A-G gets leave to cite Malaysiakini for contempt over readers’ comments

Updated 3 years ago · Published on 17 Jun 2020 10:19AM · 3 Comments

News portal Malaysiakini is under investigation for publishing readers' comments that allegedly violate the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Penal Code. – EPA pic, June 17, 2020.

THE Federal Court today allowed Attorney-General Idrus Harun’s application to cite news portal Malaysiakini and its editor-in-chief for contempt over readers’ comments on the judiciary.

Justice Rohana Yusof, who led the three-member panel presiding over the case, ruled that the attorney-general had established prima facie. 

Case management is on June 25 and the next hearing, on July 2.

Deputy public prosecutor Alice Loke appeared for the Attorney-General’s Chambers while Malaysiakini was represented by counsel A. Surendra Ananth.

The news portal is also under probe for violating the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Penal Code. 

Its editor-in-chief Steven Gan was questioned yesterday by Bukit Aman investigators.

The A-G on Monday filed for leave to cite the two parties for contempt over comments posted on the news site by readers in response to a June 9 article about the chief justice’s directive to the courts to reopen on July 1, following the easing of movement restrictions.

Idrus, in his affidavit, cited five comments that allegedly conveyed the impression that “the judiciary committed wrongdoings, is involved in corruption, does not uphold justice and compromised its integrity”.

The A-G said Malaysiakini should not have allowed these comments to be published as they were “unwarranted” and demeaned and tarnished the judiciary. – June 17, 2020.

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Comments

  • What happen to freedom of speech?

    Posted 3 years ago by Adrian Tan · Reply

  • too free nothing better to do.

    Posted 3 years ago by Chua Kok Soon · Reply

  • Question: Since when did the Judiciary become beyond reproach? Should it not be exposed and be open to constructive criticism or be questioned when it makes highly questionable decisions - especially when it looks like they were politically motivated?

    Posted 3 years ago by Sunita petrus · Reply