dow Jones, which publishes the magazine. **Updates IFEX alerts of 14 September, 13 September and 19 May 1999, 3 October and 5 September […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is outraged by the Malaysian Court of Appeal’s decision to imprison “Far Eastern Economic Review” correspondent Murray Hiebert for contempt of court. Hiebert’s sentencing makes Malaysia the only Commonwealth country to have imprisoned a journalist on contempt charges in half a century, according to his lawyers. **Updates IFEX alerts of 13 September […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is an 11 September 1999 CPJ news release: **Updates IFEX alerts of 19 May 1999, 3 October and 5 September 1997** JAILING OF REPORTER IN MALAYSIA DEPLORABLE CPJ Condemns Sentence Handed Down Against Murray Hiebert BANGKOK, September 11 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) deplores today’s decision by the Malaysian […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 22 June 1999 letter sent to Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad, RSF protested his statements against Western media which, he said, “should be held responsible for their misreporting.” RSF noted that it “has known for a long time the meaning of press ‘responsibility’, according to the Malaysian authorities: press reports have to […]

(CJFE/IFEX) – On 17 May 1999, the Malaysian Court of Appeals began hearing the appeal of the convictions against Canadian journalist Murray Hiebert. The judges hearing the case are Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Lamin Yunus, Datuk Ahmad Rairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and Denis Ong. Hiebert’s bail has been set at RM250,000 (approx. US$65,790). […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the continuing lack of press freedom in Malaysia. According to RSF’s information, on 3 May 1999, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi declared that “press freedom must have limits” and that “unlimited freedom… is difficult as it will give rise to problems which will affect everyone.” He was also quoted […]

(HRW/IFEX) – The following is an HRW press release: For Immediate release March 2, 1999 For more information: Joseph Saunders, 212-216-1207 Human Rights Watch urges inquiry into dismissal of Malaysian academic (New York, March 2)–Human Rights Watch today called on the Malaysian government to launch an independent investigation into the dismissal last week of Professor […]

(WiPC/IFEX) – WiPC has received confirmation that writer and academic Munawar Ahmad Anees was released on 18 January 1999, after serving four months of his six-month sentence. Anees was sentenced to six months in prison on 19 September 1998 for alleged homosexual relations with the former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim. It is […]