Malaysia / Asia

  

Malaysia extends sedition law to allow online censorship

Bangkok, April 13, 2015–Malaysia’s parliament on Friday approved amendments to the country’s sedition law, giving the government broad new powers to censor online media, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the legislative amendments and calls on the government to stop using the law to threaten and persecute independent journalists.

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Malaysia charges cartoonist with nine counts of sedition for critical tweets

Bangkok, April 3, 2015–Malaysian cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, also known as Zunar, was charged in court today with nine counts of sedition for critical tweets he wrote in February about a politically sensitive court decision, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Malaysian authorities to drop the charges and to cease…

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Malaysian police arrest editors, executives of news portal

Bangkok, March 31, 2015–Police have detained three editors and two executives of The Malaysian Insider news portal in Malaysia’s Kelantan state and accused them of sedition, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the immediate and unconditional release of those arrested.

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Malaysian cartoonist Zunar poses in plastic handcuffs prior to the launch of his new book of political cartoons. (AP/Joshua Paul)

Malaysian authorities seize another book by political cartoonist

Bangkok, February 17, 2015–In an escalating campaign of harassment, Malaysian authorities seized copies of a new volume of political cartoons by Zulkiflee Awar Ulhaque, also known as Zunar, on Saturday, according to news reports. In the past three weeks, police have confiscated three separate volumes of Zunar’s cartoons and detained him for four days on…

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Zunar holds a copy of his banned cartoon book in 2010. The cartoonist has been arrested on accusations of sedition. (AP/Lai Seng Sin)

Cartoonist detained for critical tweets in Malaysia

Bangkok, February 11, 2015–Malaysian authorities arrested a political cartoonist on Tuesday on accusations of sedition, according to news reports. Zulkiflee Awar Ulhaque, also known as Zunar, was detained after posting critical tweets about a court decision to imprison the country’s main opposition leader.

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Police raid, seize books from Malaysian cartoonist’s office

Bangkok, February 2, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Malaysian authorities to halt the legal harassment of a Malaysian cartoonist. Zulkiflee Awar Ulhaque, also known as Zunar, is a frequent contributor to the news website Malaysiakini and the author of several volumes of political cartoons.

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Malaysian journalist detained, threatened with sedition

Bangkok, September 10, 2014–Authorities in Malaysia should halt their investigation into Malaysiakini reporter Susan Loone who could face sedition charges in connection with a critical article she published in early September, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Malaysia denies entry to critical journalist

New York, July 5, 2013–Malaysian immigration authorities should reverse their decision to deny entry Wednesday to a journalist critical of the provincial Sarawak government, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Clare Rewcastle Brown, who is based in the United Kingdom, flew to Kuching in southeast Malaysia but was served a “notice of refusal of…

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Malaysian sites report disruption of access near elections

Bangkok, May 3, 2013–Malaysian online news sites say access to their websites is being disrupted in the run-up to the general elections scheduled for Sunday.

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Attacks on the Press: Internet Opening Is Shrinking

Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam had vibrant blogospheres–until the crackdowns. By Shawn W. Crispin

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