The Malaysian police’s decision to question a South China Morning Post correspondent for her article on its arrests of migrant workers in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur last Friday (1 May) was “patently absurd”, said Deputy Asia Director of Human Rights Watch Phil Robertson.
“A truly professional police force”, said Mr Robertson in a statement today (5 May), would have “simply dismissed” the reports made against Tashny Sukumaran “as having no grounds and told the complainants to go play politics somewhere else”.
“Sadly, Malaysia’s government is dragging the country back towards its bad old human rights abusing past, when harassing independent journalists doing their job was a regular tactic to seek to constrain press freedom.
“Human Rights Watch supports media freedom in Malaysia and around the world, and supports Tashny Sukumaran’s efforts to defend herself against these ridiculous and unfounded complaints,” he added.
Tashny Sukumaran to be questioned by police on Wednesday, investigated under S. 504 of Penal Code and S.233 of Communications and Multimedia Act
Ms Sukumaran, a Malaysian journalist, on Labour Day last week wrote an article on a government crackdown at Selangor Mansion, Malayan Mansion and Menara City One — apartment blocks offering low-cost accommodation in Kuala Lumpur.
The article, co-authored by Hong Kong-based Singaporean journalist Bhavan Jaipragas, reported that “children as young as four” were taken away during the raid conducted by police, immigration authorities and the civil defence forces.
The raid, according to the article, took place merely “hours” after the Malaysian government announced that it would be relaxing some of the measures under its movement control order (MCO).
Selangor Mansion, Malayan Mansion and Menara City One were placed under “enhanced MCO”, throughout which police and military forces will heavily guard the buildings to prevent people from entering and exiting.
A day after the article was published, she was phoned by a police inspector and was told that she had been summoned to the police headquarters in Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur this Wednesday (6 May), SCMP reported.
The next day — which happened to be World Press Freedom Day — she posted a string of tweets regarding the incident.
Ms Sukumaran said that police had informed her that she is being investigated under Section 504 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.
Section 504 of the Penal Code stipulates that any person who “breaks the public peace” by intentionally insulting or provoking any other person may be subject to a maximum two-year jail term or a fine or both.
Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act pertains to the creation and sharing of content deemed “obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive” by the authorities, which carries the penalty of a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a maximum jail term of one year or both.
According to PDRM, I am being investigated under Sek 504 of the Penal Code and Sek 233 of the Communications & Multimedia Act.
Many of you heard the news super quick (can jadi reporter yourselves wei) and sent messages of support. I want to say thank you so much <3
— Tashny Sukumaran (@tashny) May 3, 2020
Citing the Malaysian Centre for Independent Journalism, Ms Sukumaran alleged in one of her tweets on Sunday that “there have been many attempts of late to silence reporters”.
“Foreign media are excluded from ‘official’ WhatsApp groups, including the PMO’s. Journalists are being called in. Limited access to govt PCs,” she added.
As @CIJ_Malaysia pointed out in their thread on #WorldPressFreedomDay, there have been many attempts of late to silence reporters. Foreign media are excluded from ‘official’ WhatsApp groups, including the PMO’s. Journalists are being called in. Limited access to govt PCs.
— Tashny Sukumaran (@tashny) May 3, 2020
Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, in response to Ms Sukumaran’s initial tweet regarding the investigations, tweeted on Sunday that he has directed his ministry not to take action against her.
He added that while he “may not like” Ms Sukumaran’s article, he will “defend” her right to write it.
Ms Sukumaran, however, highlighted that journalists do not have an obligation to “write what the government likes”, and that she is “still being harassed by the police” for carrying out her job as a reporter.
Salam YBM.
1. I’m afraid it is not our job to write what the government likes. We write based on observation, interviews, fact.
2. I appreciate your gesture, but it doesn’t change the fact that I am still being harassed by the police for doing my job as a reporter. @S_Y_New https://t.co/XharzgE8tP— Tashny Sukumaran (@tashny) May 3, 2020
Zurairi AR, assistant news editor and columnist at the Malay Mail, expressed his scepticism regarding Saifuddin’s statement.
I’ll believe this when media is NOT:
– called up by cops/MCMC just for doing job
– labelled “fake news” for critical reporting
– restricted from govt press briefings/conferences
– personally attacked by politicians & their mob(ALL of which have happened since change of govt) https://t.co/UvMhleBfpW
— Zurairi A.R. (@zurairi) May 3, 2020
Harris Zainul, a disinformation analyst at think-tank Institute Of Strategic & International Studies, warned that “any restrictions on media freedom often precede the erosion of other fundamental rights”.
“The government’s treatment of the media tends to portray its actual understanding and appreciation of wider free speech rights,” he added.
The media is the rights bearer and bellwether for free speech, any restrictions on media freedom often precede the erosion of other fundamental rights. The government’s treatment of the media tends to portray its actual understanding and appreciation of wider free speech rights. https://t.co/vPQFV8Vqu2
— Harris Zainul (@harriszainul) May 3, 2020
