IFJ Report - Challenges and Controls: Impacts of Covid-19 on Media Workers in Malaysia

The IFJ report documents a disturbing deterioration in press freedom since Malaysia’s snap change of government in March 2020 and calls for urgent reforms to protect the country’s fragile media industry. 

Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan gestures as he arrives at the Federal Court in Putrajaya on July 13, 2020. Credit: Mohd Rasfan / AFP

Challenges and Controls: Impacts of Covid-19 on Media Workers in Malaysia  finds that after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic globally, Malaysia implemented the oppressive Movement Control Order (MCO), while the country witnessed an increasing number of violations and attacks against anyone seen to be critical of sensitive topics and the new political order. The report details a list of charges and persecutions over the past six months under Malaysia’s existing draconian laws and regulations. 

The report also outlines the pivotal political ‘switch’ in late February 2020, that saw Malaysia’s ruling government under the 94-year-old statesman Mahathir Mohamad crumble and collapse; and swiftly replaced with a concoction of party defectors and nationalist, conservative opposition politicians led by Muhyiddin Yassin. The report outlines the pivotal political ‘switch’ in late February 2020, that saw Malaysia’s ruling government under the 94-year-old statesman Mahathir Mohamad crumble and collapse; and swiftly replaced with a concoction of party defectors and nationalist, conservative opposition politicians led by Muhyiddin Yassin.

Read the report here

For further information contact IFJ Asia - Pacific on [email protected]

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 140 countries

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