Rewcastle-Brown: Journalists, whistleblowers, activists should not be branded criminals without fair trial - Anwar

I am disturbed by the Royal Malaysian Police’s recent public appeal and issuing of wanted posters against the Sarawak Report editor, Clare Rewcastle-Brown.

Such an unnecessarily public display reeks of abusive political influence and adds yet another dark mark on Malaysia’s record concerning press freedom and respect for the fundamental human right to free speech, both being essential to a functioning democracy.

The campaign against Rewcastle-Brown is made more troubling by the fact that similar actions are not being taken against other known criminals, such as Jho Low. Regardless of the allegation against Rewcastle-Brown, she is owed the same dignity and respect as any other individual in Malaysia whom accusations are made against.

Clare Rewcastle-Brown has and continues to do a great service to the people of Malaysia and, in particular the disenfranchised of Sarawak by raising awareness of and exposing wrong doings and abuses.

Her role in raising the issues of corruption and the plight of indigenous peoples and environmental harm that has resulted from illegal and immoral business practices, particularly in the logging and development industries represent exemplary acts of humanitarianism that is too rarely seen here in Malaysia. While Malaysia is indeed a land of law and order, it ought also to strive to always better itself as a land of justice and fairness.

Where fair trial and treatment precede punishment, which is only exacted upon decree of our independent judiciary. Journalists, whistleblowers, and activists should not be branded criminals without a fair trial, especially when they fight for the same justice we all want in Malaysia today.