Global press freedom movement Reporters Without Borders has pledged its backing to independent news website Malaysiakini which has decided to resist an order to remove two news videos judged to be "offensive" by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

"The Malaysiakini website is right to resist the censorship the government is trying to impose on it.

"The authorities should understand that it is footage that shows something that happened, which may indeed be embarrassing for some authorities but does not constitute an offence," the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.

"We urge the MCMC to set aside its Sept 3 ruling and in general we call on the authorities to stop the censorship and intimidation that pushes journalists into self-censorship", it added.

On Sept 3 MCMC told the website in a letter that it considered the two video clips "offensive" and "intended to upset people, and particularly the Indians".

The penalty for refusing to comply is a fine of RM50,000 and one year in prison.

MCMC issued the removal order under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988 which banned all content that was "indecent, obscene, false, threatening or offensive with the intention or harming, abusing, threatening or harassing a third party".

However the online daily has refused to remove the two video clips.

"Our intention was not to do any harm, but to do our job as journalists," said its editor-in-chief Steven Gan on the decision not to remove the two clips.

Press freedom ranking: Malaysia is No 173

NONEFollowing that Malaysiakini was put under a three-day investigation, involving interrogation of the entire staff, copying of the hard discs of the two computers used to edit online video and a demand for the original film.

Malaysiakini had posted two video clips to the site, the first on Aug 28 showing demonstrations by some residents against the building of a Hindu temple in their neighbourhood, in which they spat on and trampled the bloodied head of a cow.

The second, on Sept 2, featured Home Minister Hishammudin Hussein speaking at a press conference at which he urged demonstrators not to use violence, while defending their right to protest. But in a change of stance, on Sept 3, the minister ordered proceedings against the demonstrators.

This is not the first brush Malaysiakini has had with the government. In 2003, it was subjected to an investigation after posting a letter critical of the government.

The government in June 2009, temporarily banned its journalists from entering parliament, added Reporters Without Borders, known more popularly in its French name Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF).

Malaysia is ranked 132nd out of 173 countries on Reporters Without Borders' 2008 world press freedom index.


The two controversial videos

Temple demo: Residents march with cow's head l 6 mins Hisham: Don't blame cow-head protesters l 6 mins