Reporters Without Borders calls on the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to immediately rescind the order it issued on 26 August to TMNet, the country's biggest ISP, and to 20 other Malaysia ISPs to block access to the Malaysia Today news website (http://www.malaysia-today.net).

"With the media subject to close government control, websites constitute one of the few areas of free speech in Malaysia," Reporters Without Borders said. "We remind the commission that under the rules of democracy, only a court should be able to censor a website. This order, which was not the result of any complaint brought before the courts, is not only questionable but also disproportionate, as it was issued because of comments posted on the site about the articles. We call for Malaysia Today to be unblocked at once."

The website has been notified that it is being blocked under section 263 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, which says an ISP must obey a written request from the commission "in the national interest." However, section 3 of the same law says: "Nothing in this act shall be construed as permitting the censorship of the Internet."

The government also undertook to "ensure that there is no Internet censorship" in the charter of the "Multimedia Super Corridor," a business consortium formed on the initiative of the ministry of communications with the aim of promoting new technologies. The government endorsed the charter in 1996.

Nazri Abdul Aziz, a minister with responsibility for justice, said in July 2007 that the government would not hesitate to use the Internal Security Act against online activists. Under the ISA, someone who is deemed to have threatened state security can be held without trial for two years.

Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin has created a "mirror" website at which Malaysia Today can still be accessed from within Malaysia. Its address is http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com. Aged 58 and known as "RPK," Raja Petra is the country's first online journalist to be charged under the 1948 Sedition Act. He was arrested on 6 May for linking a senior government official to the murder of a young woman. He was released on bail three days later and is due to appear in court on 10 September. He faces a possible three-year sentence for violating a Sedition Act provision that outlaws inciting "hatred, doubt or contempt" for any government leader or member.

Malaysia is ranked 124th out of 169 countries in the Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index.

Read the Communications and Multimedia Act

Comments (24)

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written by Concerned_Citizen, August 29, 2008 12:37:51

They are pathetic now. Every silly action counts in order to stop the awekening rakyat!

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written by panca, August 29, 2008 12:46:47

They are still in the state of total denial, a great disservice to themselves. Integrity has no value to them. A very sorry state.(State)

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written by TruthSayer, August 29, 2008 12:47:38

Trying to block a website shows the level of intelligence of those who are currently running our country. They have hit the bottom of the intelligence scale and are now proceeding to dig below the "IQ zero" level with their DNA bill.

We should be happy that BN is activley digging their own graves with each and every stupid action they do.

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written by Ben Nordin, August 29, 2008 12:51:48

Is this the way to celebrate Merdeka?

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written by ibabonma, August 29, 2008 12:55:23

How come I am still home at Malaysia Today! I hate to say it out but I say it now, MCMC budak bodoh.

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written by talk2stop, August 29, 2008 12:58:48

Malaysia goverment is such a foolish goverement. You can't get rid of people like RPK. The goverment just need to play the game with RPK. Flood the market with similar RPK sites and give unresticted access to all the sites. This will make RPK and Malaysia-today less effective. Someone will come along better and stronger than RPK. RPK is not invincible. If you leave him (RPK) alone he may just hang himself. That's my advice to the Malaysian goverment. There you have it.

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written by BOB007, August 29, 2008 12:59:16

stupid move by stupid goverment

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written by chanatak, August 29, 2008 13:03:23

The Rakyat now demands that the so-called professional journalists in Malaysia ..... yes everyone of you who professes this title as your source of income ...
to openly make your stand against the freedom of expression. Or else consider yourself a shame to the profession.

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written by malsia1206, August 29, 2008 13:06:35

The damage had been done. If the Government rescinds the order, it would be seen as a slap on their faces. Either which way they are falling into the pits of the lowest form of theeir so-called Democracy. And worst of all, the same Government breached their assurance there would be no censorship on the internet under the MSC. What a bunch of craps. Putrajaya has shown the style of poor and incoherent leadership for the country. The rakyat shall respond again accordingly with one big unified voice at the appropriate time.

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written by densemy, August 29, 2008 13:09:29

UMNO is behaving like a chicken with its head cut off.. Running around in blind aimless circles, doing endless somersaults and splattering blood and feathers everywhere

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written by Malaysiaku, August 29, 2008 13:10:34

Can MT sue the Govt?

