Decision against Malaysiakini comes under fire

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: The Federal Court’s decision to impose a RM500,000 fine on Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, the company which runs Malaysiakini, for contempt of court over comments by the news portal’s readers has not gone down well, with many taking to social media to criticise the sentence.

Even the foreign missions have weighed in. In a joint statement, British high commissioner Charles Hay and acting Canadian high commissioner Esther Van Nes expressed concern over the court’s verdict.

“Media freedom is of fundamental importance to the security, prosperity and wellbeing of all societies. People must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely,” they said.

Political analyst Bridget Welsh said on Twitter that the ruling would have negative repercussions for Malaysia in terms of freedom of all media platforms, adding that it would “further chill already cooling foreign investment”.


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