The press and the unregulated Internet were targeted throughout the year by the authorities, according to the 2003 Suaram annual reports's executive summary released yesterday in conjunction with World Human Rights Day.

"The authorities continued to hold an extremely paternalistic and undemocratic attitude in regards to censorship, according citizens little credit for their maturity and intelligence.

"They often cited moral, community, religious and racial sensitiveness for suppressing information and prohibiting free expression," said the 21-page summary under the chapter, "Freedom of speech and expression".

Since 1997, Suaram or Suara Rakyat Malaysia has been publishing an annual human rights report based on documentation of events. The executive summary is the excerpt which was released ahead of the full report - expected to be published early next year.

The summary was launched by Suaram director Dr Kua Kia Soong and executive director Cynthia Gabriel yesterday morning in Kuala Lumpur while Suaram coordinator Eric Paulsen presented it.

Legal sanctions

The summary said the media and opposition parties critical of the government and its policies were constantly threatened with criminal or legal sanctions.

"In some cases the threats materialised in the form of arrests, detention and criminal prosecution," it said.

Suaram also reaffirmed the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) report in August which called for a review and subsequent repeal of several arbitrary provisions in the PPPA and OSA that curb press freedom.

Human rights groups have constantly called for the repeal of several sets of Malaysian laws which they said are unfavourable for a free flow of information.

Among others, these acts included the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), Official Secrets Act (OSA), Sedition Act, Defamation Act and Internal Security Act.

However the government has pledged there would be no control of Internet content under the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Bill of Guarantee to create the MSC, the country's answer to Silicon Valley.

The international press watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) in October has released the world press freedom index. Despite a marginal improvement from 110 last year to 104, Malaysia remained at the bottom half of the list.

Record of cases

Meanwhile, Suaram has also recorded incidents in the country which breached the freedom of speech and expression throughout this year. Some of the highlighted cases include:

  • Police raid on online daily malaysiakini office after the daily allegedly published a seditious letter.

  • Home Ministry 's seizure of 259 books containing patriotic communist songs in Mandarin.

  • The ruling coalition Barisan Nasional's call for a ban on Economist after the latter was accused of having diminished Malaysia's achievements under the leadership of ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad through one of it articles.

  • Harakah editor-in-chief Zulkifli Sulong's fine of RM5,000 for publishing a seditious article four years ago involving the trial of ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

  • The RM10,000 fine on the Instant Caf Theatre (ICT) by Kuala Lumpur City Hall over its satirical production.

  • The questioning of Harakah editor-in-chief Zulkifli Sulong by the police under the Official Secrets Act over the publication on Election Commission-Puteri Umno "secret collusion".

  • The cancellation of satellite television provider Astro a program on the Indian Malaysian community on grounds that it was'sensitive'.

  • Deputy Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin's announcement that the state-owned Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) would not provide airtime for opposition parties during the coming election campaign period.

  • The 12-month jai sentencing on Human rights activist Irene Fernandez after being found guilty of publishing "false news". She is out on bail currently.