There are serious limits to content if you try to access the web from a Malaysian IP address, and internet freedom is almost non-existent. Many blogs, news sites, and social media profiles have been closed after facing accusations of criticizing the government.
Because of these facts, Malaysia’s internet has been ranked as “partly free” by the advocacy body Freedom House. That’s despite the fact that over 84% of the Malaysian population are internet users. The same report adds that press freedoms are “not free”, highlighting the muzzling of bloggers and journalists as the reason behind this status. These numbers are backed by our findings in our annual internet censorship report.
Back in 2016, the Malaysian government reneged on pledges never to censor the web and proceeded to block several websites that had reported on Prime Minister Najib Razzak’s corruption scandals. Online news site The Malaysian Insider went out of business as a direct consequence of this decision.
Efforts by Malaysian authorities to expand internet access throughout the country have certainly borne fruit, with a focus on affordable smartphones in rural areas. But this has also led to greater political awareness and criticism of public officials – developments that the Malaysian government is extremely wary of.
At the same time, authorities are vying for even more sweeping powers of censorship. There are plans to strengthen both the Official Secret Act and the Communication & Multimedia Act, which would place more control over news sites, ISPs, and ordinary users. There could likely be more surveillance of the web in the future.
Related: How to blog anonymously: a guide for activists, whistleblowers, and journalists