- Title: Contempt case against Malaysian news portal delayed amid media crackdown
- Date: 13th July 2020
- Summary: PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA (JULY 13, 2020) (REUTERS) SECURITY LEAVING COURTROOM SCREEN SHOWING COURT SCHEDULE READING (Bahasa Malaysia): "MALAYSIA ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MALAYSIAKINI DOTCOM SDN BHD" EDITOR- IN- CHIEF OF MALAYSIAKINI STEVEN GAN WALKING OUT FROM COURTROOM , GAN SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDITOR- IN- CHIEF OF MALAYSIAKINI STEVEN GAN SAYING: "The decision will be made and announced another day, to be set. So, basically we just will wait for the decision. But they haven't set a date for that yet, so we'll see. OK." REPORTER ASKING: "CAN YOU COMMENT?" GAN: "I cannot comment. Thank you. Sorry." GAN CHATTING WITH MALAYSIAKINI LAWYER, SURENDRA ANANTH GAN SPEAKING GAN CHATTING WITH MAN AND SURENDRA (SOUNDBITE) (English) MALAYSIAKINI LAWYER, SURENDRA ANANTH, SAYING: "So there is no evidence of intentional publication and for contempt it be shouldn't going for the messenger, instead of the person making the comment. So in this case, we have divulged the information we have about the five people who posted the comments to police, the information is done." SURENDRA SPEAKING IN FRONT OF CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (English) MALAYSIAKINI LAWYER, SURENDRA ANANTH, SAYING: "Well, I would say, like submitted in court, it would have a chilling effect, because it would affect all host content providers, Facebook, Google, blog runners who provide facilities for third parties to upload information, and those people would be implicated by this decision, whatever the decision is." SURENDRA SPEAKING TO REPORTER
- Embargoed: 27th July 2020 09:36
- Keywords: Malaysia Malaysiakini Steven Gan case contempt court crackdown media press trial
- Location: PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA
- City: PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA
- Country: Malaysia
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA001CMN5C93
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Malaysia's Federal Court on Monday (July 13) announced that the decision over a contempt case against the editor-in-chief of a leading independent news portal would be delayed.
Steven Gan, the editor-in-chief of Malaysiakini, appeared in court on Monday to face contempt proceedings over readers' comments on its website that were critical of Malaysia's judiciary, in a case that has been widely seen as a test for press freedoms.
Malaysia's Federal Court, the country's highest tribunal, said that its panel of seven judges needed more time to deliberate on the issues of the case.
Malaysiakini has denied wrongdoing, saying the publication could not be held responsible for readers' comments.
Rights groups have accused Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's government, which unexpectedly came to power in March, of stifling dissent after a series of clampdowns launched against critics of the new administration.
The hearing against Malaysiakini comes days after six employees of Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera were questioned by police over a documentary on Malaysia's detention of undocumented migrants during the coronavirus pandemic that authorities have accused of being inaccurate, misleading and unfair.
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