LIVE | Huge fine a body blow, says Gan
Modified26 Feb 2021, 5:39 am
A Malaysiakini over its readers comments.
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Huge fine a body blow, says Gan
11.25am: At a press conference following the sentence, Gan says
Malaysiakini is very disappointed with the decision.
February 19, 2021
published at 7:26 AMReuters
Malaysiakini s editor-in-chief Steven Gan arrives at the Federal Court in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Feb 19, 2021.
Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s highest court on Friday found news portal Malaysiakini in contempt of court over comments posted by readers deemed offensive to the judiciary, in a case widely seen as a test of media freedom in the Southeast Asian nation.
Last year, Malaysia’s attorney general filed an application to cite Malaysiakini and editor-in-chief Steven Gan for contempt over five comments posted by readers on its website that it said undermined public confidence in the judiciary.In a six to one decision on Friday, a Federal Court panel found Malaysiakini was fully responsible for publishing the readers’ comments that “undermined the system of justice in the country” and fined the news portal 500,000 ringgit (S$164,440).
4 Min Read
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia’s highest court on Friday found news portal Malaysiakini in contempt over comments about the judiciary posted by readers, a ruling condemned by rights groups as a clampdown on free speech.
FILE PHOTO: Malaysiakini s editor-in-chief Steven Gan arrives at the Federal Court in Putrajaya, Malaysia, February 19, 2021. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng
The Federal Court found Malaysiakini was fully responsible for publishing readers’ comments that were critical of the judiciary and fined the news portal 500,000 ringgit ($123,762).
The landmark ruling comes on the heels of increasing concerns from rights groups over a crackdown on dissent under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
Malaysian court fines news portal over readers comments on judiciary reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.