Malaysia ranked No. 132 out of 173 countries on last year's edition of Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index, which means it's already a hostile place for reporters. Thanks to recent initiatives aimed at controlling the flow of online information, the country appears ready to tighten its grip on the Internet, too. But bloggers and web journalists continue to fight bravely against new and existing constraints.
Online free expression is a complex issue in Malaysia because the authorities tend to regard the Internet as an opposition medium. As a result, independent online news sources such as Malaysiakini are forced to deal with fines and jail time.
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Malaysiakini was started in November 1999 and remains one of the only truly independent sources of news in Malaysia. As a result, it continues to face government pressure. On September 3, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission told Malaysiakini in a letter that it considered two of its film clips "offensive" and "intended to upset people, and particularly the Indians." (The letter cited the "Communications and Multimedia Act" of 1988).
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