PUTRAJAYA – The government has not suppressed freedom of expression in the country, contrary to a report by Amnesty International, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Refuting its recent report, he pointed out that no journalists have been arrested and no news outlets shut down under the unity government.
Though Fahmi welcomed Amnesty’s views, he stressed that freedom of expression should not be misused to spread slander.
“As of now, no reporters have been detained, and no news agencies have been shut down by the government,” he said in a weekly post-cabinet press conference today.
“There is no issue with criticising the government, but fabricating stories is malicious. There is a strict difference between freedom of expression and the freedom to slander,” he said.
Earlier, in the launch of its annual The State of the World’s Human Rights report, Amnesty International Malaysia said the government failed to fulfil commitments to reform restrictive laws and laws threatening civic space and further human rights violations in the country.
Fahmi was responding to questions about a report by Amnesty published this morning on “The State of the World’s Human Rights”, which said Malaysia had failed to “fulfil commitments” in reforming certain laws that restrict the right to freedom of expression.
It also said the government continued to utilise “repressive laws to silence critical voices and prevent peaceful protest.”
The report alluded to controversies including banning of the film Mentega Terbang, confiscation of LGBTQ+-themed Swatch watches, and a recent women’s march.
It also cited the usage of the Printing Press and Publications Act 1984 to ban three books with LGBTQ+ elements. – April 24, 2024