Najib Razak

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on June 1, 2018. The Malaysian parliament on August 16, 2018, repealed a law imposing criminal penalties for

CPJ welcomes repeal of Malaysia’s “fake news” law

Washington, D.C., August 16, 2018–The Malaysian parliament today repealed a law imposing criminal penalties for “fake news” that had been enacted earlier this year by the previous government of Prime Minister Najib Razak, according to news reports.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, standing, has been cleared of wrongdoing, but the independendent media are tenaciously challenging the official narrative. (AP/Joshua Paul)

Amid financial scandal, Malaysia increases pressure on media

A financial scandal involving a state investment fund created and overseen by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, exposed in turns by investigative journalists, has put a parallel spotlight on the country’s deteriorating press freedom situation. A suggestion by the government’s top lawyer to strengthen the 1972 Official Secrets Act to penalize journalists who decline to…

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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, denies allegations that he received money from a state investment fund for personal use. (AP/Joshua Paul)

Dogged by fraud allegations, Malaysia targets media

Investigative reporting on alleged mismanagement of a Malaysian state investment fund has triggered a backlash against muckraking media. On Friday, the Home Ministry ordered the suspension of two local news publications, The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily, for three months on the grounds that their reporting on the fund, known as 1Malaysia Development…

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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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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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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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