The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has voiced strong opposition against the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) seeking gag orders to restrict public discussion on the addendum allowing former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve his sentence under house arrest.
The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has expressed serious concern over the recent development involving the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) in filing applications for gag order s and prohibitory orders to prevent public discussion on the issue of the originating summons regarding an addendum to the former prime minister, Najib Razak 's, title, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. CIJ Executive Director Wathshlah G.
Naidu said the gag order would restrict anyone, including the media, from publishing, broadcasting, or disseminating any news about the ongoing judicial review. According to Deputy Chief of the Civil Division at AGC, Shamsul Bolhassan, the gag order is intended to protect the sensitivity of the case. 'The government's move raises questions about the status of freedom of speech and the right to information in Malaysia as the government has strengthened the culture of secrecy and limited the public's ability to access information,' said Naidu. 'As a result, critical discourse on matters of public interest, including sensitive issues, cannot be held, further reflecting the current Madani government's record of restricting freedom of speech, contradicting Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. Even Article 160 of the Federal Constitution states that public authorities include the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. 'Indirectly, any scrutiny of accountability held by public authorities should be permitted,' he said in a statement.Therefore, Naidu urged the government to expedite the enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) law without any further delay to ensure a transparent and accountable government based on transparency and proactive disclosure of information held by public authorities. He emphasized that any exceptions to information disclosure should be based on the principles of human rights – legality, necessity, and proportionality – while meeting the public interest test and the harm test. 'By adopting these principles, an information ecosystem can be built based on international standards regarding human rights, free from political or commercial influence,' he stated. 'The principle of transparency, which forms the basis of the RTI law, should be used as a gateway for the government to address negative perceptions among the public and move away from practices that censor critical discourse,' he concluded.
Freedom Of Speech Right To Information Judicial Review Gag Order Malaysian Government Najib Razak
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