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written by FFT, August 29, 2008 13:12:28

One thing to take note of...all the ministers whose jurisdiction this falls under were somewhat shocked by the move but tried to keep a straight face. Even Syed Hamid managed to salvage some illusory control of the situation.

I doubt this was a Cabinet directive. It is probably Rosmajib paying off (with their ill-gotten commissions, of course) a few goons at the MCMC to pull this off because they got desperate when they realized that their status as First Swine of Malaysia has just slipped away that little bit more.

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written by FFT, August 29, 2008 13:13:58

Oh by the way....now that all eyes will be trained on MT and the curiosity has reached boiling levels....is it close to that time to drive the final stake into this vampire couple's black hearts?

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written by raven1958, August 29, 2008 13:14:23

MCMC boys got their training in Tun Razak University and did all their practicals in Myanmar.....and will soon loose the MSC after speaking to Hamid and Shafeee to defend them at the ICJ......like Batu Putih....MSC hub will be gone and all investors will move to Singapore....maybe they already have

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written by zackzeni, August 29, 2008 13:16:16

hamid kepala botak ..... the clock is ticking. You better pack your things and find a safe haven for you.

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written by densemy, August 29, 2008 13:20:52

Like any attempt at censorship, all this action does is advertise MT's existence and more and more Malaysians will be seeking it out only to discover a new and refreshing look at "the news"

Thanks MCMC

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written by varvoom, August 29, 2008 13:24:02

talk2stop, the only thingy the gomen can flood is SHIT! and these idiots also have the fan blowing at their face!

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written by non conformist, August 29, 2008 13:43:25

"Liberty cannot be caged into a charter or handed on ready-made to the next generation.
Each generation must recreate liberty for its own times.
Whether or not we establish freedom rests with ourselves."
---Florence Ellinwood Allen

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written by Oyster, August 29, 2008 14:28:02

Now is the time for every civic minded Malaysian to stand up for what is right. Speak your mind and walk the talk.May there be a hundred thousand RPK's and Malaysia Today's. Tell everyone. The 'king' is Dead, LONG LIVE THE KING! End all racist politics.End all corruption.Clean up the filth in the Judiciary.Deliver Justice for Altantuya.Bring honesty and dignity back to Malaysia and all Malaysians. The power is in our votes and our consciences, don't let them deny this to us any more.Don't deny yourselves this right.

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written by Mustapha Kamal, August 29, 2008 20:35:30

So, am I to stop contributing my tuppence worth on what is happening in malaysia ? Sorry, even if it means that mt will again be shut down, people like me will carry on. The gomen may take one of us down, but another will spring up in his or her place. We are still a distance from stalin's russia, and we cannot stop. Sorry RPK.

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written by Kacang Tanah, August 29, 2008 20:45:40

How are you going to tell the whole world that there is press freedom in Malaysia?

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written by penangboi, August 29, 2008 21:36:50

This evening I tried accessing MT but was greeted with the message that it is blocked by the F**king gomen.

I went on to Susan Loone's and saw this posting by a good samaritan. Tried it and it works. Just remember to reboot computer first after changing the DNS settings :

mbc (08:19:2 :

I just would like to inform everyone who is using Streamyx, to change your DNS setting from using TM 202.188.0.133/202.188.1.5 to OpenDNS server setting, 208.67.222.222/208.67.220.220. If you still can’t get through, you’ll need to run the following command at your command prompt, “ipconfig /flushdns”.

After you done that, You’ll not be blocked from assessing Malaysia-Today, and perhaps any other site that the “outgoing-government” decided to block.

Please spread the message to all netizens. We shall not be cowed by these cowards !!!!!!

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written by Sabahfan, August 30, 2008 00:16:01

So long as MT is banned, this flag will fly in distress, until UMNO is wiped out from the face of the earth..

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written by Hakim Joe, August 30, 2008 15:51:05

Democratic Country, my FOOT! How can a government agency supposedly interpret the law and act upon it? Even if any website contravenes the Multimedia Act, it will up to the local judiciary to pass judgment, certainly not a government agency. More like fascism, if u ask me.

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