This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
Malaysia's government has come under fire for its treatment of the media, with the latest incident involving Australian journalists from Al Jazeera being questioned by police over a documentary about migrant arrests.
On July 10, 2020, several Australian journalists, including a reporter, an executive producer, a producer, and a cameraman, were summoned for questioning at the national police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. They were accompanied by their lawyers and refuted all charges, stating that there was no intent by Al Jazeera to create any mischief.
Al Jazeera expressed shock at the investigation, stating that it stood by the 'professionalism, quality, and impartiality of its journalism.' The network also expressed concern that its staff were being subjected to a police investigation, saying that 'charging journalists for doing their jobs is not the action of a democracy that values free speech.'
The documentary, 'Locked Up in Malaysia's Lockdown,' looked at the detention of hundreds of migrants found without valid documents in areas under strict coronavirus lockdowns. The government denounced it as misleading and inaccurate, and police are now investigating the broadcaster for alleged sedition and defamation.
Malaysia's media crackdown has raised concerns about the country's commitment to free speech and democracy. The government has accused several media outlets of contempt of court and defamation, and has also probed a health news site's editor over an article.
