Blocking Sarawak Report is against freedom of expression - CENBET

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) should reconsider its decision to block access to The Sarawak Report as it has a chilling effect on freedom of expression.

Centre For A Better Tomorrow (CENBET) in a media statement issued today said that if the principle is applied consistently, a lot of websites and online news portals may have to shut down.

“MCMC has blocked access to the website although a high-level probe into allegations surrounding 1MDB is still pending. This would also set an unhealthy precedent in terms of digital access in the long-run,” it said.

CENBET added, print or online censorship should be judiciously applied and only in areas like pornography, gambling or hate speech.

“Reports that pose threats to those in power should not warrant MCMC to block Internet users in Malaysia from accessing them.

“In fact, MCMC has gone against the spirit of "no online censorship" stipulated in the Multimedia Super Corridor's Bill of Guarantee No. 7,” it said.

However, CENBET said that only if MCMC can give a persuasive reason why blocking the Sarawak Report is crucial in ensuring peace and order, its integrity as a regulator would not be questioned.

“In any case, blocking access to the Sarawak Report would not achieve much success given Malaysians' ingenuity in finding loopholes such as using proxy servers.

“In fact, it would only heighten curiosity among Malaysian Internet users who would be more driven to read the Sarawak Report through other means,” it said.

On Sunday, access to the Sarawak Report website has been blocked by MCMC. The action was taken on grounds that it poses a threat to national stability, and after MCMC received numerous complaints that it was posting unsubstantiated information.