Freedom on the NET Status: Malaysia maintains ‘”Partly Free” status

September 28, 2012

http://www.malaysiakini.com (09-27-12)

Malaysia has fallen eight places in the Washington-based think tank Freedom Houses latest Freedom on the Net report, which measures Internet freedom in 47 countries.

This places Malaysia on the 23rd spot, in the same league as Libya and Jordon, and maintains its partly free label in the think tanks Freedom on the Net Status.

The ranking employed a demerit system (i.e. Zero being no obstacles to Internet freedom) to construct the rankings. This year, Malaysia picked up an additional two point and is now 43 of 100.

In the region, Malaysia (23rd) ranks behind the Philippines (7th place) and Indonesia (21st) but is ahead of Thailand (35th), Vietnam (40th) and Burma (41st).

One of the chief Freedom House complaints is the amendments to Section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950 which make intermediaries liable for content posted by anonymous users.

(This raises) concerns that it would damper free expression online and open the doors to selective, politically motivated prosecutions, read the report. Freedom House noted that the amendments were hurriedly rushed through passage and now allowed the presumption of guilt, shifting the burden of proof to the accused.

Evolving tactics of harassment

The report said although there were fewer defamation cases against bloggers and several earlier prosecutions had been discontinued, defamation cases against bloggers involving disproportionate request for damages threatened to chill online expression.

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Freedom on the NET Status: Malaysia maintains ‘”Partly Free” status