Malaysiakini, a leading Malaysian news site, was found guilty of contempt over readers’ comments that criticised the judiciary and fined $120,000 on Friday. The portal is known for reporting on the misdeeds of the ruling elite and Friday’s verdict has sparked international condemnation and concerns about worsening press freedom.
Malaysia’s attorney general took action against the portal last year after five readers commented under an article that were critical of the judiciary. Editor-in-chief Steven Gan was accused of contempt of court in a case.
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On Friday, the portal was convicted and was ordered to pay $120,000 (Rs 8,709,284) fine, which is more than double the amount sought by prosecutors.
Though Gan was cleared, he criticised the decision as “uncalled for”.
“The hefty fine against us is really an attempt not to just shut us up — but to shut us down,” he told AFP.
The news outlet asked Malaysians to donate to help cover the penalty, and raised the amount needed within five hours.
Meanwhile, the verdict was condemned, with people expressing concerns over worsening press freedom
Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, said the ruling was “a blatant violation of freedom of expression and media freedom, and should be quashed”, AFP reported.
The US embassy in Kuala Lumpur said it was worried about the decision and “the impact it will have on press freedom in Malaysia”.
